Harken back to a simpler time in 1985, where there was a game that debuted in the arcades from a little known company Nihon Bussan/AV Japan called Commando. You maneuvered the main character, armed with a machine gun and a limited supply of hand grenades (which could be replenished by finding more of them through killing your opponents) and it was your mission to wipe out the enemy and destroy its base, which was said to be impregnable. Countless hours and quarters of my youth were lost playing Commando so many years ago.

Along comes a preview demo from Namco named Kill.Switch featuring a rough build of the game along with 2 playable, though presumably unfinished, levels of a game that’s going to be laid out over 6 missions that encompasses approximately 18 levels, from the Middle Eastern deserts to environments that even include an underground submarine base. Though it’s obvious that 18 years have passed since Commando entered the arcades, one has to wonder if it inspired the designers of this title as it has a much more decidedly arcade feel to it than most of the military shooter/sims that are coming about in record numbers . You can run and gun, using a technique that Namco bills as “Blindfire”, which allows you to execute a full frontal assault without being exposed to counter fire.

The game’s two playable levels, when played through RGB, are decidedly dark. Though much of the environment is intended to be foggy with difficult visibility, even items such as ammo that other soldiers dropped or the tried and true med kits to replenish your health are markedly difficult to see. There looks to be some tweaking left to be done on certain walls that “break” if you’re standing at the right angle that allow you to see through them to monitor your enemy. Again, these are two short and sweet criticisms of aspects of the game that are more than likely to be improved before the final product is released. There was no evidence of slowdown in either of the levels and distance based firing was very accurate. Explosions, machine gun fire, enemy chatter, all seemed to have no effect on the overall speed of the game. This title is much more about playability than a graphical tour de force, and it succeeds on that front. The environments are strewn with decrepit buildings, bombed out stairwells and various wreckage strewn about that serve as a reminder of the horrors of war.

The control scheme takes a bit of getting used to, using both analog sticks without using the D-Pad at all. Switching between weapons (snipers rifle, M-16, machine gun) and projectile based fare (grenades, stun grenades) is simple and straightforward enough. Moving and aiming will require a bit of practice to fine tune, however. The controls are strong and seemingly nearly complete in this early build. Pressing down on the right control stick allows you to zoom in via the scope view (for both the machine gun and sniper rifle, pressing it again on the sniper rifle allows you to zoom in even closer) and you can crouch, roll, and even use your rifle to butt your opponents skull should you find yourself without ammunition.

Where Kill.Switch really excels is in Namco’s brilliant AI engine. The enemy soldiers that you’re battling are SMART. They duck and cover behind whatever burnt out cars, barrels or other debris they can find, even when inside buildings. Don’t expect to blow through a level on the first go around, it will not be nearly as easy as that. Your enemy will break windows in a building to shoot at you while you’re on the ground. They’ll shoot, hide, shoot, hide, hide and shoot again, effectively making them execute without a pattern. You’ll hear their chatter, “I’m going in!” or “Man Down!”, or even them notifying their brothers in arms that you, their enemy, has just tossed a grenade. As much as Kill.Switch “feels” like an arcade game, it requires foresight, thought, and delivery to succeed. Expect to fail. Often. The enemy is thinking. They will try to flank you, flat out assault you, and hurl grenades at you and none of their maneuvers will be obvious to you. Equally, if you expect victory you’ll have to utilize your environment to the best of your ability. You implementation of stealth and accurate sniper shooting will make a big difference in the rate of your success, as will your ability to hide and evade enemy fire. This isn’t a game for mere passers by or for passing the time once in a while. It will require your full immersion, attention, and discipline.

The demo gave no indication what the story is behind your missions, who you are, or even who your enemy is. Obviously this will play a part in determining the overall success of the piece. It’s also unknown what your motivations are for taking these missions on and if other missions will have specific objectives for you to complete. If Namco’s past success with cinematic elements is any gauge for the future, you’ll have little to worry about here. The short demo left one wanting for more, much more. If the rest is anywhere as good as this early build than it’s certainly going to be worth the wait, which is currently the 4th quarter of 2003. Bringing us back full circle to where we started, Kill.Switch is every bit as intoxicating as Commando was way back when, because no matter how much or how long you played it, you were left with the urge to play again. Well done.

· · · haohmaru