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DZNUTZ
04-15-2002, 03:28 PM
Hands-on: Whacked!



Microsoft drops by with a build of its multiplayer Xbox game.

Microsoft stopped by today with a build of Whacked!, a combat game for the Xbox that includes online play. Developed by Presto Studios, of Myst III: Exile and the Journeyman Project series fame, the game offers a variety of fast-paced minigames set in interactive environments for up to four players. The premise of the Whacked! seeks to tie the minigame chaos together by framing the proceedings in a game-show setting and putting you in the role of one of eight contestants competing for a mysterious prize.
The early build we played allowed us to check out the modes that will be available in the game, although their names may change before release. The game's story mode is a single-player experience that lets you go through the game with one character. The battle mode is the multiplayer portion of the game, and it supports up to four players on a split screen. The battle mode will also support system link and online play. The tutorial mode will coach you on the finer points of how to play the game.

The game itself features some very tongue-in-cheek humor, as evidenced by its "host," Van Tastic. Sporting a face that's 50 percent toothy smile and 50 percent big pompadour, Van looks like Elvis and Wink Martindale's love child. Oozing smarmy charm, Van serves as your emcee throughout the game via cutscenes and voice-overs during actual gameplay. The clichéd game-show conventions are all on hand in garish form: neon lights, a cheering audience, and mystery prizes.

You can choose to play as one of a motley crew of hopefuls. We were able to have a look at most of the characters in the game and found them to have a unique and disturbing look all their own. Lucky the rabbit is a rather haggard-looking rabbit missing a few feet thanks to the lucky charm industry. Eugene the duck is a ducked decked out in some high-tech flying gear. Toof is a rather demonic-looking creature with a mouthful of teeth and a surly attitude. Lucy redefines the term "scantily clad," thanks to her severe lack of clothing and carefully placed black bars. Lance is an oversexed wolf. Charity is a young kleptomaniac from the Hamptons. Finally, Otto is a narcoleptic couch potato who never travels without his Barcalounger.

You will take your virtual alter ego into one of the environments in the game and participate in one of several game types, including king of the hill, grab 'n' run, fragfest, dodgeball, and chicken. King of the hill requires you to spend as much time as you can in a green highlighted area that appears in random locations on the map. Grab 'n' run plays by similar rules, as it requires you to hold on to a trophy for as long as you can. Fragfest is a typical deathmatch. Dodgeball is a free-for-all that has you throwing balls at your opponents. Chicken requires you to kill as many man-eating chickens as you can and collect the stars they drop.

While the descriptions of the modes make the action sound fairly straightforward, things are complicated by the use of a wide variety of power-ups and the interactive stages. During a game, you'll come across a bizarre, but highly useful, assortment of weapons such as a staple gun, a shish kebab, a pitchfork, aclub, arocket, and a cactus. The stages will also offer features that will both help and hinder your quest for victory. The kitchen stage has a garbage disposal that can be turned on and used to take out opponents near the sink. The "joy ride" stage, set in the back of an El Camino fleeing a police car, jerks violently as it tries to escape. In addition, in the same stage, you'll be able to get a pack of matches that can be used to ignite a blowtorch in the back of the El Camino that you can use against your opponents.

Graphically, the game is looking solid, despite being so far off. The graphics are detailed and the frame rate is acceptably high, although there were a few moments of slight weirdness during the more hectic action. The environments we saw varied in the quality of their detail. The back of the El Camino was a bit bland, although there were nice touches in the form of bugs that would splatter on the hood of the police car that was following close behind. The kitchen, on the other hand, was cluttered with items along the counter and in the sink.

So far, Whacked! looks like it will offer a solid party-game experience. The loopy humor works with the quirky character design and the over-the-top gameplay. It will be interesting to see how the single-player game turns out given the game's strong emphasis on the multiplayer experience. The addition of online play also represents a step toward online gaming on the Xbox, which is always nice to see. Whacked! is currently slated to ship this fall for the Xbox.

http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2861300,00.html

party game???? who knows...i'll deffinately rent this first...but some party games can be quite fun.