Rogue Warrior Preview

When the waters of Oblivion hype finally receded, renowned publisher Bethesda, turned its attention to a slightly different project; hiring Seattle-based development team, Zombie Studios. Bethesda Sofrworks decided to encourage a novel approach towards game design, simultaneously utilizing the advantages of Epic's Unreal Engine 3. The concept is to immerse players into realistic and intense conflicts as they attempt to complete various challenges throughout the single-player portion of the game.

Looking for a place to set up camp.

Ah, she's finally running! Although, I should've probably used ordinary petrol.

Rogue Warrior is a tactical story-driven military shooter inspired by Richard (Dick) Marcinko's best-seller, Rogue Warrior. Richard, for those who are unaware, is a former U.S. Navy SEAL and founder of both SEAL Team Six and Red Cell. Incidentally, this guy is one of the most accomplished special ops experts in the US, with over 30 years of experience in intelligence, diplomacy and counter-terrorism. SEAL Team SIX, for instance, engaged in highly confidential assignments throughout the globe. While serving in Vietnam, Marcinko was awarded the Silver Star, four bronze stars with combat V, two Navy Commendation Medals and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star. So, as you can see, the creators of Rogue Warrior are determined to convey real-life combat situations via the experience of a highly decorated war veteran. Rogue Warrior places you into the role of Dick Marcinko himself (or, rather, his fictional counterpart). The game gives you the responsible task of leading an elite SEAL unit, trapped behind enemy lines in North Korea. It is the near future, and your team was in fact sent on an important mission to assess the potential danger of North Korea's nuclear arsenal (I can do that without leaving the room: It's dangerous. Now cut me a check for half a million bucks -Ed). Okay, so it's not exactly what you'd normally call imaginative storytelling, but it should be enough to engage players. Being behind enemy lines also means your unit is cut off from reinforcements or support of any kind. To make things worse, it just so happens that you are heavily outnumbered, so it is essential that you use your noggin (intellectually, of course, not physically) during combat if you wish to stay alive.

It has been revealed that the game delivers the sort of team-based combat we've seen in the long-running Rainbow Six series and the recently revived Ghost Recon franchise. Still, you can expect to get a bit more with this one. Avoiding standard on-the-rails FPS gameplay, Rogue Warrior offers open-ended squad-based game play, making it possible for players to use any means necessary to make their way through enemy lines. (Can we use 2Lions' tactic of bribing enemy solders with Man-Love? -Ed) Each type of battle situation may call for a different line of attack. You are offered the freedom to decide if you want to go for immediate straightforward action or perhaps resort to a more stealthy approach towards the mission goal. The best part is that, due to the large-scale levels, players won't have to follow a strict path to complete their objectives. Instead of relying on a linear gameplay mechanism and scripted events, the designers have ensured several different paths you may take while fighting your way towards the objective. (So is this like Elder Scrolls with guns, or am I missing something? - 2Lions)

There's a variety of tasks to finish and some of them require players to look at the situation from every angle, before they make their move. Apart from land missions, we were also informed that the game involves a few underwater assignments (well, let's not forget, you are playing as a SEAL veteran). While they complete mission objectives, players are free to choose how they view the combat - first-person or third-person perspective; depending on the player's preference.

Friendly AI responds to the environment and every enemy that stands in their way. When someone fires at your team, AI-controlled squad-mates will find cover and retaliate as best they can. So, you could say your teammates are more than just mindless grunts that rush into line of fire. Likewise, your opponents react sharply and will investigate any suspicious activities in their vicinity. They'll often call in for reinforcements and trigger alarms as soon as they lay eyes on you and your squad. It's been noted that the enemy also uses flanking tactics to defeat you more effectively. When the shooting starts, your opponents do their best to duck and avoid being hit (Good tactic when you consider the alternative of standing up and trying to be pegged -Ed). All things considered, you'll never know what the enemy's next move will be, so it's safe to say you're in for a fairly decent challenge.

From what we've seen up to now, the Unreal Engine 3 unmistakably provides steady foundation for a modern-day cross-platform shooter. Epic's latest technology allowed Zombie to put in highly detailed in-game character models, large levels and rich surroundings. Although it's too early to say for sure, Rogue Warrior does appear to have just about every visual trait you'd hope to witness in a next-generation action game. Apart from impressive particle effects and water effects, it also features realistic physics and relatively solid textures.

Deep breath!

Take the shot, dammit!

Of course, there will be more to experience beyond the single-player campaign. So far, the development team is experimenting with around 11 multiplayer modes (with approximately 10-30 possible multiplayer maps), all of which seem to offer a solid range of different styles of play - Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, VIP, Hold and Conquer, Squad Capture, Capture Once, King of the Hill, Pure Time Capture, Promotion, and Demotion. Most of these modes are still being tweaked, but they appear to involve the usual multiplayer goodness. The Promotion mode, for example, includes fighting it out for points. Basically, each consecutive kill earns you additional points, but the crucial bit is that you get more points by killing high-ranking players - and, of course, less points for icing those who rank below you. Your objective is to be the top-ranking player at the end of a match. Demotion also has a few appealing facets. During the Demotion match, a player is randomly chosen as the Fleet Admiral, while every other player attempts to take him/her out. As soon as you kill the Fleet Admiral, you'll assume the role of the Fleet Admiral yourself. The catch is to stay alive as long as possible and to kill as many opponents as you can. Naturally, if you stay Fleet Admiral longer than all the other players, you will emerge triumphant. Also, according to the developer, bots will be included to even the odds and to give you a chance to practice offline. Also, some of the weapons were created to allow a more challenging multiplayer environment. For instance, players will be able to use booby traps to outsmart their foes. This will surely help keep the matches dynamic and exciting for each player.

Rogue Warrior is scheduled to arrive during Q3 2007 and will be available on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC platforms. The good news is that the development team is resolute and means to take advantage of each platform, which denotes the use of the PS3's Blue Ray technology, the Xbox Live Marketplace and the benefits of the Vista Live Anywhere Service.

Many aspects of the game are being kept under wraps by Bethesda. That means we need to wait a bit longer to find out more about weapons, missions, possible vehicular combat, etc. Even though the game is still in its initial stage of development, it promises to be one of the most sought-after action titles in the following year. Be on the lookout for more details soon.