The promise of Jericho begins in its title ... Clive Barker’s Jericho. The very name brings with it a chill that guarantees that Codemasters’ new horror FPS will be something special. Not only is Britain’s premier horror writer at the creative helm but it is an original story written for the game.

The idea is that a prehistorical evil has broken through into our world from the Middle Eastern city of Al-Khali, built on ancient ruins of millennia of conquerors. The Department of Occult Warfare is on the case, however, and the Jericho Squad is sent in to clear things up.

Well, that’s the background, so what about the gameplay?

From the title screen through the selection and loading screens the gamers is confronted with the visceral horror that they’ll soon be forced into. Walls pulse and drip gore, and that’s the least of your worries as the game gets under way and you’re forced to face the first of your enemies.

The game begins as the squad break into the ruins and come across gruesome and twisted forms of men who once breathed life. No more. Controlling the squad you can employ both impressive firepower and magic attacks, and you can jump from character to character to deliver the most appropriate attack for the enemy – Sgt. Frank Delgado is a pyromancer, Lt. Abigail Black is a sniper who can control her bullet mid-flight, Sgt. Billie Church uses her own blood to cast spells. And that’s only three of the squad of seven.

The action comes thick and fast, the graphics emerging you deep in the story. Weapons are varied and frankly cool. So’s the magic. Every shadow hides more detail you can pick out with your flash light, and every corner hides more enemies… proceed with care, or if you’re really worried you can always use Cpt. Xavier Jones whose astral projection lets you reconnoitre ahead.

Most compelling about the story are the jumps back in time. Starting in the present you then jump back to the Second World War. From there it’s back to the Crusades and then to the Roman Empire before landing in ancient Babylon to confront the Firstborn. It’s a slick trick that works and keeps the game rolling in its originality.

There’s more to the story, particularly the dynamic of the squad, and how the battles take their toll, but that should be something for the gamer to discover.

Tags: Gaming PS3 Xbox 360 PC games Codemasters

Clive Barker’s Jericho – First Look originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 17 Jul 2007 13:00:43 +0100

It’s a Friday night. The weather is foul but the prospect is fine. An evening with Microsoft, Bungie and their offspring, Halo 3, the beta.

Now, I for one love press events. A central London location, a nice venue, and lots of free booze and food. In this case it was the Great Eastern Hotel in Liverpool Street, continental beers, and gourmet finger food … a tray of black pudding and scallops was thrust my way as soon as I entered the blue lit Fenchurch Room. Anyway, we’re not here to discuss such flipperies…

Against the back wall of the room was a line of 6 plasma screens and 360s, all under an awning and all with a huddle of journos around each one, all eager to jump on and give the Halo 3 beta a go. And didn’t it look good.

The first thing that strikes you is the quality of the graphics compared with Halo 2. A lot of the same elements are there – weapons, vehicles – but all a whole lot shinier, more finely detailed, and, well, sexier. Everything flowed beautifully. The movement of bodies, both alive and running around, and dead and blown through the air, was great, and particularly impressive was the water effect.

One of the maps, Valhalla, has a stream running through it, and a gorgeous stream it is too. Crystalline water burbles mellifluously, quite unaware of the carnage happening all around it, even if bodies do end up floating about in it.

Eventually it was my turn to jump on. There were two teams, blue and red, three on each team and I’m afraid to say that I well and truly let my side down. The first killed in action, and it wasn’t going to be the last time either. In fact I forget how many times I bit the dust. I’ll blame it on the inverted controls I was using.

Nevertheless, it was fun.

I repeat, Halo 3 is a winner. What more is there to say? Things have been tweaked and changed enough to make you feel like you’re playing a new game but with enough familiarity to let you buy into the continuing story.

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Microsoft PS3

Halo 3 - Xbox 360 - First Look originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 14 May 2007 10:20:22 +0100