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Xbox Games Overview Part II

by Rainier on Oct. 17, 2001 @ 1:59 p.m. PDT

As mentioned earlier ... Part II of the European XBOX Showcase presentation ... Part II covers titles such as : Rallisport Challenge / Project Gotham Racing / Nightcaster / Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee and of course Halo. Read on!
“Halo”

Availability: Spring 2002

Overview
Halo is a sci-fi shooter that takes place on a mysterious alien ring-world. Packed with combat, Halo will have you battling on foot, and in vehicles, inside and outdoors with Alien and Human weaponry. Your objective: to uncover Halo’s horrible secrets and destroy mankind’s sworn enemy, the Covenant.

Features:

  • Huge Weapon Variety: Vanquish your enemies with a vast array of Human or Covenant weaponry ranging from the stealthy (semi-automatic pistols and needler guns) to the fierce (rocket launchers and flame throwers).
  • Vehicle and Foot-Based Action: Tackle missions anyway you choose - be it storming an enemy base or taking the wheel or gunnery position of a variety of powerful vehicles. Vehicles range from stolen Covenant flyers to Human buggies and more.
  • Indoor and Outdoor Combat: Fight seamlessly in Halo’s ultra-realistic indoor and outdoor environments as you hunt the Covenant in a variety of single player missions and multiplayer battles.
  • Intense Multiplayer Shoot-outs: Form a team, choose a role, and fight cooperatively with your friends, battle it out Deathmatch style via intense split screen, LAN-play or fight co-op with a friend through the single player missions.
  • Incredible Mission Variety: Fight the Covenant in a variety of missions as you uncover the dark secrets of Halo. Among your many objectives ¯ attack enemy outposts, raid underground labs for advanced technology, rescue fallen comrades, steal alien vehicles and weaponry and snipe enemy forces.
  • Reality Bending Special Effects: Halo features the most advanced graphic system on the most advanced gaming platform in the world. Gunfire rips off the screen, explosions light up a living room, and environments blur the line between your couch and fantasy.
  • Rich Sci-Fi Experience: Halo transports gamers into a science fiction universe fresh out of a Hollywood movie. With a detailed twisting story line, complex characters and cunning enemies Halo will fulfill every sci-fi enthusiast’s dreams.

“Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee”

Availability: Spring 2002

Overview:
"Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee” brings Oddworld to life in full 3-D. Players embark on a journey through a changing world of oddball creatures, off-the-wall action and outlandish goons. Players guide Mudokon champion AbeTM, and his aquatic Gabbit partner MunchTM in their third adventure across Oddworld, using special psychic powers, cool power-ups, way-out vehicles and other special abilities to deliver payback as they rescue Abe’s captured mommy!

Features:

  • Play As A Team – players use Munch and Abe co-operatively to make their way through the trials of Oddworld. Leverage both character’s unique strengths:
  • Abe – Abe can climb and jump to reach new areas, then run to escape from dangerous enemies. When all else fails, chant to take control of the enemy’s soul, and use their guns to clear a path to safety.
  • Munch – Munch can swim around the new realms of Oddworld. When on the ground, zip along with a four-wheeled assist. Need to move some yapping Slogs out of the way? Just use Munch’s nifty Sonar Plug to fire up the crane and drop those Sloggies in their pen.
  • Special Psychic Powers – Munch and Abe’s psychic powers can extend their reach and get others to do the dirty work:
  • As Abe – Let Abe’s chant roar to take possession of a gun-toting Big Bro Slig and clear almost anything out of the way. Abe can use Spooce or spiritual power gained by harvesting humshrubs to posses other creatures as well, but why think small?
  • As Munch – if Abe can’t mesmerise someone into getting the job done, Munch can use his handy Sonar Plug to hijack nearby machines including cranes, security cameras and 50-caliber Anaesthesia bots to tackle the really tough obstacles.
  • Power-Ups, Weapons and Vehicles – need to get somewhere quickly or get over a wall, like right now? Use Oddworld’s consumer power-ups like Expresso and Klimb to amp up Munch and Abe’s abilities to perform cool moves. For the more direct approach, snag high-caliber weaponry or pilfer cool vehicles to mow through tough situations and get around fast!
  • Oddworld, Now in “New And Improved 3-D!” – it’s a whole new Oddworld, with roaring rapids, towering mountains and hundreds of trees that bloom or die. Graphics so amazing, only the Xbox can bring them to life.
  • Interact With Dozens of Different Oddball Races – use GameSpeak® to get Oddworld’s inhabitants (from the heavily armed Big Bro Sligs to the cute but ferocious Fuzzles) to carry out tricky tasks or just beat the bejesus out of enemies.
  • “Frustration Free” Gaming – Oddworld’s new intelligent cinematic camera, auto-targeting system and no-stick navigation system makes playing a breeze! Plus with easy QuiksavesTM and limitless lives players have plenty of chances to take on any situation…no matter how Odd!

“Nightcaster”

Availability: Spring 2002

Overview
Nightcaster is a fast and furious action adventure game featuring intensely addictive real-time spell combat and exploration. You play as Arran, a young boy chosen by the force of Light, who grows in age, skill and magical powers as he progresses throughout the game. Throughout his quest, Arran must find and learn over 40 different spells for combat against more than 30 different types of enemy creatures. Arran’s ultimate goal: to defeat the forces of Darkness and bring light back into the world.

Features:

  • Stunning spells – Nightcaster features over 40 spectacular 3D spells from four schools of magic – Light, Dark, Fire & Water. Use these spells strategically in combat for maximum effectiveness.
  • Unique control mechanism – Using the dual analogue controls, players can control Arran’s movements independently from The Orb. This provides gamers with the ability to cast spells in any direction while simultaneously moving in another, creating an intense, fast and furious gameplay experience.
  • Character evolution – Throughout the game, Arran evolves through four ages – child, young adult, middle-aged and elder. As Arran ages, he acquires new spells, growing ever more powerful while at the same time experiencing a decline in his physical capabilities.
  • Rich environments – The beautifully detailed 3D world is vast with a variety of different lands, from the depths of the Buried City to the shimmering halls of the Ice Fortress. Each is replete with dynamic lighting and shading and particle effects that take full advantage of the graphics power of Xbox. Further enhanced by dynamic music using DirectMusic advanced features, the environments become an even more immersive experience than ever imagined.
  • Unique enemy behaviour – Over 30 types of enemy creatures provide an added challenge and make for an increased adventure! Each creature in Nightcaster has his own unique behaviour and abilities and each will respond to different spells in different ways. Additionally, many creatures are designed to work together in groups while some creatures are designed to deliberately interfere with each other. These elements combine to provide an exciting combat experience throughout the game.
  • Engaging exploration and storyline – Nightcaster also delivers a compelling story within a detailed world, providing gamers with an adventure as well as action experience. Interact with friends and other NPCs as the story evolves across the many environments. Each NPC will draw the gamer deeper into the world and the story and present quests and clues to help develop Arran into a powerful wizard.
  • Addictive spell combat – Gamers can choose brute force or smart tactics when they select the appropriate school of magic and spells.

“Project Gotham Racing”

Availability: Spring 2002

Overview:
“Project Gotham Racing” is the future generation racing game where fun and reward come from focusing equally on speed, flair and risk-taking. “Project Gotham Racing” is circuit-based racing in photo-realistic downtown environments. Players can race against up to three friends at a time through realistic time-of-day and weather conditions. Players can also choose from 20 different cars and compete on more than 200 city-based circuits. With 100+ individual and wheel-to-wheel racing challenges and a separate arcade mode, gamers can expect hundreds of hours of gameplay.

Features:

  • Kudos reward system - players are rewarded by a ratings system scoring their style, dexterity and ultimate success. Kudos is a measure of the recognition players personally receive for the skill, flair and daring they drive with, and for the accomplishments achieved throughout the game.
  • More than 20 radical and stylish cars from top manufacturers - wide range of vehicles offer players a variety of high-performance driving experiences.
  • 200+ circuits, in four cities (London, Tokyo, San Francisco, New York) - the large number of tracks offer players the best circuit-based racing in four of the world’s greatest cities.
  • Each of the 3 areas in the four cities (12 total) has been accurately modeled to capture their most intricate geographical details.
  • The look and feel of each city is enhanced with radio stations and DJs broadcasting the hottest tunes.
  • Enhanced multi-player mode - special options provide competitive fun at its best.
  • Four-player split screen allows players to race head to head, shoulder to shoulder.
  • Beautiful game environments - the game’s highly detailed, mapped out levels allow players to drive along photo-realistic city environments, clearly showcasing the Xbox’s superior graphics technology.
Rallisport Challenge

Availability: Spring, 2002

Overview:
Rallisport Challenge delivers a unique racing experience by combining four different types of Rally competition into one game: Hill climb, “WRC-style” rallies, RallyCross, and Ice Racing.

This variety of race types allows for gamers to experience traditional rally racing against the clock, as well as fierce, wheel-to-wheel grudge matches. Rallisport Challenge delivers on what is truly fun about Rally racing. With more than 25 licensed cars (and several ‘bonus’ vehicles), AI opponents with unique personalities, and spectacular crashes with realistic car damage, all surrounded by full graphical and audio exploitation of the Xbox, Rallisport Challenge will provide the most realistic and most fun racing experience ever.

Features:

  • Four distinctly different types of rallying, all in one game - Race to the clouds in the Hill climb events. Navigate rough country roads in WRC- style rallies. Fight for pole position in the bumper-to-bumper Rallycross and Ice racing championships.
  • More than 25 famous rally cars –Licensed vehicles from manufacturers like Audi, Citroen, Lancia, Ford, Subaru and Mitsubishi. The (in)famous Group “B” cars of the 1980s are also included as part of this great assortment of vehicles.
  • Robust Career Mode - Starting off with a limited selection of cars, you’ll have to race to prove yourself and gain entry into the Professional-, Classic-, and ultimately, World Classic-circuits. As you race, you’ll earn points – your key to unlocking new cars and qualifying for the upper race-circuits. You’ll also gain the experience you need to handle various race and terrain types – both on the track and when optimising your car in the garage.
  • Advanced graphics and audio - Rallisport Challenge will show swaying trees, animated crowds, animals avoiding your car’s path, and realistic particle effects as you run through mud, dirt, snow and water. Damage modelling will also be incorporated. In leveraging the audio capabilities of the Xbox, we will ensure to deliver distinctive audio effects from the actual cars.
  • Multiplayer - Up to four players can compete simultaneously in a multiplayer race. There’s nothing like the absolute thrill of racing head to head against your closest friends and humiliating them!

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