Shadow Ops: Red Mercury Update

Shadow Ops: Red Mercury is the upcoming Xbox first-person shooter from Atari. The title is being developed by Seattle-based Zombie Interactive, a veteran developer whose resume includes the Spec Ops games for the PC. The modern warfare game, which has been in development for a little over a year, aims to deliver a more cinematic experience than your typical FPS. We recently had the chance to watch as two levels of the game were demoed for us. While still early in the development process, the game certainly showed some promise.

Shadow Ops casts you in the role of an elite counterterrorist operative who must recapture an experimental substance known as "red mercury." Apparently, red mercury is an energy source so destructive that it's capable of powering bombs that can explode with the impact of a nuclear warhead. The substance has been stolen by a terrorist group that has ties to a crooked Russian military outfit, and it's up to you to pursue this group around the globe to such locales as Syria, Kazakhstan, Paris, Chechnya, and the Congo so you can recover the deadly substance. Nearly all of your excursions will be lone-wolf missions. There will be no squad-based combat in the game, though you'll receive backup from time to time from computer-controlled allies, who may be called upon later to provide cover for VIPs.

You'll find two main modes in the game--single-player and multiplayer. The single-player game offers 20 missions that follow the aforementioned story. The multiplayer mode features several options for online and offline play. Offline multiplayer features split-screen co-op for two players and split-screen competitive modes for up to four players. The game also features system link multiplayer for up to 16 players. The co-op mode features 10 maps to play on as well as multiplayer. Online multiplayer offers Xbox Live support and competitive modes for up to 16 players as well. At present, the competitive modes are slated to include capture the flag, plant the bomb, escort the VIP, deathmatch, and team deathmatch modes. The game will also support the Xbox headset in offline and online multiplayer modes. You'll receive orders via the headset offline, and you'll use it to talk to other players when playing an Xbox Live game.

The game's graphics are looking quite sharp, thanks to Zombie's effective use of the Unreal 2 graphics engine. The two environments we saw featured an impressive scale and a respectable amount of action that moved at a decent clip. The first stage started out in a jungle and concluded around a massive bridge over a river. The level offered a good amount of detail, courtesy of rich textures that gave the forest a very solid organic look. The second level we saw represented a better example of the cinematic feel the team is aiming for, as it opened up with a nod to Black Hawk Down by having your helicopter crash into an enemy city. The ensuing action was hectic and very immersive. While both levels ran reasonably well, there were frame rate inconsistencies and a few other rough spots that are currently being addressed by the team. The game's target frame rate is 30 frames per second, which should be doable, given the game's release date.

One of the highlights of the demo was the strong audio component. Shadow Ops supports Dolby 5.1 surround, which offers a vivid and immersive experience. The cries from enemies, weapons-fire, and updates from members of your team help sell the whole experience.

Although brief, the demo we saw of Shadow Ops: Red Mercury looked promising. While a bit rough around the edges, the game certainly has potential, and Zombie should have a fair amount of time to polish things up before its release. Shadow Ops: Red Mercury is slated to ship Summer 2004 for the Xbox. Look for more on the game in the coming months.