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Uplink Creators Surreal It Up With Darwinia

Posted by simoniker on from the fish-eating-bigger-fish dept.

Thanks to DIY Games for its story noting that Introversion Software, "creator of the critically acclaimed hacker sim Uplink", has announced its next game: Darwinia, a "...monstrously fast [PC] shoot-'em-up, influenced by Cannon Fodder and Syndicate", according to PC Gamer UK. There's a very basic official site with the first screenshots, but fansite Darwinia Warfront has some further information on the early-in-development title, quoting PC Gamer as explaining you'll be "playing as a gamer, inserted into the network of retro videogame consoles... you're shooting sprites, stick men, and space-invaders - objets d'art from the annals of videogame history."

5 of 25 comments (clear)

  1. Too bad by Calydor · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Sigh. I would much rather have had an Uplink II. Perhaps multiplayer, that'd be neat.

    Shoot'em'ups are old school, VERY old school, and using Space Invader sprites does not conceal that fact, it's mocking it.

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    -=This sig has nothing to do with my comment. Move along now=-
  2. Non-photo-realism by moosesocks · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I really like the trend in indie gaming twoards non-photorealism. These games are supposed to look GOOD, but not REAL. This allows developers to focus more on gameplay. The retro kick makes it even cooler.

    Two freeware examples of surrealist games (which are a hell of a lot of fun) that come instantly to mind are :
    Noiz2sa (OS X Port)
    RRootage (OS X Port)

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    -- If you try to fail and succeed, which have you done? - Uli's moose
  3. Where's the Syndicate? by Nebu · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Syndicate was one of my favorite games, and I often dreamed of Bullfrog making a first person shooter based on the Syndicate world. I don't see how this game is influenced on Syndicate though. Looks more like Rez to me.

    1. Re:Where's the Syndicate? by JabberWokky · · Score: 2, Interesting
      I have a feeling that all those abstract figures are controllable a la Syndicate. Think Syndicate in the world of TRON.

      I'd like to see an RTS in the world of INWO. Build up your influence, encourage the drowth of your organizations and takeover various factions. Black helicopters and MiBs, orbital platforms, nanotanks and tinfoil hat armor upgrades. Then have the Xists arrive.

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      Evan

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      "$30 for the One True Ring. $10 each additional ring!" -- JRR "Bob" Tolkien
  4. Non-photo-realism = Indie in movies? by superultra · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I really like the trend in indie gaming twoards non-photorealism.

    Indie movies are the same, to some degree. There's no way they can compete with the special effects of Spider-Man 2, or something along those lines. So they make up for it with experimental presentation, inexpensive ways to communicate the same thing special effects could. I think the same thing is happening in games. It's way too expensive to pay 40 guys just to texture everything. So, what do you do? You make great games that don't need textures.

    It'll only be a matter of time, I think, before the major publishers perk up and start to realize that these indie games are setting the trend, not them.