[E3 2008] Crash Commando
Crash Commando is yet another surprise PSN title from this year's E3, and we can't wait to tell you all about it.
Published: July 20, 2008
If you've ever played Soldat, you know what to expect from Crash Commando. If you haven't, you're in luck, because I'm going to give you a crash course lesson about Crash Commando. Ahaha. Ha. Haaaaaa.
The game is a 2.5d platform shooter where the goal is simple: kill your enemy. With 11 players roaming the map in addition to yourself, each equipped with a jetpack and big guns, that makes for a lot of mayhem. ARE YOU EXCITED YET?! You should be. The level we saw demonstrated had multiple layers to it, taking place around a building with an interior and an exterior. To switch between the two, just press X at the transition point on the map. One of the neat things about this system is that you can see the action going on elsewhere through windows and holes in the wall, all in real time.
There are 8 maps to choose from, with a special weapon in each map placed somewhere in the environment. The standard selection of weapons consists of a primary, secondary, and explosive category. Choices for your primary weapon are the rocket launcher (my personal favorite), a grenade launcher, a machinegun, and a sniper rifle. For those times when you don't feel like killing everyone in a 100 foot radius, you can choose between a pistol or a knife as a secondary weapon. The explosive weapons at your disposal are C4, mines, and grenades. The current tactic of choice in the developers' office is to try to land a pack of C4 on someone (yep, it sticks) and to detonate it, resulting in a satisfying cloud of blood and fire. Ooooh yes. This is a game I can see eating up far more of people's time than they can afford.
The controls, although a bit too sensitive right now (we're promised a tweaking option is on the way), make Crash Commando exceptionally easy to play. The left shoulder buttons control your jet pack, which has a limited amount of recharging fuel, while the right shoulder buttons handled firing. Analog sticks control movement and aiming, as expected, and the d-pad allows you to select a power-up for your current life: you can gain a health boost, a speed boost, or an attack boost.
There are vehicles in the game; though we didn't see any, we're told that a tank and a jeep lurk somewhere in the code. DLC is planned, but we weren't able to wrangle a price out of the representative we talked to for either the final game or the downloadable content. A release is planned for the end of this year exclusively for the PSN.
The game is a 2.5d platform shooter where the goal is simple: kill your enemy. With 11 players roaming the map in addition to yourself, each equipped with a jetpack and big guns, that makes for a lot of mayhem. ARE YOU EXCITED YET?! You should be. The level we saw demonstrated had multiple layers to it, taking place around a building with an interior and an exterior. To switch between the two, just press X at the transition point on the map. One of the neat things about this system is that you can see the action going on elsewhere through windows and holes in the wall, all in real time.
There are 8 maps to choose from, with a special weapon in each map placed somewhere in the environment. The standard selection of weapons consists of a primary, secondary, and explosive category. Choices for your primary weapon are the rocket launcher (my personal favorite), a grenade launcher, a machinegun, and a sniper rifle. For those times when you don't feel like killing everyone in a 100 foot radius, you can choose between a pistol or a knife as a secondary weapon. The explosive weapons at your disposal are C4, mines, and grenades. The current tactic of choice in the developers' office is to try to land a pack of C4 on someone (yep, it sticks) and to detonate it, resulting in a satisfying cloud of blood and fire. Ooooh yes. This is a game I can see eating up far more of people's time than they can afford.
The controls, although a bit too sensitive right now (we're promised a tweaking option is on the way), make Crash Commando exceptionally easy to play. The left shoulder buttons control your jet pack, which has a limited amount of recharging fuel, while the right shoulder buttons handled firing. Analog sticks control movement and aiming, as expected, and the d-pad allows you to select a power-up for your current life: you can gain a health boost, a speed boost, or an attack boost.
There are vehicles in the game; though we didn't see any, we're told that a tank and a jeep lurk somewhere in the code. DLC is planned, but we weren't able to wrangle a price out of the representative we talked to for either the final game or the downloadable content. A release is planned for the end of this year exclusively for the PSN.