The first not-filmed-by-wobblecam game footage trailer of urban crime no-subscription fee MMO-shooter APB turned up on Gamespot this morning, and I’ve posted it below. It’s got cars crashing and smashing, dudes getting shot, doors getting, er, opened, and a funny joke about dancing in MMOs at the end. Well, it’s kind of a joke, I suppose.
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While the vehicle physics look good (suspension, collisions, j-turns, jumps), the handling in some bits is suspicious to me (taxi weaving, SUV cornering). I really hope driving skill matters when it comes to chases and such. If it’s badly arcadey, rubberbanding, or whatever, that will let the air out of my tires.
It should be like the movies with great driving in chase scenes such as Ronin, The Transporter, and The Bourne Identity. I did love the multi car jump sequence and the rollover near the end of this.
Please let vehicle choice or customization have meaningful trade-offs as far as ease of use and performance, required skills, durability, and so forth. Don’t make it dumbed down or one-size-fits-all.
Watching the footage in the developer podcast, the driving physics unfortunately look awful. Here’s hoping they manage to pull them back from the brink. Everything else about the game looks awesome.
I just came.
Muff said.
Nuff*
The appropriateness of that spelling error is fun though.
That’s what my ex used to call a Freudian Slut.
Another game with an over-the-shoulder view? And the character model is again in the left side of the screen?
I don’t know about you folks, but whenever I play a game where the model is occupying the left part of the screen and we get to that over-the-shoulder view, it creates this mental itch that just cannot be rubbed. It feels wrong to play it that way. All the time I try to mentally move the model to the right position, but of course that is futile, and this frustrates me to no end.
When the hell did this camera view become the standard? Who the hell can bare it?
That drives me batty too. I was playing the Arkham Asylum demo and kept drifting to the left trying to center the character. It’s really maddening, and in a lot of cases the character also occupies far too much of the screen. I don’t know what’s driving this particular trend, but I wish it would stop.
“I don’t know about you folks, but whenever I play a game where the model is occupying the left part of the screen and we get to that over-the-shoulder view, it creates this mental itch that just cannot be rubbed.”
It’s funny you say that, because I tried playing Gears the other day, and I was constantly moving forward+left to try to centre the fucking guy. Why the hell is First Person so impossible now? Everyone seems to shy from it. However, if a game HAS to have Third Person, please make it centred. It just makes more sense.
Hmm, I wonder if you can play this as a solo assassin type person. Just creep up on any firefight, pick a side, and join in. Or do you declare for a side when you start your character?
Most servers won’t let you do that, but apparently there will be some ‘chaos’ servers, where you’re allowed to just mix it up with whoever you see, without requiring a mission related to the area. Normally, you can’t hurt people that aren’t part of your current encounter, although you can see them.
“Current encounter”? I need to read up on the mechanics more, I think. Thanks!
You choose to be police or a naughty crim when you start a character I think.
As long as it stays sub free i may give this a go, GTA IV’s multiplayer gave me an itch for this sort of thing.
I’d be a chaos server player. Not being able to shotgun someone in the back of the head just because “they are not in my encounter” would annoy me wildly.
If they stay free to play i’ll be getting multiple copies for my microlan, if it needs a monthly fee, it can forget it.
I get why third person shooter mans are not centred.
In chaos theory if your gun is away you are centred, you are the focus of the action. When you get your gun out you clear the middle of the screen, allowing things like grenades to be more easily judged, and just getting the hell out of the way.
Of course, in chaos theory you could swap sides with a single key tap.
@ K.Boogle and Shalrath:
Yeah i feel the same. I’ve thought it’s because i’m left handed, so, to have the character on the left, and forcing me to have the camera fixed over my right shoulder disorients me. Maybe.
Just a theory.
Was that the David Brent dance from The Office at the end?
Game’s looking great. I just can’t wait – especially after getting hooked on Champions Online’s customisation, which is nowhere near as good as APB’s offering.
Tiny trailer window + no fullscreen option + a thousand different shades of “dark” = recipe for an in-game trailer that doesn’t actually reveal very much. Congrats, Gamespot and APB, you’ve found the winning formula.
That said, I’m sold by the mere concept of playing a GTA-esque game where
* one person can drive without worrying about shooting,
* one person can shoot without worrying about crashing into stuff (or about their insane AI driver),
* you’re not being shot at by a million AI with either terrible or perfect aim (depending on game), and
* your opponents are driving and shooting just as intelligently and/or recklessly as you are.
So assuming there aren’t any major screw-ups, this might be a game that actually drags me back into the whole mumorpuger thing. Maybe.
You do know that you can click the little video twice to bring up the originating site, and an HD version of it, right?
Funny — the first time I tried that, it just took me to the Gamespot terms of use, rather than the video page. Now it seems to work as you say. Thanks for the tip.
(On a related note, it seems Gamespot finally cleaned up their site. I remember when my browser had to load 400 to 500 images just to view any page on their site. Now it’s just over 100 images — not great, but tolerable.)
How long has Jason Statham had a recording career?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Sideburns, handlebar moustache, aviator glasses, and Sabotage by the beastie boys on constant repeat.
I salute you
THIS SONG?! What is this crazy awesomeness? Have never heard it, maybe living in America is why.
I believe the song is from an independent artist. It was in another APB trailer, but they had a section up on their website asking unsigned and independent artists to submit music to them which they could get put into the game.
Audio Bullies: Gimmie That Punk
http://www.deezer.com/listen-3750070
Bioware could learn alot from the choice of video music.
Anyway, looks great other than the off centre camera.
My problem with this game is that i very much doubt i’ll actually make it into the game proper. The in game creators will leave me consumed for hours. I mean creating my own character, clothing designs, car designs, music… maybe a week or two after i get it i might actually get to shoot someone.
They haven’t officially announced it yet, but they’ve hinted heavily that the game will include a marketplace where you can sell stuff you make (for real monies). I think it’s going to be part of the business model of the game.
Hope there’s some camera options instead of forcing me into Gears view. I hate Gears view, it makes me feel like I’ve got a blind spot and I’m running crooked. A higher up centralized third person camera angled down works just as well for the benefits of Gears view, with the only con being it getting squished up against you in tight areas indoors, and this doesn’t look like it has a whole lot of close quarters indoor areas.
Anyone who’s ever played Max Payne knows how a third person shooty game should work. Every. Single. One.
Other than that, looks fucking awesome.
If it’s in the center, you have the dude in the exact center of the screen, which is generally where stuff happens.
Yeah, over-the-shoulder is definitely what I prefer now (and just a reminder – I’ve been playing videogames since the days of CGA graphics) for that exact reason. Having the camera locked directly behind your character gives you a blind-spot in exactly the place where you wouldn’t want one.
Plus, I dunno about the rest of you, but I think Resident Evils 4/5 would have looked just plain dumb with the camera centered. There’s definitely something a lot more cinematic about close, low and to the side.
Yeah waffles, exactly. The over-the-shoulders view makes way more sense, it’s just not what people are used to. “Back in the day” 3rd person games would have auto-aim (see: Tomb Raider), and that was for a very good reason. It’s difficult to aim at something you can’t see. :)
I’m sold.
Yes, this. Max Payne [2] was not just a gimmicky third-person shooter—it was a beautifully executed third-person shooter.
Oh. So the little “Reply” boxes don’t make those indented replies, then. Um.
Was that the Ricky Gervais dance at the end? This game looks insane, cars driving on roof tops should add an automatic 10% to any review score.
“how many adolescent punk ass wannabee gangsters won’t there be playing”
All the too-cool-for-skool ‘indie-grime-dubstep’ hipsters these days have beards, square glasses, cable knit-sweaters and listen to “folk”.
If I’m gonna get what is being touted as one of the best character creators out there, I’m gonna want to look at my corrupt piece of bacon… Even if it is just their right shoulder…
I predict heavy amounts of micro transactions, otherwise this is just too good to be true.
two things hey cooper feminist-anarchy two what music is this?
Woop! I just got my ‘you have been selected as a beta tester’ email for APB. I bounced up and down in my seat and got some funny looks.
Anyone else? (The email, less the bouncing.)
You're not actually supposed to tell people dude.
Looks suitably ridiculous and fun
me too! wee, teh awsumness \o/
*bounces
Don't get too excited, it is only in beta at the moment.