Fracture

From LucasArts and developer Day 1 Studios (the team behind MechAssault), Fracture is a third-person shooter that is set to offer gamers a unique and interesting take on the shooter principle, allowing them to change their terrain in real-time, effectively getting the drop on enemies, blocking them off and creating cover strategically to get the upper hand.

The game’s action is fast and furious, and as evidenced by a recent play session held at LucasArts’ San Francisco headquarters, lends itself very well to online play. Fans of online shooters looking for something different would do well to keep an eye out for Fracture next month.

Fracture allows for 12 players per map in a variety of games that allow for either Free-For-All or Team-based play. There are a variety of modes, including classics like Free for All (Deathmatch), and Capture the Flag. Additionally, there are some cool new ones like KingMaker, where your team must stay and hold a certain position on the game map, getting points for staying there longer, and Excavation, where you have to raise spikes at certain points on the map and defend them from your opponents.

The game’s weaponry allows for some pretty awesome ways to play online. Like the game modes, there are some familiar favorites as well as some intriguing new ones to take advantage of the game’s elements. Aside from regular standbys like machine guns, sniper rifles, and shotguns, you’ll also have access to unique weapons that take advantage of the deformable terrain, like the ST-4 Torpedo Launcher that shoots an underground torpedo capable of going under your enemy’s cover and taking them out from underneath, the Rhino that shoots huge boulders that pursue your foes, and a Vortex grenade that creates a gravity well capable of sucking in everything nearby, from objects and debris to enemies.

The action in Fracture is fast and very furious, and the ability to change the landscape at anytime adds a whole new sense of strategy. You can raise cover at almost any point, blocking off your enemies or even smashing them against a low hanging platform. The gameplay is very intense and unlike anything most players have experienced before.

Fracture’s Terrain Deformation capabilities change the online shooter game in fascinating ways, and the fast and furious action will undoubtedly appeal to twitch gamers looking for something deep and different. Look for a full review soon.