PS3 Fanboy hands-on: Crash Commando
[ ps3fanboy.com/2008/07/22/ps3-fanboy-hands-on-crash-commando/ ]
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Posted Jul 22nd 2008 3:30PM by Jem Alexander

Sony’s excellent lineup of PSN games continues with the, sadly overlooked, Crash Commando. This online-only side-scrolling shooter looks like a cross between Warhawk and Soldat and promises some pick-up-and-play shooty fun when it releases at the end of the year.

A five-man development team in Sweden has been working for over a year, so far, to develop Crash Commando. The game will release with eight maps, trophy support and downloadable content is already being planned. Deathmatch and team deathmatch are already included in the game and a capture the flag mode is aiming to be included for launch or post-launch DLC.

Every map is “double sided,” meaning that there’s a front and a back and walking through doors will allow you to switch at any time. On the map we played, we could see our enemies moving around in the background, on the “other side,” which gave a nice sense of depth. Movement is very free, as every character is equipped with a jetpack, allowing more time to be spent on fast paced combat.

Weapons include rocket launchers, machine guns, explosives and grenades and can be swapped over whenever you die. Which you will. Bloodily. To keep the game moving quickly, deaths come quickly and often. Though watching your enemies (or, indeed, yourself) explode in a cloud of blood never gets dull.

At the moment the game is online only, with a maximum 12 players in the same game, though the Sony rep we spoke to said that there’s the possibility of 4-player “sofa” play being added as downloadable content. It sounds like the developers are planning on supporting this game for quite a while after release, something that’s common when it comes to Sony’s exclusive titles.

Controls are nice and simple, using as few buttons on the controller as possible. The game also supports bots, allowing for single-player gameplay in the absence of any online friends. Crash Commando looks like it’ll be great fun when it releases at the end of the year and, depending on the price, could be another PSN must-buy to add to the list.
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Yesterday they added…

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Sony has revealed a whole load of new information about Crash Commando, an upcoming downloadable title that feels like a mix between Warhawk and Soldat. The game will feature 12-players online and offline, with bots making up the numbers if you can’t get hold of eleven friends. You’ll be battling it out with a multitude of weapons and vehicles, including tanks, rocket launchers and C4 in both multi- and singleplayer modes.

You’ll be able to practice your skills in the offline, singleplayer Boot Camp mode. Once you finally feel you’re good enough to take it online, there will be full player profiles, with stat tracking, rankings and leaderboards. Crash Commando will also have full Trophy support when it launches in European territories this December. No word on a US release date yet, but expect it around the same time.
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BFN,

fp.

I only wish Galaga Legions and Braid would make the jump from XBL.

Or will it just die like Calling All Cars?

It would be nice if the PS3 had more true 1080p titles, as was claimed would be norm before it’s launch.

Any opinion, positive or negative, that provokes a reaction to comment makes for a good debate, rather than a site that constantly praises decisions & promotes a bias in favour of the subject matter being reported on.

Lecture aside; I do think the screens look like a high-definition makeover of a 16-bit title (even though the Sega MegaDrive cover used to be stamped with a “High Definition Gaming” label)

The game-play is something else, however. I do know that many people find “Warhawk” enjoyable, and “Bionic Commando” is having both a retro resurgence & a brand new current generation interpretation.

I’ll not add my opinion of these titles for fear of speaking my mind, though.

BFN,

fp.

Either way, the screen images make this title look like an “on wheels” version of “Warhawk”.

Am I right in thinking that you look in on the action (not quite first person, more of a 10 steps away person), rather than being a character on the screen?

I guess that is what is meant by “over-the-top” action.

Looks like a GBP 4.99 PSN title at most.

Pity… as the developers have a good track record.

[ http://uk.playstation.com/games-media/games/detail/item110909/ ]

BFN,

fp.