Up and coming Coop PC games of 2006
Tom
Rainbow Six: Lockdown
The prequels to this game have successfully shown to developers that PC gamers are a mature lot and require forethought, realism and grit to their games. Tom Clancy games seem to lend from the grit and "real-world" psyche of the novels and have provided some of the most realistic and fun FPS games on the PC.
Rainbow Six: Lockdown is the fourth in the series of Rainbow Six games that pits you and other squad members against yep, terrorists. This instalment is the product of a cash-in that a lot of good PC games have recently suffered from. The rise of the consoles have tempted developers to dumb down the design of PC games such as this to cater for the younger audience or the very casual gamer.
Luckily this time the developers have read forums and previews and subsequently made adjustments to their "port" of this original console game to inject some integrity into the gameplay. How much of this grit elixir has been injected and how well it's circulated around the body of the game, is not known.
Coop? Well if the originals have much influence over this title then fans won’t be disappointed, but it would be nice to see some genuinely good AI. An improvement could perhaps involve terrorists reacting by ducking, providing cover fire and using a few more grenades. As we Coop lovers know AI is the most important aspect to a successful Coop game.
The fourth in the series of Tom Clancy's squad based tactical first person shooters is due out in February in the US.
SWAT 4: Stetchkov Syndicate
Swat 4 is a great Coop game to say the least. Its AI is a real triumph and allows almost infinite re-playability in a bunch of well crafted levels. An add-on pack is a sound idea by the developers as the forums and server list to this game are consistently well populated. Critics may say more of the same but expansion packs are not just new maps, missions and machine guns anymore.
Luckily what VU Games are publishing is a forum crafted expansion pack with 10 new missions all playable via single and multiplayer. The pack includes new weapons and a new challenge to certain maps where players must enforce exclusion zones on the map by cordoning off areas. A new multiplayer type game called "Snatch and grab" which sounds like a lethal treasure hunt without a blonde with buck teeth running away from a helicopter.
Coop? Well a great coop game is getting better with new features. AI may not be improved but it's already some of the best in any similar veined game. We look forward to seeing reviews in contemporary sites so we can reflect on how the community will react. The Coop years are keen players of SWAT 4 and would like to see good tactical games like this get more and more popular.
The Stetchkov Syndicate will be out in the UK in February.
Neverwinter Nights 2
Playing through the original Neverwinter Nights and enjoying its longevity will eventually lead to an end where you really, really want more. There are add-on packs but they are rather difficult to find as individual products. They are usually packaged as slightly over-priced "Deluxe editions" of Neverwinter Nights. The game is a fine example of fantasy story-telling if a little predictable at times.
A sequel is a guaranteed big seller as many RPG gamers went for this due to longevity alone. All gamers want value for money and Neverwinter Nights surely delivered. The sequel is thought to offer similar value but with enhanced GFX and gameplay. Hopefully the story will be steered away from the typical attack the Orc encampment to acquire the stolen eye of Argos, and move toward a twisting plot full of interaction with NPC’s who speak mature, gritty dialogue.
The developers are using the same gfx engine (aurora) for the sequel and some say that this may just be its downfall. What the developers are saying though is that they have completely overhauled aurora and have implemented multiplayer enhancements that will make NW2 stand above any contemporary products.
Coop? Well the news is very good. A game like this cries out for Coop like a child searching for its mother. The community asked and still asks for an improvement on the coop from the original and the developers are telling them they will get what they want. This game will be (alongside Oblivion) the biggest RPG release in 2006.