2007-04-19 18:53:35 Clive Barker's Jericho - Hands-on, plus new shots

This game keeps sounding better and better!!
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?i...


Each team member has their own lethal weapons and special psychic skills, from alchemy and exorcism to clairvoyance and telekinesis.

The most interesting thing is that you have the ability to swap control between any of your team members at any point in the game. During our hands-on we took control of three of the seven characters in the game, our favourite being a ninja girl named Sgt. 'Billie' Church.

In one hand she carries a razor sharp samurai sword that she uses to slash enemies upwards into the air - a deadly strike that can kill enemies in one swift blow. In her other hand she wields a small but powerful machine gun which gives her a great long-range alternative attack.

She's got some crazy magic skills too. At the tap of a button you see her take out a metal tool and cut an engraving into her hand, drawing blood. This strange ritual is how she casts powerful spells that devastate enemies with flames and other death-dealing matter.

We also used a fat bloke called Fank Delgado who has one of the coolest powers we've seen so far. He apparently did a deal with some flame spirit, offering his arm in sacrifice of its help.

When Delgado wants to deal out some pain, you see him hold his arm out and the protective shell covering his arm peels away to expose his flame-covered, demonic hand. Moments later the flame demon emerges, it's glow lighting up the dark caves around you - and following Delgado's commands it flies over to his foes and roasts the thing. Nothing survives.


If that's not powerful enough for you, Delgado's other arm clutches a mini gun that fires hundreds of bullets at a flesh-shredding speed. He's one tough dude.


Abigail Black was the other character we saw, a sniper with telekinetic powers so strong she can steer her bullets - which you get to do, of course. She can also push away incoming projectile attacks and uses her power to manipulate the environment, pushing away rocks that blocked our way in one section.

Other characters include a reality hacker that can manipulate time and space (slow-motion anyone?), a seer with the psychic ability to see elements other characters cannot, an ex-military exorcist that uses special forces weapons enhanced by luck charms and talismans, and a ghost that has the power to heal.

The game has you cleverly skipping between characters during game, with the CPU taking control of the characters you aren't. As well as swapping to tackle various environmental obstacles, the gruesome, blood-covered monsters you encounter have different weaknesses and it'll be up to you to figure out which slayer is best for the job.

As gory as the enemies are, what really makes Jericho stand out above other horror games is the combination of stunning and equally disgusting visuals with a deeply absorbing and sinister ambience.

It looks amazing. Lighting is used brilliantly to thicken the atmosphere, with every spell cast and every bullet shot illuminating the dark caves with moody light and causing the shadows of lurking enemies to appear on walls, sometimes before you can even see the enemy itself. If you like your games eerie, this as eerie as they come.

The games sucks you in further by sticking to a first-person view at all times, whether you're climbing up a rocky cliff or scrambling through a narrow passage. Enhancing the realism of it all is the way the camera realistically shakes and leans with every action you make.


Blood splatters on the screen as you slaughter the devils that attack you, and your screen darkens when one of them plants a blade in your face. Rain, mist and other environmental moistures also hit the camera, deforming the picture behind it. It's a done-before but still impressive effect.

In one scene we were clambering down a narrow, dank well in an action cut-scene - as the cut-scene rolls you have to tap buttons to on-screen prompts to achieve success. Suddenly your view swings upwards as you notice a blood-covered skeleton-like creature launching himself down the well at you.

You have to tap the buttons fast to make your character climb quickly down the well in an attempt to escape... But the beast still lands on top of you and you then have to deflect two of its attacks as it tries to knife your face, and return a deadly blow to his jaw. The whole cut-scene is intense, it leaves you pumped and you can hear the heavy breathing of your character too. It's small touches like these that make all the difference.

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Halle Berry: Delgado i am feeling really reall dirty tonight, shall i call Jessica Simpson for a threesome?

Delgado: HALLE what have i told you about bothering me when i'm playing Mass Effect!!! now get out and dont come back for 2 months!! (Slams door

2007-04-19 18:56:39

I`m getting more interested in this game the more I see of it.

2007-04-19 19:02:35

http://medialib.computerandvideogames.com/screens/...

The blonde girl was in the CG trailer far right, but she never got in.

I think her name was Church.

This is interesting to DC...But the idea of changing characters, and there are 7 characters is just awesome.

Characters look very futuristic (my type) goes against onslaught against demons.
Its also awesome that each character having their own spells and magic and rituals.

I hope one of them having something like Constantine.
Meaning having a special symbol on both of your arms and when those symbols draws together you create like a new world for others to come.

Anyway...graphics AWESOME, gameplay regular magic+FPS, demons attacking in the dark with their gory look...nothing for children, YES!

Now I think there is gonna be like multiplayer...hopefully at least up to 7 player co-op in the story.

I am so interested right now.

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[Mass Effect] - [Too Human] - [Assassin's Creed] - [Dark Sector] - [Fable 2] - [Ninja Gaiden 2] - [Alan Wake] - [Devil May Cry 4]
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*A New Form of Change*
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2007-04-19 20:25:11

Man, that looks wicked.

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Imperius Rex!

2007-04-19 20:41:15 In reply to Sath (2007-04-19 19:02:35)

thanks sath i knew you would pickup on that :(

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Halle Berry: Delgado i am feeling really reall dirty tonight, shall i call Jessica Simpson for a threesome?

Delgado: HALLE what have i told you about bothering me when i'm playing Mass Effect!!! now get out and dont come back for 2 months!! (Slams door

2007-04-19 20:43:49 In reply to Panzer83 (2007-04-19 20:25:11)

.

I like the fact that from the looks of it, you won't just be fighting enemies with guns and projectiles. That dude has spears, and a shield....wait a minute...Oh God! It's the ghost of King Leonidas ripped from his eternal sleep! Damn you Clive Barker! Let him rest in peace!

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Jim Rome: "Nobody owns anybody like Florida owns OSU."

2007-04-19 20:47:56 In reply to dcdelgado (2007-04-19 20:41:15)

Pick on what?

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[Mass Effect] - [Too Human] - [Assassin's Creed] - [Dark Sector] - [Fable 2] - [Ninja Gaiden 2] - [Alan Wake] - [Devil May Cry 4]
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*A New Form of Change*
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2007-04-19 20:50:24

frank delgado....

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Halle Berry: Delgado i am feeling really reall dirty tonight, shall i call Jessica Simpson for a threesome?

Delgado: HALLE what have i told you about bothering me when i'm playing Mass Effect!!! now get out and dont come back for 2 months!! (Slams door