Possession (video game)

Infobox VG| title = Possession


developer = Volatile Games
publisher = TBA
designer =
engine =
released = Q1 2010
genre = Real-time strategy
modes = Single-player, Multiplayer
ratings =
platforms = PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
media =
requirements =
input =

"Possession" is an upcoming video game for the seventh generation video game consoles. In the game the player plays as a man turned into an intelligent zombie via exposure to experimental chemicals from a laboratory into which he had broken. Retaining his intelligence, he sets out on a mission to destroy the Prometheus Corporation which made the chemicals. To do this, he must first amass a vast number of zombie warriors to take control of the futuristic Restoration City, headquarters of the shadowy Prometheus Corporation.

Gameplay

In the game the player controls the intelligent zombie, known as "The Enslaver", who in turn commands the other undead. The Enslaver begins the game with only three zombie minions - his three infected comrades from the raid on the laboratory - who he can give simple orders to, such as "Attack", "Defend" and "Infect". The latter command causes the zombies to seek out the nearest uninfected humans and kill them. Immediately after, the victims will get back up as mindlessly loyal undead servants of the Enslaver. The more zombies under the Enslaver's command, the more humans can be killed and infected, and the more of Restoration City can be overtaken. At its current full extent, the zombie army can reach numbers of up to 300 fully controllable, upgradeable (see Unit Types below) creatures, which can be divided into multiple squads and assault divisions and commanded to launch complex, multi-directional assaults on enemy positions, just like real military forces. The entirely freeform gameplay setup is to be based around both a tactical command system and brutal close combat - the Enslaver is a fearsome warrior with massively upgradeable strength and abilities, and can engage in wholesale frontline slaughter on his own, like Kratos in God of War; fully upgraded he can tear people in half at the waist and hurl heavy vehicles like missiles. Also, he can "hijack" members of his zombie army, allowing him to control an individual Shambler, Runner, Shredder, Bloater or Monster in first-person combat.

Unit types

* Shambler: This is the classic basic-level zombie: as the name suggests, it moves in a shambling fashion, has a slow to medium-fast walking pace and has comparatively low intelligence, but great physical strength and endurance. Shamblers are the basic combat unit in Possession, and are the default state into which infected enemies turn into when they join the Enslaver's horde. Tactically, they are best used in massed assaults, as they are highly expendable, utterly unrelenting in their attacks, and deadly in close combat. In keeping with the classic zombie stereotypes of "Dawn of the Dead" and other such zombie franchises, Shamblers can only be killed by headshots.

* Runner: Runners are the second level of zombie upgrade in Possession, and are fast, agile creatures, like the Rage virus infectees in "28 Days Later",or the zombies in the 2004 remake of George A.Romero's Dawn of the dead. They can easily bound over obstacles, leap over cracks and craters in the ground, and run down fleeing humans. They have relatively low strength and can be brought down by general damage, but their high mobility makes them invaluable when trying to bypass heavily defended positions or units of powerful enemy troops. They are extremely vicious in combat, brutally charging down and tearing apart their targets. Tactically, they are most useful as fast backup units and scouts accompanying the main force.

* Bloater: This third-level zombie unit has entered a very advanced state of decomposition, causing it to bloat horrifically with poisonous gas. Its primary method of attack is to explode, spreading its gases outwards and instantly killing and infecting all enemies in the surrounding area. Basically a sort of close-range living artillery unit, these are best fielded in small groups, interspersed amongst the bulkier squads of the main zombie horde.

* Shredder: This fourth-level zombie type has been radically reorganized into a killing machine, its flesh stripped away to reveal a body composed almost entirely of powerful sinuous muscle.Able to climb any surface and vault any obstacle, Shredders are powerful, resilient, stealthy zombies designed for stalking, pack hunting and brutal, blood-spattering slaughter. Best used as scouts and infiltrators, they are also, of course, devastating in combat.

* Monster: The Monster is a massive fifth-level zombie upgrade, composed of multiple individual zombies fused together. The component zombies combine their skills, intelligences and body parts to form a one-ton, 10-to-15-ft-tall walking tank. Monsters have massive, powerful bodies covered in thick layers of tough muscle and supported by almost unbreakable skeletons, enabling them to shrug off damage that would decimate entire squads of lesser creatures. Naturally, Monsters are best used as front-line attack units - their incredible strength and deadly razor-sharp jaws and talons make them utterly devastating in combat. The only disadvantage is that Monsters cannot spread the zombifying infection.

Enemies & AI

Possession will use next-generation hardware to create extremely complex AI for both the zombies and their human enemies. The power of the PS3 and Xbox 360 will allow Restoration City to be populated by thousands upon thousands of unique, perceptive AI characters, who will react in different ways to changing situations, depending on the character type, the particular character in question, and the situation at hand.

*Civilians: The game's setting of Restoration City is a huge metropolis populated by millions of ordinary citizens. These civilians therefore will make up the majority of the people which the Enslaver and his armies encounter on their rampage through the streets. Weak and easy to kill, civilians are good for swelling the zombie horde. The thousands of different civilian characters all react in certain ways to the Enslaver's path of destruction. They generally flock together into groups, with the strongest civilians taking the lead, and try to find their way to designated safe points (police stations, hospitals, army bases etc.). When two such groups meet, they join together into a single large gaggle of civilians, with the stronger of the two group leaders becoming the "shepherd". Some civilians may even try to fight back.

*Police: Restoration City's police force is its first line of defence against the zombie horde. Smarter, stronger and better organized than civilians, police officers will use basic tactics to assault the zombie forces, forming squads and manning barricades and fortifications. Although still relatively easy to kill and infect in close combat, their massed handguns, shotguns and close-quarters nightsticks are definite threats to the zombie forces.

*Riot Police: A specialized branch of the Restoration City police, these stronger, more heavily-armoured cops use the same basic tactics and attack patterns as their weaker counterparts, but are equipped with heavier weapons and protective riot shields, allowing them to withstand more powerful zombie assaults. When backed up by other police units and their specially adapted armoured vehicles, riot police squads can form a formidable defensive bastion against the Enslaver and his zombies.

*SWAT: When the cops can't handle a problem, they call in the elite Special Weapons And Tactics division. Stronger than cops, well-armoured and equipped with powerful assault rifles and handguns, SWAT officers use more advanced team tactics and pose a genuine threat to the Enslaver's zombies, especially when defending fortified obstacles. However, massed forces of Shamblers and Runners should be sufficient to defeat most SWAT assault teams.

*Survivalists: These are basically ordinary civilians with a particularly strong survival instinct. They are largely ex-military doomsayers who have been waiting for a disaster like this sudden zombie apocalypse to crack out the M-16s and fight for their freedom. Well-armed, strong and tactically adept, they pose around the same threat to the zombie hordes as SWAT and police forces, and will happily defend barricades or set up defensive posts to slow the Enslaver's advance.

*National Guard: A step up from SWAT but not quite at the same level as the proper US Army forces, these tough, well-trained troops use a mixture of improved military tactics and more powerful weapons (heavy machine guns, sniper rifles, grenades and light artillery), backed up by vehicles and fortifications. When well armed and supported, they are hard to defeat in both attack and defence, and can hold out for some time against even very large numbers of zombies.

*US Army: Standard US Military forces - heavily-armed assault troopers, snipers, scouts and heavy weapons teams. A combination of strength, intelligence, powerful weaponry and advanced tactics make these humans extremely dangerous to the zombies. Soldiers will set up and defend barricades and fortifications, bring in reinforcements via armoured vehicle columns, and fight bravely against even overwhelming zombie forces. Army vehicle back-up can include tanks, armoured cars, air support, helicopter gunships and fast attack vehicles.

*Black Ops: The biggest threat to the Enslaver and his minions, these are the "crème de la crème" of the enemy forces. Extremely strong and intelligent, tactically advanced and armed with everything from assault rifles, grenades and sniper gear to tripod machine guns, flamethrowers and missile launchers, Black Ops troopers also use powerful military vehicles extensively for both transport and combat. Deadly in both attack and defence, Black Ops forces use a combination of co-ordinated tactics and overwhelming firepower to beat back even the largest zombie attacks.

The greater the death and destruction caused by the Enslaver and the larger his army becomes, the higher his threat designation will become. This will not only lead to greater levels of enemy response (as in the "Grand Theft Auto" series) but will also lead to gradual improvements in enemy tactics, strength, weapons and support. In order to defeat the more powerful enemy forces, the Enslaver and his zombies will have to find various different ways to cripple the humans. Depending on the situation, enemy forces have varying morale levels: when totally confident, they will fight with increased strength and determination, co-ordinating powerful attacks and helping each other out. But, as the zombies cripple the humans' lifelines - sabotaging vehicles, taking over bases, destroying supply depots - enemy morale will start to drop. Soldiers' gunfire will become less accurate, drivers will sometimes crash their vehicles, and some troopers may even flee the battle altogether.

Online Multiplayer

Possession is expected to feature various online multiplayer modes, one of which is supposed to pit players (as humans in a first person view) with an extensive arsenal of weapons against a player controlling a vast zombie horde. Other modes are expected to include massive confrontations between several independently controlled zombie armies, siege battles where a single army must defend a fortified strongpoint against multiple co-ordinated attack forces, and maybe a zombie vs. zombie deathmatch battle, where dozens of individual zombies fight it out across the city.

Vapourware?

While not officially cancelled, the game has received no updates for 2 years. In response to several questions about Possession, Blitz/Volatile has sent out the same message to any person who requested the status of the game.

"Hi there, Thanks for your interest in Possession. Unfortunately we still haven't managed to secure a publisher to take on the project. We haven't given up on Possession completely, we want to see it made as much as you do. We are pursuing other games at the moment though. Best regards, PR Dept, Volatile Games"

The nature of the email and its content, especially the "pursuing other games" comment seem to suggest that the game will not be completed. It is still noted though that no Publisher yet is found and that they didn't give up Possession completely indicating that the game is not yet cancelled and it has a chance that once a Publisher takes the project, the game would be continued to be completed.

Still, it was noted that they currently hold up development on the game for a new major title. It is possible that they would continue development after the game is finished. They also said that they are working with one of the best publishers.

Note that also the website is now listed as a domain for sale and its link is http://www.youhavebeenpossessed.com/

References

External links

* [http://www.youhavebeenpossessed.com/ "Possession" official site]
* IGN: [http://ps3.ign.com/objects/706/706274.html PS3] [http://xbox360.ign.com/objects/706/706273.html X360] [http://pc.ign.com/objects/706/706275.html Windows]
* [http://www.wired-gamers.com/index.php?page=Articles&action=showarticle&id=5 Wired-Gamers interviews developer]