Pariah
We look at Digital Extremes next FPS offering, and like it a lot.
Tags: Pariah Categories: PC Previews, Previews
Posted by Daniel "monk" Pelfrey on Jun 14th, 2004
When you create one of the standard bearers in any genre, following that up can be a tough prospect. Expectations are high, and any deviation in the formula can be viewed with (quite often) undue harshness. Enter Digital Extremes and the Unreal franchise.
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In an attempt to shake (and rightfully so) the image that it has only one trick up its sleeve, Digital Extremes has taken the bold move and created not only a new game, but took this new game to a new publisher – Groove Games (in North America). This publisher in turn has licensed the rights to pubish the game throughout the rest of the world to Hip Interactive. This is a major step for a company synonymous with Unreal and Infogrames/Atari.
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Pariah takes place in the future where society where the bright and rosy optimistic outlook hasn’t quite proven to be true. Dr. Jack Mason is traveling with a patient who has been infected and needs to be placed in cryogenic stasis until it can be determined what it was that left her alive while the males in her control group were killed. After crashing in a prison that sets off a riot, Dr. Mason must not only escape, but keep his patient, Karina alive as well.
It bears mentioning that this prisoner has been court marshaled and had her civil rights rescinded. The line between patient and prisoner seems a bit fuzzy.
Due to the nature of the virus infection, containment and evacuation is necessary. You try evacuating non-essential personnel from a prison of the future that has rioting inmates. It’s not as easy as it seems. Now try staying alive, and keeping somebody else alive in this environment, and you get an idea of what the gameplay will be like.
Yes, the standard hallway shoot-em-up is there, and there’s plenty of it. However, after a few minutes of corridor crawls, Dr. Mason and Karina enter a courtyard – and choices need to be made. For example, players can begin blasting away at the prisoners that have taken it over. You could also wait for the guards to arrive with reinforcements and take care of the situation. Keep in mind that they don’t care for you either.
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Another situation has players protecting Karina as she hacks into the computer in order to keep the prisoners where they belong – in their cells and subdued. This takes place in a large outside tower that has turrets as well as several folks coming up and trying to stop you. Forcefully. When the turrets on each of the 4 sides run out of ammo, things can get a little harried in close quarters. The fact that it was dark, in the middle of wooded area doesn’t help matters any either.
Pariah will have a mix of grand outdoor style and close quarter corridors – with seamless integration. Adding in the Havok engine ragdoll physics engine for bodies to go flyin’ everywhere and the patented kick-ass Unreal engine gameplay and visuals, you come up with a very sweet looking game.
The effects of the weapons are amazing. It seems only the other day when it was a revelation to be playing a FPS like Doom, and thinking it looked great. You know that effect caused by heat rising from asphalt? You know how the atmosphere shimmys about? Yeah, I forgot what that effect is called too (there was a reason I failed science) but that can be seen in the game with some of the weapons.
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Special mention should be made of the water as well. The reflections are amazing and the way it moves, it really looks like a liquid. Possibly the best water effects – ever.
What does this all mean for those of you with low-end machines? Well, if Half-Life 2 and Doom 3 won’t get you to upgrade, then Pariah will. The textures are very detailed and damn near photo-realistic.
Various folks will have what are referred to as Weapons Energy Cores that can be retrieved from their limp lifeless bodies. These will aid the player in upgrading weapon capabilities, or in the physical person. There are different options displayed when a WEC is obtained, sort of like a directional pad, as well as the amount available to fill. By selecting the location the WEC fills into that attribute.
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The weapons are your basic garden variety “big guns” but its how they are used that makes for a good game. The primary weapon is called The Bulldog, holds a good amount of ammo and deals a fair bit of destruction. Ah, the ever present grenade launcher. The Sniper rifle. The… better hold back and stay out of the crossfire, otherwise Karina may get hurt. Having a nice big weapon isn’t always the right solution. Besides, firing a weapon too long will result in overheating. Switch them out or just hang back.
There are no health power-ups in Pariah, Instead Dr. Mason has a healing pack that can be used at virtually any time. There are drawbacks however to help balance the gameplay. While the supply is virtually limitless, it comes with a price – well, two actually. The first is the health pack takes a while to recharge. The second, and perhaps more dangerous, is the effect of too much health. Taking too much health too soon will provide an affect similar to being in a drug state. Eyes blur, balance shifts, and it’s possible for the player to be momentarily debilitated – long enough to get capped and put out of commission to the point of having unlimited health won’t do any good.
Coming out on the PC and Xbox, both will feature the same stunning visuals as well as multiplayer. Look for Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Capture the Flag , Siege and Front Line Assault (a version of Domination where players try to hold onto key areas of a map).
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For the larger outdoor multiplayer maps there will be some vehicles available – including some that will hold multiple players. Take the enemy flag and jump in with your team in the vehicle. One person drives while two others take out the enemy while transporting the flag back to base. Or just mow down everybody in Deathmatch. Add to the vehicles the WEC system, and multiplayer could be some of the most enjoyable and unique to come along in a while.
Pariah is so far flying in under the radar and hopefully some momentum will build as this is one game that deserves a lot more attention. We’re looking forward to it.
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Tags: Pariah
Posted by Daniel "monk" Pelfrey on Jun 14th, 2004 and is filed under PC Previews, Previews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can post a comment, or trackback from your own site.
