GDC 2003: Gun Metal first look

Originally released last summer for the Xbox, Gun Metal is a fast-paced, arcade-style action game that puts the player in the pilot's seat of a futuristic jet that can transform into a giant mech. Undoubtedly inspired by Japanese anime like Macross and Transformers, Gun Metal allows players to instantly transform their vehicle from jet form to mech form at the press of a button. An array of devastating weaponry is available to the player in either mode, ranging from machine guns and rockets to lasers and napalm bombs. As players advance through the game, they'll unlock more and more firepower to take on hordes of enemy tanks, aircraft, and futuristic combat vehicles.

Since the game's release on Xbox, Yeti Studios has improved Gun Metal's graphics to take advantage of advanced pixel shaders available on the newest PC graphics cards. The attached screenshots show the high texture detail in the vehicle models and the terrain. Weapon effects are exaggerated with advanced lighting and huge explosions. Playing the game at the GDC, we felt it was a nostalgic reminder of the frantic, helter-skelter pace that characterized old arcade games. The mouse-and-keyboard interface makes for more precise aiming compared with the Xbox version, but the vehicle control felt slightly awkward without benefit of a game controller.

Yeti Studios is still negotiating a publisher for the PC version of Gun Metal, so there's no firm estimate for a US release date. We'll have more on the game soon.