Bodycount

[Flawless]

Black creator's new shooter, Bodycount, revealed in OXM

The new shooter from the creators of Black, Bodycount, is exclusively revealed on the cover of the new issue of OXM - going out to subscribers now.

The game is being developed at Codemasters Guildford by a team headed by Stuart Black, who worked on the cult FPS that shares his name when at Criterion.

Several other key members of the Black team have joined him at Codemasters to work on Bodycount, which is a spectacular and frankly mental first-person shooter.

We can't say any more about it, save to say that if you like shooting guns in games you are going to really, really love it. Find out more in the issue itself: the mag's going out to subscribers today, and will be in newsagents on Thursday 11th March. Look out for the fancy cardboard wallet with the big hole in, our testament to the game's ridiculous levels of destruction.

[Cyros]

Re: Bodycount

What's the track record of games being made at a new studio headed by top guys behind some cult hit/critically acclaimed game?

[Flawless]

Re: Bodycount

IGN Hands-on

The testosterone naturally spills out in to the game itself; Doe's billed as an 'overt assassin', a term that itself is a wonderful riposte to the reams of stealth games that have crowded the action market over the past decade as well as a fair indicator of what to expect from Bodycount – brash and ballsy first-person action. Doe's work on the field is primarily against other competing Networks fighting for total global domination, and the elimination of key targets from opposing factions helps give the game its arcade flavour.

Each battle arena has various marks, with Doe free to take each one down at his own discretion. Standing in his way will be patrols of opposing soldiers, all drawing upon a rigid class system. At the top of the tree is the tank, the Baron Samedi-a-like that's front and centre of the early artwork and screenshots and he's to be joined by other ranks that promise to be just as distinctive looking. Working out how to exploit each one will be key to success – for example, spot a medic and taking him down will result in a weakening of the surrounding troops. They're smart adversaries too, with the open nature of Bodycount's arenas promising to expose the enemy's intelligence.

Reinforcing the game's arcade credentials is a kill chain multiplier – get that eponymous Bodycount ticking over steadily and skills and abilities will be unlocked, be that Helicopter strikes, Predator Drones or access to a mini-gun. It's a mechanic that's going to be present in the game's separate co-op campaign, although there are few other details on how that slice of the game will play out.

But no doubt the best bit about Bodycount's environment is its destructibility. An early goal was set around the first proof of concept – put someone in one of Bodycount's rooms, devoid of any enemies, and see if the resulting chaos was enough to put a smile on their faces. Having dithered in one of the early demos wooden huts, which splinters and shatters with a wonderful conviction, we can confirm that it's been massively successful.

An obvious initial reference point is the recently released Battlefield: Bad Company 2, but it's clear that Bodycount's demolitions already go above and beyond DICE's efforts. "One of the things I love about console development in particular is we're all working on the same hardware and we're all working to the same specifications, so it's all about where we choose to spend," says Black, a vocal fan of Bad Company 2. "We don't have vehicles and we don't have large open landscapes in Bodycount, so what [DICE] spend on that we spend on the destruction." It's got fascinating tactical repercussions which come clear in the playable demo – finding ourselves forced into a side room thanks to a corridor that's thick with enemy bullets, we spray a wall with gunfire and make ourselves an impromptu door that helps us flank the opposition.

The final icing is delivered with Bodycount's unique cover system. With the iron sights moved to a click of the analogue stick, the left trigger is given over to attaching to cover. So far so Killzone 2 you might think, but once attached to cover the left stick enables total freedom to pick in and around objects - one thrilling example in the demo sees Doe hulk behind a pick-up truck, peeking up to shoot through the driver's cabin.

Underpinning Bodycount is a spark that's instantly infectious, perhaps best embodied by the impossibly energetic Stuart Black himself but also a sign of one of the game's more offbeat inspirations - Lady Gaga. She pops up on a number of occasions through the presentation, providing a fascinating counterpoint to Bodycount's macho heroics and the influence of the eccentric first lady of pop shouldn't be underestimated. "The impact she had on me when I saw her at Glastonbury last year was quite profound," says Stuart. "The game wouldn't have the feel and the tone that it's got now without that. It made me go back home and look at my game collection and made me realise they're just so beardy and so nerdy, and that we've got really lazy and insular as an industry. Something like that comes along and blows everyone away, so I wanted to capture some of that spirit."

If Bodycount comes good on its promise - and after this early glimpse there's every reason to believe that it will - there's every reason to believe that it can capture that spirit, and it'll be more than the game's crates that are opera.

[bkfount]

Re: Bodycount

What's the track record of games being made at a new studio headed by top guys behind some cult hit/critically acclaimed game?

well Infinity Ward being spun off by some Medal of Honor guys led to CoD, which turned into a huge franchise. On the other hand, some guys left Rare to form Free Radical after working on giants like Goldeneye and Perfect Dark, only to end up putting out fun cult hits and...Haze.

[LingeringRegime]

Re: Bodycount

I have something new to look forward to. This game looks nice.


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[bkfount]

Re: Bodycount

pretty much looks like Black..

I loved Black, as it was an awesome looking shooter on the ps2 that even came out after the 360 launched, but I wonder how it'll hold up today. Maybe they'll actually turn into into the Burnout with guns idea they dropped from Black.

[LingeringRegime]

Re: Bodycount

I hope this game is going to be good. It is supposed to come out at the end of the month.

[Scruffychicken]

Re: Bodycount

pretty much looks like Black..

I loved Black, as it was an awesome looking shooter on the ps2 that even came out after the 360 launched, but I wonder how it'll hold up today. Maybe they'll actually turn into into the Burnout with guns idea they dropped from Black.

My thoughts exactly, an HD version of Black. Hope they really have a good single player experience, because I'm getting pretty burned out of playing FPS strictly online.

[youvalss]

Re: Bodycount

Yeah, Black was the first thing that came to my mind when I saw the screenshots. And seems like it has the same style ---> shoot as many bullets as you can.

[LingeringRegime]

Re: Bodycount

Never played Black, was it any good?

[Spin]

Re: Bodycount

Demo is out, I'm on the 360.

[youvalss]

Re: Bodycount

Never played Black, was it any good?

If you like a pure-action FPS games...with great graphics (the best PS2/Xbox graphics and destruction engine, in my opinion) - then it's great. Pure action, no mercy.

[LingeringRegime]

Re: Bodycount

If you like a pure-action FPS games...with great graphics (the best PS2/Xbox graphics and destruction engine, in my opinion) - then it's great. Pure action, no mercy.

Sounds like my cup of tea.

[Cyros]

Re: Bodycount

Demo out on XBL.

[LingeringRegime]

Re: Bodycount

Any impressions from the 360 contingent?