Fracture First Look

If there's one thing LucasArts prides itself on, it has to be its strict and unwavering policy not to let any details slip on its current work. They're successfully keeping the next Indiana Jones game away from the public eye, while info on Star Wars: The Force Unleashed also remains scarce. Just when we expected to hear more about these projects, LucasArts seized the opportunity to announce a new game franchise - a.k.a. Fracture, presently in development for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Where the hell am I going? I can't see a thing in this helmet!

Move in, I'll cover you!

The futuristic back-story involves seismological chaos and complete worldwide disaster. During the mid 2100s, the United States undergoes one of the worst calamities ever recorded in its history. Yep, the polar ice caps melted and the US was one of the first areas to face the repercussions of the "Great Flood." As the caps melted, the Mississippi River had risen, flooding a considerable portion of the surrounding land, thereby splitting the country in two, with each side being forced to fend for itself in the aftermath. The country divided into two sectors, The Eastern sector was named the Atlantic Alliance, symbolizing its union with Europe. This faction relies on cybernetics, a time-honored, but still evolving, technology that's over 150 years old. Over at the Western portion, called the Republic of Pacifica, things are slightly different. Having allied with Asia, their main policy is to solve matters with genetics, restructuring the DNA of its inhabitants and so on. Such methods are, of course, considered morally reprehensible by the Atlantic Alliance. Pretty soon, a major conflict broke out between the two sides.

You enter the fray as Mason Briggs, an explosive expert, armed with special terrain-deforming weaponry. As the war reaches its height, each side resorts to its own technologies and combat techniques. In time, however, both sides realize the true potential of terrain-deforming weapons, which allow for many tactical advantages on the battlefield. In addition to using them as weapons to attack enemies directly, these terrain-deforming devices are ideal for altering the landscape to overcome certain obstacles.

By now, you've probably realized how this game works. Most of it depends on how well you use these tectonic weapons to your advantage. Almost anywhere you move, the terrain's shape can be changed in real-time. This is accomplished by lobbing a specific type of grenade onto the land's surface, after which it is possible to alter the terrain's shape. The possibilities are quite huge and your terrain-altering abilities might prove useful in many different ways. For instance, a tectonic grenade may be used to create a mound and provide shelter from oncoming enemy fire. Also, if some areas seem impassable, your weapons will be there to help you out. Should you find yourself facing a deep chasm, without any bridges, don't despair. Just toss a spike grenade into it and a stone pillar will appear out of the ground, allowing you to cross over to the far side. Another cool weapon is the vortex grenade, which forms a crater in the ground, making a powerful vacuum that sucks in everything in the vicinity.

Obviously, the key feature in this game is the ability to change the shape of the land's surface. By improvising on the spot, players may resort to any means necessary to reach a desired location or defend themselves against enemies. Owing to such aspects of gameplay, the game is certain to have a solid dose of replayability.

Next to ground alteration, a variety of standard weapons is thrown into the mix. It's a safe bet that most of the game will revolve around action and intense combat scenes. As you change the landscape, you may be required to keep foes at bay with typical long ranged weaponry like rifles and the like.

The development team at Day 1 Studios are working hard to achieve some kick ass physics to allow for a realistic ambiance as players fight through hordes of foes, simultaneously modifying the topography along the way. Additionally, the AI is being tweaked and perfected with scrutiny, seeing as your opponents will be capable of pulling off the same land-changing maneuvers as you. (Path-finding programming will be a hoot. - Ed)

Let me "mold the way" for you!

Not one step further, mutant breath!

For the moment, things are kept silent regarding the multiplayer mode. All that was revealed is that they plan to include a multiplayer mode as well as Xbox Live support, but that's all we know for now.

There's no doubt Fracture will be a decent challenge, both in terms of single-player and multiplayer experiences. Also, visually, the game doesn't look bad either, with some sweet-looking levels, promising physics and fine character art. Unfortunately, you won't be able to see this one in stores until some time in 2008. LucasArts is clearly looking to establish firmer ground with new franchises, beyond their traditional Star Wars and Indiana Jones games. Although the concept of terrain-deformation was seen earlier (think Red Faction), there are some promising elements here to make way for a decent next-gen action game. (Not to mention the considerable advances in technology since the last Red Faction game. - Ed)