Sudeki Updated Impressions

Microsoft offered an updated look at Sudeki, the upcoming Xbox RPG in development at UK-based studio Climax, at a private suite at GDC this week. The game wasn't significantly different from the version we saw earlier this month, but it did offer a better idea of how the disparate gameplay elements from the members of your party work together. While Sudeki is obviously an RPG at its core, it features many elements from team-oriented platform games, like Blizzard's The Lost Vikings, as well.

The quartet of travelers you'll eventually control over the course of your adventure will each have unique abilities that you'll have to make use of while exploring. In many ways the game is more of an action RPG hybrid than a standard RPG. Although you'll encounter puzzles and the like, you'll have to decide which character you'll take direct control of--to better exploit his or her abilities--to eventually progress. In some cases, you'll be able to make use of a character's unique talents to reach inaccessible areas, or you'll even find hidden objects. While the spirit of such actions is pretty standard for an RPG, the active way you'll be able to accomplish them seems more action-oriented.

The graphics in the game have maintained a surreal level of quality since our last look at the game, despite the addition of a number of tweaks to give the visuals more depth. The game's unique art style works well with both the camera angles used in the cinematics and the overall design of the environments. The unique blend of influences winds up giving the world a lived-in look that feels familiar and exotic at the same time. For example, we've seen deserts, mountainous areas, and dungeons before, but none that have looked quite like Sudeki's.

Sudeki is scheduled to ship this June for the Xbox. Look for more on the game in the coming weeks.