News Bot
09-19-2009, 09:10 PM
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Eliminate. That’s a pretty generic title for a game. About as exciting as plain oatmeal if you ask me. Of course, if games were judged solely on their titles, Mega Man would have flopped harder than a two-ton walrus, and Dead Space would have sold like Double Stuf Oreos at a fat camp. To twist an adage: Don’t judge a game by its name. Eliminate – courtesy of Rolando and Star Defense publisher ngmoco – is an ambitious online first-person shooter being developed specifically for the iPhone and iPod touch.
Set in the future, the fiction centers on a weapons company and its reliance on human test subjects. You are one of Arsenal Megacorp’s lucky guinea pigs, sent into the arena in the name of technological innovation. While the story isn’t particularly thrilling, or deep, producer Chris Plummer – a 13-year industry vet and former EA employee – said it was important to give the game some kind of context, as it provided a foundation to build upon.
For Plummer and his team, the challenge was to create “a console-caliber shooting experience” for Apple’s mobile gaming devices. He admitted to taking inspiration from the Halo and Call of Duty franchises, mentioning matchmaking and perks in particular, but said it was important for the team to add its own flavor.
Eliminate emphasizes quick-burst, on-the-go deathmatch gameplay by dropping players into three-minute battle royals against up to three opponents. As Plummer* put it, a great way to pass time while waiting at a bus stop.
Jumping into a round is quick and easy, and, best of all: no respawn time to break up the action. Simply tapping the screen puts you right back in the fight.
I was astonished by how natural the controls felt. It was my first experience with an iPhone/iPod touch game, but I managed to acclimate without much difficulty. The devs essentially cut the screen down the middle, producing two sides that Plummer likened to dual virtual sticks. You drag your left thumb to move and your right to aim. The other essential commands are initiated by simply tapping a certain area of the screen. There is also a sensitivity slider under the options menu, in case you want to tweak the default setting.
The small maps facilitate close-quarters combat, ensuring constant engagement and tense shootouts. Environmental hazards add to the action, forcing players to mind their surroundings, while also fending off enemies. One moment you’re chasing an adversary; the next you’re a red smudge, courtesy of a horizontal wall press.
Eliminate also integrates RPG elements, allowing you to level up, customizing your character with credits earned in online battles.
Credits are tied to performance, with first place earning the most, and last place banking the least. You can earn bonus credits during matches by scavenging the remains of fallen foes like a starving hyena. Translation: Simply grab the pickups that fall on the ground.
A caveat though. You need energy to earn credits.
Each combatant has an energy bar that depletes whenever he/she enters a match. Once the meter hits zero, you can either wait for it to recharge, or cough up some Power Cells. The original download will come with Power Cells, but once those are exhausted, you will have to purchase more from the App Store. These microtransactions will help support the game, allowing ngmoco to maintain its global servers and “balance game content.”
“We’re on a platform where games are really cheap, and we’re trying to make a game in a genre that isn’t cheap to make,” Plummer said.
Serving as currency, credits can be exchanged for weapons, armor and skins, or used to upgrade previously purchased gear. For instance, weapon damage can be improved, as can zoom level, rate of fire and clip size. The customization options are surprisingly deep, shattering my previous expectations for the iPhone/iPod touch platform.
In total, the arsenal features six armaments, including the anti-personnel Rocket Launcher, the beam-inducing Vaporizer, and my personal favorite: the shotgun-like Plasma Cannon, the perfect firearm for intimate situations.
There is still work left to do, but ngmoco has a promising babe in the womb. And, according to Plummer, launch will only be the beginning.* The team plans to support the game with downloadable content, and is even considering special events tied to credits. Shooter fans, keep your sights on this one.
Award unlocked: Lame, credibility-crushing pun.
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Eliminate. That’s a pretty generic title for a game. About as exciting as plain oatmeal if you ask me. Of course, if games were judged solely on their titles, Mega Man would have flopped harder than a two-ton walrus, and Dead Space would have sold like Double Stuf Oreos at a fat camp. To twist an adage: Don’t judge a game by its name. Eliminate – courtesy of Rolando and Star Defense publisher ngmoco – is an ambitious online first-person shooter being developed specifically for the iPhone and iPod touch.
Set in the future, the fiction centers on a weapons company and its reliance on human test subjects. You are one of Arsenal Megacorp’s lucky guinea pigs, sent into the arena in the name of technological innovation. While the story isn’t particularly thrilling, or deep, producer Chris Plummer – a 13-year industry vet and former EA employee – said it was important to give the game some kind of context, as it provided a foundation to build upon.
For Plummer and his team, the challenge was to create “a console-caliber shooting experience” for Apple’s mobile gaming devices. He admitted to taking inspiration from the Halo and Call of Duty franchises, mentioning matchmaking and perks in particular, but said it was important for the team to add its own flavor.
Eliminate emphasizes quick-burst, on-the-go deathmatch gameplay by dropping players into three-minute battle royals against up to three opponents. As Plummer* put it, a great way to pass time while waiting at a bus stop.
Jumping into a round is quick and easy, and, best of all: no respawn time to break up the action. Simply tapping the screen puts you right back in the fight.
I was astonished by how natural the controls felt. It was my first experience with an iPhone/iPod touch game, but I managed to acclimate without much difficulty. The devs essentially cut the screen down the middle, producing two sides that Plummer likened to dual virtual sticks. You drag your left thumb to move and your right to aim. The other essential commands are initiated by simply tapping a certain area of the screen. There is also a sensitivity slider under the options menu, in case you want to tweak the default setting.
The small maps facilitate close-quarters combat, ensuring constant engagement and tense shootouts. Environmental hazards add to the action, forcing players to mind their surroundings, while also fending off enemies. One moment you’re chasing an adversary; the next you’re a red smudge, courtesy of a horizontal wall press.
Eliminate also integrates RPG elements, allowing you to level up, customizing your character with credits earned in online battles.
Credits are tied to performance, with first place earning the most, and last place banking the least. You can earn bonus credits during matches by scavenging the remains of fallen foes like a starving hyena. Translation: Simply grab the pickups that fall on the ground.
A caveat though. You need energy to earn credits.
Each combatant has an energy bar that depletes whenever he/she enters a match. Once the meter hits zero, you can either wait for it to recharge, or cough up some Power Cells. The original download will come with Power Cells, but once those are exhausted, you will have to purchase more from the App Store. These microtransactions will help support the game, allowing ngmoco to maintain its global servers and “balance game content.”
“We’re on a platform where games are really cheap, and we’re trying to make a game in a genre that isn’t cheap to make,” Plummer said.
Serving as currency, credits can be exchanged for weapons, armor and skins, or used to upgrade previously purchased gear. For instance, weapon damage can be improved, as can zoom level, rate of fire and clip size. The customization options are surprisingly deep, shattering my previous expectations for the iPhone/iPod touch platform.
In total, the arsenal features six armaments, including the anti-personnel Rocket Launcher, the beam-inducing Vaporizer, and my personal favorite: the shotgun-like Plasma Cannon, the perfect firearm for intimate situations.
There is still work left to do, but ngmoco has a promising babe in the womb. And, according to Plummer, launch will only be the beginning.* The team plans to support the game with downloadable content, and is even considering special events tied to credits. Shooter fans, keep your sights on this one.
Award unlocked: Lame, credibility-crushing pun.
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