THQ Developers Day: Impressions

This week, THQ held an event showcasing their latest titles. Here are our impressions on those six games, including Sphinx, Finding Nemo, Fire Warrior and Broken Sword 3.

Earlier this week, THQ held an event in the UK to showcase what they say is some of the best in UK development talent, in a range of six new titles. With it being so easy to overlook games every year at E3, THQ decided it was time to get in there a month early, to educate the games press about their latest games. Here are our impressions of the games that were on show - each seminar was hosted by the developer itself, for ideal game demonstrations.

Sphinx (Eurocom) PS2

Sphinx is a game with high production values, and it shows. It has a very Jak II, high quality look to it, boasting colourful rendered visuals, exemplary texture detail and a promised sixty frames refresh rate in the final version. But it's not just about the visuals - Sphinx has some great ideas in the game as well. You play as two different characters throughout the game depending on the level. Sphinx is the main character, the bold hero of the game, while the Mummy is a very old, frail and, as the developer puts it, "dead" character who also brings a lot of humour to the game. The animation - especially on the Mummy, who must deliberately set himself on fire, electrocute himself, and go through all manner of other painful activity to overcome obstacles in the game, is very amusing and well done. The game worlds are large and detailed, and the core platforming action looked as though it will easily rival Rayman 3. This was certainly one of the best titles on show.

Finding Nemo (Travellers Tales) All formats

Based on the forthcoming Disney Pixar feature film, Finding Nemo does exactly what it says in the tin: with superb visual quality (typical of developer, Travellers Tales) and classic platforming action, the game is based very strongly on the plot of the film, with around fifteen minutes of footage included to progress the game story. As with the all classic Disney titles (The Lion King, Aladdin), the game is simple but engaging, aimed at a young audience. With a strong collectible element to the game however, the developers promise a respectable dose of longevity for older gamers as well. The order of the day is fun in Finding Nemo however, and this looks set to deliver by the bucketload.

Moto GP 2 (Climax) Xbox, PC

Not to be confused with Namco's series (also called Moto GP with exactly the same logo) which is now onto its third game on PS2, the Climax-developed Moto GP 2 for Xbox and PC is an online-specific, precisely crafted racing game. And according to the developers, it's just like the original but with everything improved. They went into a lot of detail explaining how the 3D models, texture routines and programming have aided the new visual impact of Moto GP 2 - and it definitely shows. Things such as the sky - which is no longer a scrolling backdrop but a realistic, dome-based sky, and the texture detail of grass and tarmac - really do shine through in the visual quality. Online, the game comes into its own, with superbly thought out features for multiplay, and many online-specific issues from the first title amended. The levels of difficulty as you earn better bikes range from easy 'quick race please' to a more technical, simulation experience - and these guys know their bikes, so expect a lot of accuracy in that respect. A tight product.

Fire Warrior (Kuju) Xbox, PS2

This presentation had a lot of emphasis on the level of research that has gone into making other popular FPS titles so successful, and a lot of this was evident in the game demonstration which lasted the rest of the presentation. Whilst carrying the Games Workshop brand, and with all the characters and imagery expected from the license, the quality of the FPS experience itself obviously comes down to attention to detail. How quickly you can change weapons, precision of gameplay and control, range of weapons on offer. Kuju appreciate this. With seventeen weapons and a lot of thought having gone into the structure of the game, it does look promising. The story submerges you in a terrifying future, manifesting an intense, horror atmosphere - and the entire game is set over a single day. This FPS is certainly one to watch - but will it stand up to the strong competition at E3 and, more importantly, in stores? Time will tell.

Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon (Revolution) PS2, PC

A survey recently indicated that Broken Sword on the PlayStation was the fifth most popular game on the system. Now, the third in the series, The Sleeping Dragon, is here - but it's very early in development. Personally, I though this game was too early to show, even to the understanding games press who usually appreciate how to best judge early code. Anyhow, the big step forward with this title from BS2 is that it's all 3D. George and Nico return as they fight through the steaming jungles of Congo, eerie castles in Prague, the chic back-streets of Paris and many other locations. Classed as an action adventure title, the developers are keen to emphasise the effort that has gone into the attention to detail, and the ability to interact with pretty much everything inside a level. Often, it is the exploration element of the game that allows you to progress further. The cut scenes are semi-interactive - not in a Shenmue-style QTE way, but more along the lines of: okay, we're in trouble, camera focuses on an object to hint that you should use it, you interact with it to find a gun, and shoot the person. You get the idea. The storyline itself is sounding very nice, and a novel based on the game is in fact being written as we speak.

Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick (Vis Entertainment) Xbox, PS2

Developed with the full support of Evil Dead creators, Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick allows players to assume the role of Ash, the chainsaw-armed hero from the Evil Dead trilogy. Players will fend off hordes of Deadites with several weapons including the shovel, gatling gun, shotgun and chainsaw. One nice touch was the ability to turn into mist and possess one of the Deadites, allowing you to progress when there were too many Deadites to defeat at once. The level of gore and violence is pretty grotesque, and frankly one of the key attractions to this game - whilst there appears to be a lot of gameplay in here, Evil Dead is going to have a very tough time distinguishing itself from the ocean of similar titles out there - even if it does carry the Evil Dead franchise and offer this much gore. Stay tuned for the verdict.

Adam Doree
Director, Kikizo.com