Pariah

Additionally, Digital Extremes has developed an innovative player upgrade feature that affects not only the gamer's arsenal, but also characteristics such as health capacity. When an enemy is destroyed, they will drop energy cores which can instantly be used to cure wounds or return depleted ammo. The game's weapons, too, will benefit from the effects of these same cores. For example, if the player applies a core to an ordinary sniper rifle, the scope will gain an additional thermal-vision upgrade. As it stands, each weapon can be modified three times; the first two upgrades will increase the overall functionality of a given gun, while the third and final upgrade -- which will only be available in the single-player mode -- will significantly increase the power of the weapon. The rocket launcher, for example, will gain the ability to fire a spree of multiple, spiraling projectiles at level three.

The game's single-player mode is being tweaked and polished as we speak and the storyline is already in place. Set in the year 2520, gamers will take the role of a military doctor called to Earth on a routine transport mission. It seems the woman he must chauffeur about has acquired a virus of sorts. When their dropship is sabotaged and downed, it'll be up to the player to get both the mysterious woman and the good doctor to safety all while discovering the mysteries of the disease and its host. Gameplay will vary between standard first-person shooting action and vehicular missions. Whether the player is flying, driving, sprinting, or even acting as a gunner for an NPC, the gameplay will remain fast and fresh … if Digital Extremes has its way. And, because the title's enemy A.I. is built using the same technology that powers UT's bots, you can be sure that combat will remain exciting the whole way through.


Of course, at this point it'll simply be difficult to endure the wait before Pariah's release in March of 2005. And yet, there is still so much to be seen. Online multiplayer options in the PlayStation 2 edition, for example, have not yet been finalized. Yet, the developer is working diligently to ensure that everything in the game has a next-generation feel, including its explosive barrels; we've been informed that if shot and punctured, the canisters will leak fluid. The players can then roll them around creating a trail of flammable liquid which can, in turn, be ignited in an ode, of sorts, to the "Looney Toons" shorts of yesteryear. If the same amount of care is used to tune the rest of the game, then I think it's safe to assume that Digital Extreme's upcoming title will be as well-received as its last. Let the wait begin!