Frosty Adventures in Cold Winter

UK devs try to do something different with the FPS formula that is getting so very, very played. Details and screens ahead of the game's release this week.

There's a tendency for some action games, particurlarly first-person shooters, to blow off any semblance of story for an orgy of bullets and violence, but that’s not how the developers at Swordfish Studios have been working. For their upcoming title, Cold Winter, the creators have strived to meld the best that action games and gripping Hollywood spy flicks have to offer.

"We didn't want to create a game in which it was East vs West," explains a company rep, "but rather show that there is good, bad and shades of grey in everyone, and that life is often the deciding factor in which way we go."

Cold Winter is clearly trying to do something different in the genre, jabbing at both story and gameplay elements. The plot revolves around a disavowed, captured MI6 agent named Andrew Sterling, who has been rotting away in a Chinese prison. When a friend from his past unexpectedly arranges for Andrew to be sprung, a cascade of events is set in motion that spreads deeper and further, revealing a worldwide conspiracy.

The story follows three main characters - Andrew; Kim, the woman who helped Andrew escape; and Danny Parish, an old army friend of Andrew's now running a private security firm. The characters form the heart of an experience that promises to deliver more for cerebrally inclined action fans that most other shooters on the PlayStation 2.

For gameplay, Swordfish has gone down the path of realism, accentuating true-to-life consequences for your in-game actions. This stretches from limb-specific damage and authentic blood loss to rag-doll physics that see your enemy's slump into heaps once taken out. Cold Winter is not for kids, and you'll find gore in plentiful supply.

The game features an impressive arsenal, with real-world weapon counts running over two dozen. There are various items found in each level that can be combined to create other weapons and items, such as lockpicks or Molotov cocktails. Cold Winter also emphasises the use of your environment for survival, which is helped by the use of the Havok physics engine.

But despite all this singleplayer attention, Swordfish has gone to great lengths to ensure that multiplayer gamers have enough to keep them busy. Cold Winter includes six different multiplayer modes for up to eight players online spread over a dozen specially designed levels.

And the best part? If all this sounds like a can't-miss ride, you're in luck; Cold Winter will be in stores this Friday, June 3rd. For more information about the game, check out the official Cold Winter homepage.

We've spent some decent playtime with Cold Winter and it's a damn fine package so far, with most of the developers' claims paying off; however for our definitive verdict, tune in early next week for the full review. You can also look forward to an extensive interview with the game's to creative bod - don't miss it.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games