Heatseeker Homes in on PS2
The folks behind Heroes of the Pacific are at it again.
Published: October 4, 2006
For whatever reason, the replication of dogfighting or even just flying in general has been something that happily attached itself to gaming. From Afterburner in the arcades to Ace Combat on more modern systems, the idea of dueling with another pilot in the unfriendly skies is something of a staple. Among those trying to carve out a niche for themselves with flight games is Melbourne, Australia-based IR Gurus Interactive, who gained a bit of fame (not necessarily the good kind) with Heroes of the Pacific a game that had as much dogfighting as it did racial slurs.
Under new publisher Codemasters (who are also helping out with the development), the team hopes they can ply the lessons learned on Heroes toward Heatseeker, something that's a little more enjoyable by all, and they've taken a good first step toward that end: they based their next flight on more modern aircraft. While we're still a little skeptical of the developer's ability to replicate a Top Gun style experience (the movie, not those horrid games), things do look promising.
Settings like the Caribbean, Antarctica, the U.S. and the "Far East" (whatever that entails), real aircraft like the F35 Lightning II (aka the Joint Strike Fighter), the Russian SU-47 Berkut, the nible F22 Raptor and the oldie-but-goodie F-15 Eagle, are helping to woo us nicely. The promise of lots of lock-ons and dumped chaff aren't a bad way to do it either.
“If you like fast and furious action, and blowing everything in sight to bits, then Heatseeker is a dream come true,” spat Andrew Wensley, senior producer for Heatseeker at Codemasters in a steady stream of cliches. “Expect the greatest military aircraft armed to the teeth with the latest hardware, big explosions, great smoke trails, and gung-ho heroics.”
“The Heroes air combat engine is being advanced and getting armed to the teeth with the latest military hardware,” informed Ben Palmer, IR Gurus' executive producer. “It’s set in a realistic now-time world, that’s cohesive and believable, but the speed of play will feel like lightening.”
The engine in Heroes based on the RenderWare Engine, was one of the best parts of the game, offering things like slick motion blur and volumetric clouds, so the game will certainly look good (the screens we've got of the PS2 version -- or possibly the Wii, it's hard to tell -- make it look that way). We'll have more as we get it.
Under new publisher Codemasters (who are also helping out with the development), the team hopes they can ply the lessons learned on Heroes toward Heatseeker, something that's a little more enjoyable by all, and they've taken a good first step toward that end: they based their next flight on more modern aircraft. While we're still a little skeptical of the developer's ability to replicate a Top Gun style experience (the movie, not those horrid games), things do look promising.
Settings like the Caribbean, Antarctica, the U.S. and the "Far East" (whatever that entails), real aircraft like the F35 Lightning II (aka the Joint Strike Fighter), the Russian SU-47 Berkut, the nible F22 Raptor and the oldie-but-goodie F-15 Eagle, are helping to woo us nicely. The promise of lots of lock-ons and dumped chaff aren't a bad way to do it either.
“If you like fast and furious action, and blowing everything in sight to bits, then Heatseeker is a dream come true,” spat Andrew Wensley, senior producer for Heatseeker at Codemasters in a steady stream of cliches. “Expect the greatest military aircraft armed to the teeth with the latest hardware, big explosions, great smoke trails, and gung-ho heroics.”
“The Heroes air combat engine is being advanced and getting armed to the teeth with the latest military hardware,” informed Ben Palmer, IR Gurus' executive producer. “It’s set in a realistic now-time world, that’s cohesive and believable, but the speed of play will feel like lightening.”
The engine in Heroes based on the RenderWare Engine, was one of the best parts of the game, offering things like slick motion blur and volumetric clouds, so the game will certainly look good (the screens we've got of the PS2 version -- or possibly the Wii, it's hard to tell -- make it look that way). We'll have more as we get it.
