Originally published in JIVE Magazine on 4 November 2002. 

The game Off-world Resource Base or O.R.B. has been in development for over 4 years and is now in the home stretch. The game promises to take Real time strategy to the next level, implementing an interface that is completely 3 dimensional, yet not so cumbersome to overwhelm the average player. With 4 years to work with, O.R.B. has an intensive physics system that features galaxies with correct planetary orbits as well as debris from destroyed ships that will stay around and can even be used for cover.

The game pits two races against each other that are offshoots of the same genetic source. The game feature two races that have evolved into entirely different beings, creating different strategies and technologies (yes, you can steal the opposing side’s technology) for each of them. From what has been released from Strategy First, the plot has been worked into an intriguing piece of science fiction. In addition to having a great plot and game engine, the design team is releasing all the tools required to make campaigns for the game, with the exceptions of model editors (3D studio max isn’t cheap, folks) and graphics editors (just open up MS Paint or Photoshop or Fireworks, you’re already set). Yes, this means that they’re releasing all the camera tools, event scripting and such to create your own cut scenes and create an entire galaxy designed by you.

JIVE got a hold of the very busy Paul Thibault, executive producer for O.R.B. and got even better news than we were expecting. (more…)

Originally published in JIVE Magazine on 7 August 2002.

One of the East Coast’s most beloved Hardcore DJs, Jare Fox said farewell to his hometown of Raleigh, North Carolina, last year and moved to Rochester, New York. Since then, he’s been on a whirlwind tour of Canada and throughout the US. Developing his own progressive style of Hardcore that his fans have dubbed Jarecore, he is currently on top of his game.

JIVE caught up with Jare for an interview: (more…)

Originally published in JIVE Magazine on 17 June 2002.

Fronted by Ronan Harris, and featuring Mark Jackson on percussion, VNV Nation has emerged in the past few years to become a powerhouse performer in the Electronic Dance scene. VNV Nation, which stands for “Victory Not Vengeance”, was originally formed in 1990 in London, England by Ronan. This pair of live performance artists have captured huge amounts of success and will continue to do so, as they finally start to get recognition from the more mainstream Electronic Music crowd, with their Trance Industrial sound. Hot from their successful FuturePerfect album, their US tour is currently on fire. JIVE caught up to Ronan and had a chat with the genius behind VNV Nation’s music and deeply meaningful lyrics. (more…)

Originally published in JIVE Magazine 14 June 2002 

Aggressive Inline
Yes, that’s right, it’s another pro skater game. It’s by Acclaim, so you know they know what they’re doing, but I can’t help but wonder if they’re beating a dead horse. Trying to wrest control back from Activision in this market of “extreme games”, it looks like they’ve taken the lead, at least for the time being. There’s really not too much I can say about the game. It’s a pro skater game. They all look more or less the same to me. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the genre, but there’s a sense of sameness to it all.

Burnout
While I didn’t get a chance to see this game in action, and racing games really aren’t my forte, I really just had to show you this screenshot. Man, that’s pretty. The fact sheet says that crashes are modeled spectacularly and that you’re rewarded for near misses and taking chances for speed and thrills in this street racing game. All I can say is, “Cool. Hope you pull it off.”

Legends of Wrestling 2
Wrestling games are another genre that’s been done to death. But this one still looks like fun. Deep customization of your create-a-wrestler, all your favorite wrestlers from Andre the Giant and Jerry “the King” Lawler to Big Poppa Pump and Sid Vicious. This game has all the big stars. While it doesn’t have the wrestlers that never got pushed, it does have almost 70 that did. If their storyline mode works out well, this game could very well be responsible for a lot of fans missing their favorite wrestling shows on TV.

UFC Throwdown
It’s time for the Ultimate. Fighting. Champiooonnshiiiippps. Yeah. UFC has a new game coming to PS2 and Gamecube and it looks like it’s going to beat its way into your console. All the action you love from the Octagon, is on your console and looking better than ever. The moves are more realistic than in previous games. If you wish that you could step into the ring with Tito Ortiz, but don’t want to get pounded into submission, this is your answer.

Originally published in JIVE Magazine 14 June 2002. 

SÖLDNER – Secret Wars
Don’t ask me about the name, I have no idea what they’re trying to get at. The game looks nice, it would have made great competition for Operation Flashpoint, had it been released last year. On the plus side, a unique feature is a simulated political system. For every mission your mercenary cell completes, fails, or doesn’t take, countries will change their view of you. That could play a huge role in the game. It looks to be an interesting twist on the strategic war game idea.
Impossible Creatures
Not since War, Inc. was there the ability to modifying your forces this extensively. Only with War, Inc. you were making tanks, planes and more conventional forms of offense. In Impossible Creatures, you make animals, by mixing and matching limbs, heads, and torsos. As you progress in the game, you get a wider array of body parts to choose from, each with its own special abilities and weaknesses. Mixing the right combination to make the right beast for the right job is tricky, but that’s what the game’s all about. Very weird game, but lots of real fun.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
“Begun, this clone war, has” Yeah, whatever, Yoda. Let’s see some action! And you will! This game puts you in the middle of the battle scene at the end of Episode 2 and then goes from there. Featuring fast paced combat with over 30 different units, and non-stop action as the game rolls through 6 huge campaigns, each on a different world, this game gets the adrenaline flowing and doesn’t let up until the closing cinematic rolls.
(more…)

Originally published in JIVE Magazine on 14 June 2002. 

Worlds of Warcraft
With Warcraft 3’s plot leading straight into this, this massive online role-playing game has the solid backbone of a good story line. Showcasing fantastic graphics and an awesome amount of game play, this entry into the massive online role-playing game genre is marked for greatness. With Humans, Orcs, Elves and Dwarves about to be turned loose on the digital world, I have to wonder if battle.net’s servers can support the huge influx of people that it will have.

Customizable classes, thousands of weapons and a gigantic world, including areas of Azeroth not previously seen all make this something to definitely check out. This is a must have for the Warcraft fan and something that the RPG addict will want to get their hands on.

Acheron’s Call 2
Yes, that’s right, the massive online role-playing game that took so many of you from your loved ones is back, revamped, remapped, and ready to kick ass. The graphics in it look beautiful. You’ll be able to recognize places from the first Acheron’s Call, but radically changed. The plot will be introduced slowly but steadily, with hints spread first, then quests given, then ramping up into huge story line missions, transporting you to unique dungeons and teleporting you to new and interesting places. The game looks like a hell of a lot of fun. It’s facing stiff competition in the arena of MORPGs, but few can truly resist Acheron’s Call. (more…)

Originally published in JIVE Magazine on 14 June 2002 

Delta Force: Black Hawk Down
The game about the most intense mission of Bravo Company, Third Ranger Battalion is coming. One this is for sure though, they’re getting the game done right. With Delta Force operators as consultants and a huge amount of information from their military allies, this game is shaping up to be done as accurately as possible, while still maintaining the fun factor.

I got a chance to play through the first level, starting from taking off in a MH-6 Little Bird, strapped into the pod on the side. Flying through the streets of Mogadishu at breakneck speeds, trying to get in some good shots at incoming RPG fire, I could feel the reason why I joined the Rangers. Allowing you to play as Delta, Rangers, and pilots you’ll be able to jump on the .50 cal machinegun of a Humvee and lay down some heavy fire. The guns that I saw were very well done. My only issue with weapons was the flashbang and I talked to a member of the development team and got with him on how to make it better. That’s service for you!

There will be online gameplay, though the game isn’t nearly to the stage where I could see any of that. Expect big things from this game. I do. And from what I’ve seen, they’re going to deliver.

Delta Force: Task Force Dagger
Featuring actual missions from Operation Enduring Freedom, this game takes it right to the Al Qaeda and lets you jump straight into America’s latest war. It’s created by Zombie Studios, the creators of the SPECOPs series. Zombie is led by CEO and former Ranger Mark Long, whose attention to detail is amazing. In addition to being a thorough play tester (he paused in the middle of showing me a level, to page his development team and tell them about a bug) he also DJs Downtempo and Bhangra in Seattle.

Mark Long is without a doubt the coolest CEO I’ve ever talked to, as well as, the most interesting person to talk to in the entire E3. He even did some of the music for the game! The game looks awesome and accurate. With 25 missions to go through, 10 different Special Operations groups to choose from and 30 weapons, it seems as if it’s time to bust some terrorist heads. (more…)

Originally published in JIVE Magazine on 14 June 2002 

E3 Review: Action

Resident Evil 0
There’s not a whole lot I can say about Resident Evil 0, except that it’s more of what you love. The game takes place before the first Resident Evil, letting you see the events that led up to the outbreak in the original game. A new feature in the game is the ability to “zap” from one character to the next. You’ll be in control of both Rebecca, the Raccoon city cop from the first Resident Evil, and as Billy, a framed criminal, on the run. The graphics for this look simply amazing. With this offering, they’re letting everyone know just who’s the best at the survival horror genre.

Devil May Cry 2
Dante’s back, in a big way. The demon hero that brought the anti-hero to a whole new level has new guns, a female companion, and more of the same bad-ass attitude. The game has style and you just can’t argue with that. The graphics look pretty good, not quite as good as Resident Evil Zero looks, but still damn good.

Resident Evil (Gamecube)
The very first multiple disk game for the Gamecube is going to be the entirely redone, original Resident Evil. The graphics have been taken beyond what anyone could possibly expect and everything looks absolutely flawless. Only time will tell if they’ll get everything perfect, but with their track record, I think everything will turn out horrifyingly awesome.

Capcom VS SNK 2: EO (Gamecube)
The EO stands for Extreme Offense, and with 44 fighters from Street Fighter, Final Fight, Darkstalkers, Fatal Fury, Samurai Shodown, and King of Fighters, the game will deliver it. In addition to the 6 grooves, two control modes are added. GC-ism allows you to select the strength of an attack based on how hard the analog buttons are hit. AC-ism is the more traditional fighting controls, where you pick the attack based off of the button combos. For those of you that just can’t get enough of classic fighting games, this is your reason to get a Gamecube. (more…)

Originally published in JIVE Magazine on 14 June 2002. 

Best of Show:

Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided
You want to be a Jedi? Fine. You want to be a Stormtrooper? Sure. You want to be a left-handed Wookie that plays electric bass in a cantina? Actually, we can do that, too. Enter Star Wars Galaxies. The first Star Wars Massive Online Role-Playing Game. The graphics in this game are nothing short of amazing. With the graphics levels turned all the way up, you’re in the movie. Virtually photo realistic. With 10 complete worlds, each featuring its own unique plants, animals and architecture. The game is made so that everything is as seamless as possible. In fact, there’s only one action that will trigger a loading pause: leaving the planet.

Like I said before, the sky’s the limit when making your character. In fact, you can actually pick hair stylist as a profession. There’s such a wide range of things that your character can do, be and progress in. Whether you pick Imperial, Rebel or stay neutral during the time of civil war, you can have a direct impact on the history of the galaxy. Battles will take place only on land, for the beginning, but a space expansion pack is already in the works. If you so choose to, you can fight or work your way to one of the key figures in the game and try to assassinate him or her. This game is so completely open-ended, I wouldn’t be surprised if after a few months, there was a Couch the Hutt, in charge of the smuggling on Tatooine.

Not only will you be able to use nearly 100 motion-captured emotion animations, but the amount of customizability in character creation will nearly ensure that you’ll be identifiable by your face alone. There is an incredible amount of love, attention and detail put into this game. It shows and you’ll be able to beta test this love in July and play it on a “live” server in time for Christmas. If you have even the slightest interest in MORPGs, Star Wars or adventure in general, you’d better ask Santa for a copy now, because his sleigh is going to be emptied fast.

Best of Show (Action):

Freelancer
Set to finally release early next year, this game takes the vital parts of Privateer and makes a beautiful game, filled with all sorts of wonderful nice touches, such as the inside of a nebula or guns that actually track where you’re shooting at. The ships all look beautiful and the random missions actually aren’t that random. If a group is attacking a merchant ship, you can join in the attack for a share of the cargo, or fend them off, or hunt them down for the bounties on their heads, after the merchant ship gets destroyed.

Not only are those missions of chance presented to you, but they’re presented to the other pilots, human and AI, alike. It’s possible to role play a pirate and get a bounty put out on you, with other pilots looking specifically for YOU!

This dynamically generated universe adds to a great sense of realism, not to mention the rich story-driven plot of political intrigue. The game is entirely open-ended, allowing for you to jump right in, pick something to do and have fun at it. Freelancer’s unique blend of genres looks to make it one of the must have games when it gets released.  (more…)