X-Files: Resist or Serve: Return of the X-Files
Company: Sierra
First off, forget any lingering bad memories of the last time you played an X-Files videogame. That was not a good experience for anyone concerned, but those days are over. Enter X-Files: Resist or Serve for the PS2 and Xbox. Sierra has teamed up with developers Black Ops, who you'll remember from the James Bond titles The World Is Not Enough and Tomorrow Never Dies and most recently, Street Hoops, to hopefully bring a true X-Files experience to consoles everywhere this summer. In the upcoming survival horror, players will be able to take on the roles of either Agents Scully or Mulder as they encounter zombies, aliens and of course, the black oil.
The story takes place in the sleepy Rocky Mountain town of Red Falls where Mulder and Scully are sent to investigate a series of unexplained murders. Their travels eventually take them to a secret research facility in Siberia and to a buried alien spaceship as they struggle to prevent an alien colonization. As X-Files: Resist or Serve is a survival horror game, expect to do a lot of exploring and examining of items on your journey. However, you can chose to play as either Scully, whose gameplay is more puzzle-oriented and scientific or as Mulder if you are looking for more action-style gameplay. Scully actually gets to do autopsies during gameplay, and while this might seem a little bit lame, it is actually tied quite well into the storyline. When enemies attack, your character can shoot them or pistol-whip them in melee-styled fighting action. The demo I saw at GDC did seem a little stiff, but they definitely have the likenesses of Scully and Mulder down pat and it looks like the game is heading in the right direction.
Sierra has secured the team from Ten Thirteen (the writers of the television series) to write the storyline and are hoping to bring gamers something that genuinely represents the feel that fans of the X-Files series have come to know and love. Taking a cue from the hugely successful X-Files DVD's that fans immediately scoop up upon release (and before!), X-Files: Resist or Serve will be separated into three 'episodes' set between Seasons 7 and 8 and will release in conjunction with the Season 7 DVD. Included with the game will be DVD-style extras such as interviews, recording sessions, concept art, etc. and each episode will have an intro and 'to be continued' just like the tv show.
Fans will appreciate the fact that the original cast will be doing the voice-acting and many familiar faces will pop up such as the Cigarette Smoking Man and The Lone Gunmen, among many others. X-Files: Resist or Serve will be coming your way this summer. Check back for a full review then. And remember - the truth is out there. Sorry, I couldn't resist... or serve. ;)
-Psibabe, GameVortex Communications AKA Ashley Perkins
Related Links: Sierra's Website Fox's Website The Official X-Files Website
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