The End is the Beginning
Watchmen: The End is Nigh takes the comic/movie license and goes episodic.
Published: February 11, 2009
Episodic releases make a whole lot of sense for download-only games, but they make a whole hell of a lot more sense for something based on comics, which already come in bite-sized installments. Even when packaged as a graphic novel, things are usually broken down into chapters, which is precisely how developer Deadline Games (the folks behind the surprisingly good Total Overdose and its PSP sequel, Chili Con Carnage) and publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment are tackling the video game complement to the Watchmen movie hitting in a few weeks.
We finally got the chance to see the first of the episodes running with our own eyes, and the results were rather impressive -- if only because we didn't expect to see a downloadable title look, well, as pretty as it did. Deadline's engine managed to throw out some impressive textures and lighting, giving the prequel setting of partners Rorschach and Nite Owl's adventures through pre-Keene Act 1976 New York a gritty, strikingly realistic look .
It was in stark contrast to the game's cutscenes, which look ripped straight from the pages of the Dave Gibbons, Alan Moore and John Higgins' amazing series. So authentic is the treatment of the source material that the same clean line work and muted colors are preserved, and WBIE even went as far as to license the actual Dave Gibbons Comicraft font to make sure that all parts of the interface and cutscenes matched the feel of the original comics. This extends to the two playable characters' individual HUDs; clean and basic for Nite Owl, with torn pages to reflect Rorschach's more feral nature.
This, not surprisingly, continues on into how the two characters play as well. Rorschach's more brutal, take-on-all-comers-at-once style is reflected in how he fights, with heavy, wild punches and kicks -- not to mention the ability to disarm opponents and use their own weapons against them. As he deals hits (and while at rest to a lesser degree), his Rage Meter fills, allowing him to eventually unleash an attack that deals massive damage with each hit as if they were all finishers. Nite Owl, on the other hand, is far more controlled, and is best at taking on one opponent at a time with MMO-style blows. Like Rorschach, he has a meter that fills (in this case a Charge Meter), allowing him to bank any kinetic energy captured while fighting and then release it as an area effect attack.
The End is Nigh is meant to be a co-op experience from the start (local only, though; sorry online co-op fans), and though the AI will happily take over for whatever character you're not using while playing solo, the game is meant to be enjoyed with two people working collaboratively -- something that was highlighted a few times with flashing objects that needed both characters to get past. There are a few character-specific bits, like Rorschach being able to pick locks to access side paths and collect more goodies, but for the most part it's a tag-team affair, which helps explain both the origins of where Rorschach got his grappling gun and the partnership he had with Nite Owl in the past.
At its heart, though, The End is Nigh is a brawler at heart, allowing players to mix and match basic free-flowing combos with the Square and Triangle buttons as they please. As we went through the first few levels, things like throws (Circle), dodges and counter-attacks were slowly unlocked. Even basic combos happen naturally as the game progresses, though players are allowed a certain amount of freedom in mixing up regular attacks. The combos can have specific effects, like stunning enemies and allowing the other player to jump in and finish them off, enhancing the tag team nature of things.
Thanks to extensive motion capturing for all the moves, there's an impressive sense of weight, and combined with Deadline's engine, rife with little effect likes raindrops hitting the reflective puddles strewn throughout the back alleys of New York, or the slightly shiny leather of Rorschach's trench coat, makes for a weighty, brutal feeling little brawler.
We didn't have a whole lot of time to play around with things, but at least the fundamental seem solid. We'll know for sure when we get a chance to explore the full first episode (split into a half-dozen or so chapters) in a few weeks. When we know more, we'll make sure you do too, but for a better idea of what we're talking about with the visuals, make sure you check out the screens and movies we've assembled for you (yes, you)!
We finally got the chance to see the first of the episodes running with our own eyes, and the results were rather impressive -- if only because we didn't expect to see a downloadable title look, well, as pretty as it did. Deadline's engine managed to throw out some impressive textures and lighting, giving the prequel setting of partners Rorschach and Nite Owl's adventures through pre-Keene Act 1976 New York a gritty, strikingly realistic look .
It was in stark contrast to the game's cutscenes, which look ripped straight from the pages of the Dave Gibbons, Alan Moore and John Higgins' amazing series. So authentic is the treatment of the source material that the same clean line work and muted colors are preserved, and WBIE even went as far as to license the actual Dave Gibbons Comicraft font to make sure that all parts of the interface and cutscenes matched the feel of the original comics. This extends to the two playable characters' individual HUDs; clean and basic for Nite Owl, with torn pages to reflect Rorschach's more feral nature.
This, not surprisingly, continues on into how the two characters play as well. Rorschach's more brutal, take-on-all-comers-at-once style is reflected in how he fights, with heavy, wild punches and kicks -- not to mention the ability to disarm opponents and use their own weapons against them. As he deals hits (and while at rest to a lesser degree), his Rage Meter fills, allowing him to eventually unleash an attack that deals massive damage with each hit as if they were all finishers. Nite Owl, on the other hand, is far more controlled, and is best at taking on one opponent at a time with MMO-style blows. Like Rorschach, he has a meter that fills (in this case a Charge Meter), allowing him to bank any kinetic energy captured while fighting and then release it as an area effect attack.
The End is Nigh is meant to be a co-op experience from the start (local only, though; sorry online co-op fans), and though the AI will happily take over for whatever character you're not using while playing solo, the game is meant to be enjoyed with two people working collaboratively -- something that was highlighted a few times with flashing objects that needed both characters to get past. There are a few character-specific bits, like Rorschach being able to pick locks to access side paths and collect more goodies, but for the most part it's a tag-team affair, which helps explain both the origins of where Rorschach got his grappling gun and the partnership he had with Nite Owl in the past.
At its heart, though, The End is Nigh is a brawler at heart, allowing players to mix and match basic free-flowing combos with the Square and Triangle buttons as they please. As we went through the first few levels, things like throws (Circle), dodges and counter-attacks were slowly unlocked. Even basic combos happen naturally as the game progresses, though players are allowed a certain amount of freedom in mixing up regular attacks. The combos can have specific effects, like stunning enemies and allowing the other player to jump in and finish them off, enhancing the tag team nature of things.
Thanks to extensive motion capturing for all the moves, there's an impressive sense of weight, and combined with Deadline's engine, rife with little effect likes raindrops hitting the reflective puddles strewn throughout the back alleys of New York, or the slightly shiny leather of Rorschach's trench coat, makes for a weighty, brutal feeling little brawler.
We didn't have a whole lot of time to play around with things, but at least the fundamental seem solid. We'll know for sure when we get a chance to explore the full first episode (split into a half-dozen or so chapters) in a few weeks. When we know more, we'll make sure you do too, but for a better idea of what we're talking about with the visuals, make sure you check out the screens and movies we've assembled for you (yes, you)!
