Xbox 360 HDD

Xbox360 Memory Cards

Brute Force

Get the scoop on the upcoming squad based, tactical shooter (an Xbox exclusive) in our forceful preview!

Digital Anvil is currently hard at work on its upcoming game, Brute Force. The title is a tactical, squad based, third-person shooter set in unique, extraterrestrial worlds. The company is part of Microsoft's development group, which means all games that it develops remain exclusive to Microsoft. It also means that the company has inside knowledge of the Xbox, and is in a position to exploit the hardware. Soaring expectations have already overwhelmed the development of this title. Brute Force is a game that looks to take its genre to brand new heights.

In Brute Force, players command an elite squad of armed forces through a hefty variety of diverse missions. The crew is composed of four characters; Tex, the heavy assault rebel, Flint, the cyborg sniper, Hawk the undercover stealth expert, and last but not least, Brutus the odd looking alien whose brutal strengths excel when in close range encounter with the enemies. As the game progresses, the individual marines evolve and gain stronger powers. This feature is generally used in role playing games, but should be great in adding depth to Brute Force's gameplay.

Your team's tasks are set within four different worlds; the Volcanic Moon of Shadoon, the Desert World of Caspian, the Feral Homeworld of Ferix and the Shadow Outpost of Shrike. Each of these amazingly designed worlds features its own remarkable differences. The Volcanic Moon of Shadoon is overflowing with magma, the Shadow Outpost of Shrike features an atmosphere dangerous to humans, the Desert World of Caspian is located in the middle of an enormous desert where as the Feral Homeworld of Ferix has enormous marches and swamps.

Look for some amazing details when visiting these worlds, as the Xbox is capable of handling so many polygons, it's almost offensive. Digital Anvil have been working on this game for some time, and already the game looks great. Instead of slapping on a different colored "skin" over a world, the developers are creating some very unique textures that don't look like they can be replicated on any other console.

Like other games of this type, (think Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six), strategy is a key factor in order to succeed. Before setting off on a mission, the player will be able to customize his squad's tactics to his personal likings. The style in which the player undertakes is fully up to him, but will however effect the turn out of the assignment. If you choose to take a stealthy and quieter approach, expect your mission to last a longer amount of time. As with many other squad based styled games, strength is not always the best bet. Players will require the use of stealthy tactics in order to complete several missions, discarding most full-out combat procedures. The strategy you settle on before the operation is not at all final, as it can be altered at any occasion with a simple command. Using each individual soldier's strengths will also be a key element in achieving the mission, as not everyone excels in the same department. Making the wrong decisions may cause the life of one of your commandos, eventually leading up to a much harder battle with enemies.

An easy button layout is planned for incorporation into Brute Force, allowing players to be truly free to command their squad at any given time. If you remember Unreal Tournament, the complex interface must come to mind. In order to command your team to the slightest task, the player had to push several keys, meanwhile being shot by his opponents. If done well, Brute Force's control scheme could become a new standard used in future games of its genre.

An action game is nothing without a wide variety of weaponry. Brute Force does not only utilize some killer human weapons, it also features a pretty nifty alien arsenal, along with a range of different technologies. The game's immense armory includes mini-guns, sonic cannons, psychic blasts and the almighty flamethrowers. Enhancements such as infrared goggles and stealth suits have also been added to the inventory. The weapons used to carry out the various missions will also depend on their style, meaning you wouldn't want to use something as loud as sonic cannons to destroy a small enemy while under the stealth strategy.

Digital Anvil currently plans on incorporating a multiplayer mode into the game, but nothing is currently known in terms of details. Something along the lines of Halo's cooperative multiplayer play mode would be enjoyable. A death match battle with A.I bots would also extend the replay value of this title. However, by looking at the game's launch window, an online mode would be rushed. Microsoft has revealed plans to set up its online network around mid-2002, which would conflict with the projected Spring 2002 release date.

Don't be surprised if the title gets delayed, as this could be a great multiplayer title. With the developer's inside knowledge of the Xbox, and the backing of Microsoft, this is definitely one title to keep an eye on.

Matt Thomas
Matt, not Mathew or Mathieu.

This website is a part of the XboxWeb : Xbox 360 HDD : Faceplates : Xbox360 emu