Preview: Necrotech Warfare [by Spectre Software]



Company's Name: Spectre Software
Game's Title: Necrotech Warfare
Game's Expected Release Date: 4th Quarter 2003
Website: Necrotech Warfare Website

It's been a while since the days of X-Com, but it looks like a successor might finally step forward.  Necrotech Warfare feels like X-Com all over again, but with a few significant--and original--twists.  Like X-Com, you'll be controlling a team of men in order to defeat a larger, opposing team of "plague victims."  While this doesn't sound too dramatic, the ideas behind it are.  Instead of "victims," think "zombies."  These guys don't look too undead right now, but the game team has the idea dead on, including the ominous zombie groaning.

A very original take on the genre is that instead of being a look-down isometric view of the battlefield, you'll be seeing exactly what the unit that you're controlling is seeing.  The downside to this approach right now is that there is no really clear way to figure out where everything is.  A map would be really great, and I hope that one is implemented in the final release.

The screen is set up as follows: You have a big first person view in the upper left of the screen.  The bottom is dedicated to thumbnails of your units.  Click one and the view changes.  The sidebar on the right is used for movement (forward, backward...) and also for special things, like opening doors.  It's still all about tiles, so don't expect to move 100% freely when you move.  If you go forward, you'll jump fully one tile in front of you.  The animations aren't done yet, so you jump forward really quickly; this also causes you to miss some things since you don't see yourself moving.  Again, things to be fixed.

Like X-Com, everything is point-based.  Walking, turning, shooting, punching... they all take a few "action points."  It's a very sound way to make a turn-based game such as this, but I'd prefer one other feature: the "glance."  Since it's iffy to figure out just where everything is, especially after the enemy takes a long turn, I'd love to be able to just glance left and right with my units to get a feel for the area.

Probably the biggest similarity between X-Com and Necrotech Warfare is aim: there is none.  I'd be standing directly in front of a zombie-like man, shoot my pistol five times, and only have one shot hit.  My poor man would really be in for it next turn, but it was a comforting similarity.  A difference, and a good one, is melee combat.  Unlike X-Com, most of my units came with a knife or "power glove" to maul the enemy when my aim was off.

The units are never at a lack to say something brave or stupid.  One of the guys seemed to be imitating Terminator from the second movie.  Some of the screams are a bit corny, but the units make up for it by talking during a fight.  I'd have a female unit yelling at a zombie to "Get away!", "Don't touch me!", etc., as she was being attacked.

There was also a two-player feature, but it looked as though it was the same as the single-player one, but with the enemy being controlled by player two.

A few problems with the alpha:

* Bounds checking.  You could walk into (literally) another unit, and then you'd magically be "bumped" to some other close-by space.

* Doors.  You can't just open doors right now.  You have to open AND go through.  This is interesting because if there is an enemy directly on the other side, you'll go on the same space and never know that he's there (until he kills you next turn).

* Script errors.  I'm fairly certain that they had to with sounds.  There were some here and there, and they were pretty benign, but one of them forced me to quit the application.

* Items.  I had some difficulty picking them up.  There'd be some transparent, gray box with nothing in it.  It looked like a "How many?" or "Are you sure?" box, but I couldn't tell.

The concept behind the game is pretty solid, and it needs some work, but I'd make a note to check this one out.