Cold Winter: Astounding PS2 Screens

Vivendi and Swordfish bring this astoundingly pretty FPS exclusively to PS2.

Last year Vivendi announced it would be publishing the Swordfish-developed firstperson shooter, Cold Winter, for PS2 and Xbox. The Xbox version has now been dropped, but the recent release of these screenshots proves it's looking completely fabulous on PS2.

Cold Winter is set in a dark world of global espionage, full of international intrigue, action and suspense. This story of a disavowed secret agent unfolds through three different threads and takes place in eight distinct environments that are as gritty as they are beautiful. 13 single player missions are woven into the three story threads of the game; Cold Winter will also incorporate a variety of immersive environments, from the dank hopelessness of a Chinese prison, to the exotic beauty of cities like Cairo and Hong Kong.

According to Philip O'Neil at Vivendi the game will combine the grim and gritty gameplay hardcore gamers have come to expect, with a storyline "reminiscent of today's contemporary spy thrillers."

And the man in charge of developing the game, Julian Widdows at Birmingham, UK-based Swordfish Studios, said that the goal "is to deliver the most complete and immersive experience possible in an FPS game by creating the ideal balance between technology, storyline and gameplay."

Cold Winter will utilize a unique combined items system where the player can create weapons, traps and tools by collecting and combining objects in the environment. Over 30 real world weapons, multiplayer support, and an advanced character/team AI system are among the features gamers can expect.

The game enjoyed a strong showing at the recent Game Developers Conference in San Jose, with finishing touches now being added for a big E3 showing, before a release in time for Christmas.

Will Cold Winter give Sony's massively hyped Killzone a run for its money? We'll know a whole lot more when E3 opens next month. Stay tuned for full hands on treatment.

Adam Doree
Director, Kikizo.com