Sytems: PC (D2D, Steam), Xbox 360 (Live), Playstation 3 (PSN)

Might you like an alternative to your usual multiplayer gaming?  Sure, the big budget games are a lot of fun, but Ignition Entertainment and developer Zombie Studios are both hoping they can offer gamers a multiplayer experience that just can’t be passed up; especially considering that they’re offering it at the very low price of $15.

So, a few of us nerds went over to their office and got the overview of what the game is about.  You can expect a coop campaign (up to four players) via internet, 12 multiplayer maps, 7 multiplayer modes, robust customization of your weapons and armor in order to alter your stats and appearance (54 different camo options for guns!), and a dystopian future that looks similar to Blade Runner (surprisingly not enough games use this aesthetic).  You’re allowed to equip one primary weapon (shotgun, sniper rifle, assault rifle, sub-machine gun), a pistol, one grenade-type weapon (regular and proximity),  an emp grenade or digital grenade, and also a melee attack with a “Sonic knife”.

Thus far all of the things I’ve listed are what you’d normally expect from a FPS game, but what else makes this game worth the purchase ?  Well, for those of you who already have FPS multiplayer games, you’re going to get a new aesthetic, new maps to play, and some tweaks to the standard gameplay.  Your character is wearing a helmet with the ability to see through walls.  This ability has to recharge completely before it can be used again (meaning you can’t repeatedly flick it on and off), and you also can’t shoot while you’re using it.  there is an emp grenade which is essentially the equivalent of a flash grenade, except that instead of flashing players’ eyes, it will temporarily cause their HUD to shut down and reboot, giving them a blue screen of death.  I was surprised to see this in the game, and I love the idea.  The digital grenade in the game is the equivalent of a smoke grenade, except that instead of smoke, it causes the area around which it explodes to appear blurry and pixelated.  These things combined create a game that helps to make you feel like you’re really participating in a future war.

In addition to those items and abilities, there are a few mini-games that can occur in-game.  One has you playing a Simon Says type of game in which you must use the D-pad to mimic the pattern shown to you.  What’s cool about this is that players, while doing the bomb diffusal MP mode, can either choose to disarm the bomb automatically and more slowly, or they can opt to start the mini-game to disarm the bomb more quickly; I can imagine there being some intense moments created because of this nice addition.

With a lot of customization to alter your stats (speed, fire power, and health), 12 maps, 4-player coop, and some interesting twists on traditional FPS gameplay, Zombie Studios is looking to offer so much in one package that it might be very hard to ignore.  There will also be a comic book and movie based on the world of Black Light.  The game should be available for download in July or August on Xbox Live, PSN, and PC.

Zombie Studios’ website can be found here

Perhaps you’d like to see the game in action as the developers talk about it?

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