Dungeon Punks

Dungeon Punks' fast-paced, action-packed gameplay takes the best aspects of its predecessors and reworks them to make it the action/RPG genre fans have always wanted. You play as the titular Dungeon Punks, who has gone rogue once before, years ago to save the world from the growing evil of humankind. It's up to you to clear dungeons, collect treasures, and battle the evil sorcerer, whom is capable of resurrecting your fallen brethren. Dungeon Punks was designed to be a sequel, not a separate game altogether, and, in fact, will even feature a number of other changes, from the traditional "pet peeve" gameplay that keeps you moving and managing your life, to a more dynamic gameplay experience where you can literally run right into the next battle without ever touching the screen. Dungeon Punks is set to launch for the PlayStation 2 this fall.

Some of the most interesting new features in Dungeon Punks are undoubtedly the game's cast of characters. And while all of the characters have received their own distinct set of special powers and styles of play, you can expect some new surprises as well. For example, you'll be able to choose from a wide variety of unique characters with special abilities, each with his or her own strengths and weaknesses. The game features a unique "medieval" world, complete with over 100 different enemies, and some interesting environments to explore. The game's characters are a good mix of role-playing and dungeon-crawling characters, though, so it doesn't look like they'll be as inventive as your favorite characters. The graphics in Dungeon Punks are looking pretty sharp and feature a nice layer of character. The environments in the game feature some cool touches as well, such as a warp to one of the worlds to let you skip large gaps in the background. The game is in the final stages of development and is scheduled for release later this year.

As far as gameplay goes, Dungeon Punks is shaping up to offer a solid action game, albeit a little on the repetitive side. You'll have to keep an eye out for the unique creatures you'll encounter along the way, which will likely add even more variety to the action.

Based on what we've seen, Dungeon Punks has a solid action pedigree and an intriguing premise. The game is set in a retro-futuristic future where robot warfare has lasted for quite some time. The human race has gone through a bit of trouble--as some robots have gone rogue and got too close to robotic parts to fully protect themselves. In spite of your attempts, though, you'll have to make tough decisions that will shift the world. The game's story is told through a tale of people who end up being oppressed by monsters, which doesn't appear to be an accident, but certainly fits into the timeline. The narrative doesn't seem to follow too far in the game's timeline, since there's an all-star cast of colorful characters that you'll be involved with as you progress through the story. The game's presentation is looking good, even though it doesn't have the polish or fluidity of BioShock 2.

We haven't had the chance to play the game yet, but we were able to see a couple of the game's levels, which we had a chance to check out. We started out with a first-person view that was identical to BioShock 2's--you'll have the same sort of powers as in the first game, although the perspective switches to first-person. There are no visible health bars, although the option to lock on to an enemy is available if you're in a tighter position. If you run out of juice, the game's voice-overs will provide you with speech bubbles. The game will offer up a limited arsenal, and you'll also be able to choose from a few weapon types. The game is currently scheduled to ship in fall 2004.

Another previewer on hand to show off some of BioShock 2's content was Sergeant Adam Zachary Quinto, who was exploring a ruined, ruined city. He's joined by a companion, Sullivan, who's now a con artist on the job, who shows off the new BioShock 2 artwork on the wall. The artwork in the art is well done and showed off some of the improved lighting and particle effects, as well as some of the game's lighting.

There was no news on when we might get to check out gameplay, though Irrational did at least mention that it will be similar to the original game. There was one big difference in the visuals from the original, and that was in the game's setting. We were shown some still-shocking backdrops, as well as some dusty, ruined city streets. That was followed by a few eerie skyscrapers, then a handful of huge, automated mannequins, then a couple of electrified streets. Both looked quite convincing.