What could be better than a spiritual successor to Black, one of the most interesting and downright fun single-player shooters from the last generation? A spiritual successor...with co-op.
If you're new to Co-Optimus, you may not be completely familiar with our everyday language and attitude. Here's a hint: we love co-op. We claw and scratch for it, and when we get it we critique it to make sure it was given justice. On the chopping block today: Bodycount, which we already confirmed will be getting a separate co-op campaign.
So far, only online co-op is confirmed, with no player count yet. Nonetheless, our attention is firmly fixed on this game, mostly due to the direction of Codemasters' Stuart Black - he was the main player in the development of Criterion's Black and the inspiration for its name. Despite the lack of multiplayer or co-op, Black was a short and very sweet affair that pushed hardware limits and made a niche spot for itself.
IGN UK posted a preview, only barely mentioning the co-op campaign...
Reinforcing the game's arcade credentials is a kill chain multiplier – get that eponymous Bodycount ticking over steadily and skills and abilities will be unlocked, be that Helicopter strikes, Predator Drones or access to a mini-gun. It's a mechanic that's going to be present in the game's separate co-op campaign, although there are few other details on how that slice of the game will play out.
...but in the context of what sounds like might be a neat feature: the kill chain multiplier. Air strikes sound like fun, too.
IGN also got a glimpse of the cover system, which shoves iron sights off of the left trigger in order to provide more fluid movement into cover:
With the iron sights moved to a click of the analogue stick, the left trigger is given over to attaching to cover. So far so Killzone 2 you might think, but once attached to cover the left stick enables total freedom to pick in and around objects - one thrilling example in the demo sees Doe hulk behind a pick-up truck, peeking up to shoot through the driver's cabin.
Among the other features discussed are destructible environments, a main character inspired by Steve McQueen, and a director who's still committed to bringing "gun porn" to gamers - we just started 2010 a couple of short months ago, and 2011 is already rockin'!
Source: Uk.ps3.ign.com