Playtest: Project: Snowblind

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[b]<span style=\'font-size:30pt;line-height:100%\'>Playtest: Project: Snowblind</span>[/b]

It may have been used more times than Chewbacca\'s hairdryer, but the hackneyed plotline of a brave fighter killed in action only to be born again as a super-soldier has somewhat ironically been resurrected once again for Project: Snowblind. But before you yawn and start looking for more original sci-fi fare, it\'s worth remembering why this death-transformation-revenge story is so overused; getting your own back with the aid of super powers is more fun than a bag of Tribbles.

The year is 2065 and as brave-but-unlucky Hong Kong soldier Lieutenant Nathan Frost, you\'re soon bleeding to death on a surgeon\'s slab. When you awake - in a scene that borrows heavily from Robocop - through your TV static vision you\'re faced with a group of proud-looking scientists and discover that you\'ve been augmented with hi-tech bio-modifications. But far from being a Universal Soldier undead nightmare, Frost revels in his new abilities and he\'s soon off to try them out on the invading forces of The Republic.

Snow far, snow good

Once you\'re through the introductory movies and into the game proper, you\'ll find all the elements you\'d expect in a sci-fi first-person shooter: over-the-top future weaponry, hi-tech-yet-shabby environments, and more gas-masked bad guys than you can shake a Rail Gun at. But Snowblind can be more than just a run-and-gun shooter if you wish, because it caters for your style of play, whether you are a silent, invisible assassin or a noisy, combat-booted killing machine.

Those of you who regularly read au.PlayStation.com (shame on the rest of you) will know that Project: Snowblind started life as the latest in the excellent Deus Ex series. This dark future tale of cyborgs, shadowy corporations and bio-mods merged elements of The Matrix, Robocop and Blade Runner to deliver a brilliant early PS2 game and two seminal PC games.

But for reasons of their own, Eidos has severed the overt links to Deus Ex, but the benefits of this fine lineage remain. Firstly and most noticeably, are the multi-path levels. While each mission has quite definite objectives - destroy anti-aircraft missiles, disable forcefield, etc. - how you accomplish the tasks is up to you.

Would you like the hard or soft option?

Your weapons loadout mixes stealthy firearms such as a Sam Fisher-esque pistol and sniper rifle, with the louder punchier variety such as rocket launchers and grenades and matches your gameplay choices throughout the level. Destructible scenery mixed with limited cover means that the all-guns blazing approach is spectacular and certainly fun, but intelligent and heavily armed enemies mean this is hard to live through.

Alternatively, clever use of the scenery, such as climbing on boxes to access a rooftop or sneaking through airducts to outflank an enemy squad, delivers a different flavour of gameplay, perfect for stealth hounds. Hacking into security and \'possessing\' enemy droids means you can still dish out the damage, while remaining safely in another room.

Unlike its Deus Ex parents, Snowblind does not lock you into one style of gameplay based on your character\'s chosen skills. It\'s action all the way and you\'re free to alter how you play depending on the situation, such as if the enemy has spotted you, or you\'re just in the mood for some rampant destruction.

More Mods than Quadrophenia

Your bio-mods are also set up to help you under heavy fire or while being light-footed. As you progress, you\'ll gain more and more modifications including a Predator-style cloak, Dune-style personal shield, and a Matrix-style slow-mo power. Using these drains your precious bio energy so careful use of them is essential, which is a shame because they look great and provide a brilliant sense of power over the human and robot forces you face.

More than human

Project: Snowblind may be the first PS2 first-person shooter to marry an excellent single-player game with an equally excellent online (or LAN) mode. Up to 16 players can take to the field as bio-modded warriors in a whole slew of game types.

The usual array of Deathmatch and Capture the Flag modes is expanded with Hunter (one player as the invisible bio-modded \'Predator\'), Assault (destroy the enemy generator), and Demolition, to name but three. In all, nine modes await the online frag addict, all with voice communication (if you have a headset) and all packed with gun turrets, driveable cars and tanks, and pilotable robot death machines (very ED 209, in another nod to Robocop).

Crystal Dynamics has also used its head and included character classes to choose from, meaning each player can select a warrior that suits their style of play. These include a self-explanatory sniper and a sneaky scout. As well as determining your weapon loadout, your class also determines which bio-mod you get (yes, only one each - except in Hunter mode) such as the Berserker\'s Electrical Storm, and the Agent\'s Enhanced Vision, which lets you see through walls.

I was Snowblind, but now I can see

While the storyline and setting is far from original, Project: Snowblind manages to offer something greater than the sum of its parts. An engaging and highly playable single-player mode will get you hooked and a huge, fully customisable online frag-fest will keep you there. Blinding!


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