Chrome Preview

Chrome, an extremely valuable substance, used in cybernetics

Chrome is immensely valuable. So valuable that people will steal and kill for it, but mostly kill for it. What does this have to do with you? Well, as the local man-with-large-guns for hire, it's up to you to take just about any job going. This usually means going to a strange planet with your large guns and getting something back for it's rightful owners. Of course, the thieves won't just let you take it without a fight. Where's the fun in that?

Chrome is an upcoming FPS by Polish developers Techland that aims to take some of the thunder that many are reserving for Half Life 2. Using their own proprietary 3D engine capable of throwing about more than 100,000 polygons at 60 frames per second on middle of the road hardware, it certainly seems to have the engine to make the game look good.

Spit and Polish?

Chrome

One of the main differences between this and the (many) other FPS's about is the implant system. Think cybernetics and you're on the right track. It's entirely possible to create anything from a stealth assassin that can move in almost complete silence to a walking battle tank capable of taking and dishing out massive amounts of damage. Of course, weapons are many and varied with the usual mixture of machine guns, pistols, grenades and even more powerful tools for killing.

Your best buddy, co-pilot and fellow carnage inducer

Having received two previous beta copies of the game that didn't run very well (or at all), I declined to write anything about them, lest I come across as unfair in my criticism. After all, they were Beta's, as is the more complete version I have in my possession now. This time, I can write something and try to remain fair and neutral whilst doing so. Everything runs smoothly and there's a handy tutorial at the start of the game, it's fairly basic stuff, usual FPS controls and all that, and it certainly looks nice. The grass and trees all waft in the breeze making the initial landscape very realistic. Combat is also fairly straightforward, shoot the bad guys, they shoot back, they die. Simple!

Why walk when you can ride?

Your other co-pilot in the mothership

There are various different types of vehicle available for you to use for vast amounts of killing, ranging from the usual jeep type affair to bigger, deadlier tanks and the like. There are also two legged walkers, much like the AT-ST's from the Star Wars films and some very fast one-man vehicles. In fact, Techland seem to have taken their favourite Sci-Fi films and adapted vehicles to fit into their game. This is not bad thing though.

The implants also seem to be inspired by several Sci-Fi films, but again, this isn't a bad thing. Everything from artificial eyes complete with zoom lens and dermal (skin) armour are available, along with reflex improvement by way of brain implants and artificial hearts and ceramic muscle implants to allow for faster running and heavier lifting. It certainly opens a new chapter in character differentiation and allows people to create the character that they find most useful and that is suited to their strengths.

The grass and plants sway in the wind. Looks very cool.

Audio is also good with well-synched voice acting and different accents showing the bad guys as being from different areas or planets. Gun noises are also suitably loud and carnage like whilst the cut scenes are also looking very nice. Made using the in-game engine they also follow the overall graphical style of the main part well. It's all sounding fine, even in this Beta version.

Are you being servered?

Talk about atmospheric! The branches and plants are kicked up and move with the jet blast.

Although the Multiplayer games weren't available on the version I had, it will be there with the usual options. Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Domination, Capture the Flag and Team Domination will be available. All the usual options then, right? Yeah, they're all there, but when you count in the implant system, it should make for an interesting twist on capture the flag. Do you go for fast and stealthy, or tool up for big explosions, but run the risk of being killed by the combined hordes of the enemy, as you can't escape? Choices abound then!

Coming in for a (hopefully) soft landing

The Beta I've been playing does have a few problems. The tutorial can't be turned off, but disappears if you have to restart level 1, while the game insists you complete it, although it's not on the screen to follow! The game also resolutely denied me access to level 2, crashing back to the desktop on every attempt to load it. Not exactly what I wanted to play, and having some experience with PC troubleshooting I tried a few things, but nothing would make it load the 2nd level. It IS a Beta, and hopefully all should be well on its release.

Opinions are just that, opinions

Overall, I'm actually looking forward to this, and I'm not the greatest FPS fan in the world. The range of vehicles and the implant system mark this out as something slightly different, something that's not going to be run-of-the-mill, so I might just give it a go! And you might even see me on a server if you try the multiplayer portion.