Without Warning Xbox

Circle Studio is an outfit newly formed from Core Design, the people behind Lara Croft. Now they present to you their first game, published by the mighty Capcom. Without Warning is inspired by the TV series 24, and could just as easily be called 12, dealing as it does with a period between 8pm and 8am. Like 24 it concerns itself with terrorism and is set in a chemical plant overrun by terrorists. The concept behind it sort of reminds us of early turn based, squad command games, giving you the opportunity as it does to effectively control multiple characters simultaneously. The game features 6 playable characters, each with their own abilities and objective. Three a soldiers sent in to contain the attack, and three are civilians: a cameraman who merely wishes to record as much of the action as he can for posterity, a security guard who staunchly tries to save his colleagues and a receptionist who just wants to get out alive. Played in real time, the game invited you to swap between the characters, each of whom must decide how they can spend the 12 hours of night most effectively. Tanya, the receptionist, has an intimate knowledge of the plant and gives the player access to a map only while playing as her. Dave, the security guard is an ex cop whose first thought is to save as many employees as he can. This contrasts with the counter-terrorist soldiers, who are prepared for collateral damage if necessary as they prioritise securing the dangerous plant. However the soldiers do have advanced bomb disposal and combat techniques at their disposal, so will be vital to the mission being safely played out. Ben the cameramen starts the game filming the action from a helicopter. But when the chopper is shot down, he finds himself transmitting news from the heart of the action. It's certainly a unique idea for a game, and with a detailed plot and variety of possible outcomes is quite a breath of fresh air.