Devastation: Devastation PREVIEW Company: Arush Entertainment When a game features technology straight from the likes of Unreal Tournament 2003, the only thing that can mess up the package is something completely ludicrous. Based on what little we have seen from Devastation, this package is far from ludicrous. In fact, it uses the Unreal engine to do things that other games featuring the engine simply have not done yet. The first person shooter, set in the ruins of cities owned by the evil Grathius Corporation, centers around a group of rebel resistance organizers. Grathius partakes in immoral biotechnology practices, and your resistance group organizes to take Grathius down using any means necessary. This takes the rebels into harm's way as they use conventional firearms mixed with a few technological fooleries to further their assault on Grathius. A harsh urban environment flushes the landscapes of Devastation and the Unreal engine brings out such details as smoke and fire. Cars may blowup, objects may appear invisible in a gush of chemical fog, and items may crumble in a moment's notice. Assumably, static objects also have the ability to take on shape and mass in Devastation with items such as garbage cans that are capable of receiving damage and can even be moved or destroyed. These items can also be used as makeshift weapons by hurling them towards enemies or by a similar action. An interesting factor in Devastation is its multiplayer feel within a single player campaign. You will lead up to eight computer controlled team mates into battles after accomplishing a few solo gunfights. You can initiate orders among your squad members, and they will prove as invaluable sources of support and backup in later levels of Devastation. Squad mates each have different areas of proficiency such as hacking abilities or excellence with a specific weapon. However, the enemies you will face have their own technical skills and proficiencies. The AI in Devastation still needs a little tweaking, but for the most part, response to stimuli comes as expected. During a battle, enemies and team mates may hide behind a box, or they might try running away if they feel endangered. Without giving away to much of Devastation's storyline, Grathius' big research involves a technique called 'respawning', which in essence deals with recreating an existing person after he or she has died. Early on in the game, respawning does not play into much of the concepts, however as the game progresses, a clear shift to a different style of gameplay goes in effect. Definitely shaping up to be a smash, Devastation includes some key elements of first person shooters as well as introducing a few elements of its own. The top notch graphics and physics practically guarantee that Devastation will be exceptional and the innovation of Devastation's multiplayer feel will surely separate it from the clan of First Person Shooters already in play. -==Boy, GameVortex Communications AKA Kyle Prestenback Related Links: Arush's Website