Vivendi Universal Games www.vugames.com Vivendi Universal Games is the corporate umbrella for more than 20 leading publishers and developers. With no less than 50 games on display I swear if their booth gets any bigger they are going to have to have their own show next year. I probably saw and played more games in my 90-minutes at this booth than I did the rest of the show. I'll cover as many of the key titles as I can, and you can look for extended coverage for the rest throughout the coming year.
Futurama (PS2/Xbox/GameCube) FUTURAMA: The Game is a 3rd person platform shooter featuring characters and environments from the series. Set in the cartoon series’ futuristic universe, FUTURAMA: The Game features all the main characters from the TV show characters, including Fry, Leela and Bender. Each character possesses his or her own skills and attributes, resulting in unique and varied gameplay. Fry, Leela and Bender must travel through time to thwart Mom’s evil plans for world domination. Explore a gigantic FUTURAMA universe spanning 25 levels, 5 original environments, and expanded further with exclusive new characters and settings. The game remains true to the brand, with original story, dialogue and music created by FUTURAMA writers and its composer and features original cinematics from the writers of the TV series, including the equivalent of 2 ALL NEW show episodes. With a custom-made outline and toon-shading renderer, the game captures the visual look and feel of the FUTURAMA TV series perfectly. IMAGES
Men of Valor: The Vietnam War (Xbox) Men of Valor follows an American Marine through the early stages of the conflict in Vietnam to the Tet Offensive. Touching on the some of the most familiar scenes of the war as they exist in the popular imagination, the player guides his group of fellow soldiers through the hardship and confusion of the battlefield, bonding with them as they do their duty for their country with the heroism and valor typical of the American soldier but unsung during the turbulent times. The intensity of the historical battlefield is recreated with cunning AI, detailed graphics, and interactive scripted sequences that put the player in the middle of scenes like those in the finest war films. The storyline follows the player through the major actions in the conflict, from search and destroy missions around Da Nang airbase to the Tet offensive and the counterattack on Hue. A cast of AI controlled characters accompanies the player through the missions, and he learns their value and mourns their loss as the war progresses. The game supports a cooperative mode that allows the player to experience the entire tour of duty with his friends, and various multiplayer modes allow the player to experience the war from the perspective of North Vietnamese Army or Viet Cong guerillas as well as US Forces. IMAGES
Metal Arms - A Glitch in the System (PS2/Xbox/GameCube) As Glitch you will battle above, below, and on planet Iron Star through six unique environments and over 50 missions including sniping, sneaking, puzzle solving, and non-stop shoot’ em up action. Exploit 18 deadly weapons to dismantle the militia-literally piece by piece. Possess and play as one of 12 other friendly and enemy robots, including bosses and get behind the wheel of 4 unique combat vehicles. Look for this ingenious game in November. IMAGES
SWAT: Global Strike Team (Xbox) You are Mathias Kincaid, a former member of the U.S. Army’s elite Delta Force turned SWAT: GST element leader. The elaborate storyline focuses on you and your two teammates: Tran, a veteran sniper, and Jackson, expert technical specialist. After assuming control of Kincaid, your objective is to command Ono and Garrett through several diverse missions while maintaining the tactical upper hand over your opponent. This means using the environment, the latest gear, the most advanced weaponry, the element of surprise, and anything else you can get your hands on to succeed. Using the full capabilities of your other two teammates is essential to mission success. In one mission, for example, you are given the task of eliminating a number of suicide bombers, which requires the use of the sniper to immobilize the suspects and the tech expert to diffuse the bomb. Command Tran and Jackson by issuing orders using either the intuitive controller interface or the optional voice recognition system. This allows your team to move quickly and effectively, making even complex maneuvers easy to perform. The optional microphone will take advantage of the expansion slot on the Xbox controller. Follow Kincaid and his team from basic training through five chapters (21 missions) linked by a powerful storyline. Gamers can also team-up with a friend and battle through 10 multiplayer only co-op missions. If working together isn’t their specialty, they can choose the Deathmatch option and fight head-to-head. IMAGES
The X-Files: Resist or Serve (PS2/Xbox) Maintaining the authenticity of The X-Files, the game features familiar environments and characters faithfully recreated from The X-Files television show, including Mulder, Scully, Skinner, the Cigarette-Smoking Man, The Lone Gunmen and more. The X-Files: Resist or Serve takes the X-Files authenticity one step further by also including the score and dynamic music created by those responsible for the music behind the television show. The game plays out over three X-Files episodes (each complete with a teaser, title sequence, and "To be continued..." endings). IMAGES
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