ESPionage

[Great Rumbler]

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 28, 2003-- Midway Games Inc., a leading software industry publisher and developer, announced today that ESPionage™, is in development and is expected to ship in Fall 2003 for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the Xbox™ video game system from Microsoft and Nintendo GameCube™. ESPionage challenges players to use their most powerful weapon -- their mind -- as they try to master the first action/stealth game to integrate traditional weapons combat with extensive Psi (psychic) mind powers. Combatting a terrorist movement set to overthrow world order, Nick Geller -- an elite American Psi-Operative -- fights using telekinesis (lifting and throwing objects), pyrokinesis (controlling fire), remote viewing (going "out-of-body" to plan attacks), mind drain (draining Psi energy from enemies), aura view ("seeing" elements that aren't visible in the real world) and mind control (taking control of enemies) to fight against an army of programmed, psychic terrorist super soldiers that will stop at nothing to reach their goal.

"Never before have players been given the ability to use Psi mind powers in an action/stealth game," said Helene Sheeler, vice president of marketing, Midway. "ESPionage provides a highly entertaining experience that opens up unique and creative combinations of the way gamers can play the game."

As Geller, players must conquer a programmed super soldier army and its psychic agents while using Psi powers. In addition to Psi capabilities, players have access to traditional weapons such as handguns and automatic weaponry. As players strategically navigate seven huge immersive levels within four distinct compounds, they encounter multiple ways to solve missions, which greatly adds to the replay value.

ESPionage Key Features:



Psi Powers - The first and only action/stealth game to integrate weapons combat with extensive and unique Psi mind powers including:

Telekinesis - The ability to lift people and objects and hold, move or throw them in any direction.

Pyrokinesis - The ability to launch a wall of fire that ignites everything in its path.

Mind Control - The ability to take control of enemy bodies.

Remote Viewing - The ability to go "out-of-body" to see through doors to plan your "attack" and/or get information you would not be able to get in physical form.

Mind Drain - The ability to drain Psi power from enemies, which results in death to the victim.

Aura View - The ability to "see" elements that are not visible in the real world.


Action and Stealth Combination - Intense, fast-paced action with strategic stealth elements. The emphasis is on action, with elements of stealth.

Traditional Weapons - In addition to Psi mind control powers, traditional weapons, such as handguns and automatic weaponry, still play a major role in gameplay and combined with the Psi powers create an extraordinary and powerful gameplay dynamic.

Intense Storyline - An engaging and compelling storyline reveals the mystery of Nick's identity and the origin of his Psi powers while infiltrating the compounds of "The Movement," a powerful psychic terrorist organization.

Multiple Levels and Compounds - Seven huge and immersive levels within four distinct compounds spread throughout the world.

Deep AI - Adaptive artificial intelligence makes enemies extremely aware of the player's actions and delivers more intense, realistic fighting.

Multiple Methods for Solving Missions - The non-linear design allows the gamer to conquer the mission in multiple ways, allowing for endless replay value.

It sounds interesting, but I wonder how well EPS powers will work in a stealth game.

Nick Geller - Uri Geller

Hmm...

Cube-Europe

[OB1]

And it's a Midway action game. What was the last good action game that they made?

[A Black Falcon]

Hmm... Spy Hunter was a racing/action game, and Gauntlet Legends or Dark Legacy were topdown ones with some small RPG things... Haven? But wasn't that one awful? Umm... I can't think of one... their good games are in other genres.

[OB1]

Haven had enourmous potential but the execution was off.

[Darunia]

The only remotely fun game I've ever seen from Midway was Gauntlet Legends...and that got old.

[A Black Falcon]

Midway makes a lot of good games! Gauntlet Legends and Dark Legacy, the three Rush games (Rush 2049 is my second or third favorite racing game on the N64 and easily gets in my N64 top 10), the new SpyHunter game (and its upcoming sequel)... and if you go back their basketball games were good... and I also liked the Cruis'n games.

[OB1]

Ew, the Cruisin' games are the Army Men of the racing genre. And only the third Rush game was good. The first one had horrid controls the the second one had worse level design.

[A Black Falcon]

Rush 2 is good... the graphics don't come close to Rush 2049, and it has very few extras but its still a good game... and has 12 tracks, compared to 6 in 2049.

As for Cruis'n, I certianly can see how lots of people don't like it too much... it is very simple and doesn't exactly have any depth or complexity... but for a basic arcade racer I find the three games fun.

Oh yeah... I forgot to mention Hydro Thunder... a game I also like a lot (more than Cruis'n but less than Rush).

Now 3D0... thats a company that makes far more bad or mediocre games than good...

[Great Rumbler]

Here are some pics from EPSionage:

[OB1]

PS2 screenshots, obviously.