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No One Lives Forever Preview
Jason Julier
00/12/0000
Another good FPS is coming to the PS2, we take a quick peek at Cate Archer`s efforts...
I play very few games on my PC for a variety of reasons covered but the game No One Lives Forever, from Monolith, was an exception. Such is its success that the developer is already working on a sequel, just having released the amazing Alien Vs Predator 2 for the PC. Most first person shooters are very generic; they either fall into two categories, namely stealth (Rainbow 6) or blasting (Quake). No One Lives Forever took a novel approach by basing itself on a camp sixties themes such as The Avengers, Bond and Austin Powers while having a solid playable game at its core, introduced some much needed humour to the genre. I was delighted to hear that Vivendi (publishers of Half-Life) are bringing yet another quality PC title to the Playstation 2 in the form of No One Lives Forever.
As mentioned the game is set in the swinging sixties, when Britain was the coolest place to be seen and led the world in fashions and music. This game could never work in a third person viewpoint, as you are Agent Cate Archer, a videogame version of Pussy Galore. While she is no doubt very pleasing on the eye, the use of a first person view is necessary as she is always dressed in the latest fashions, tight cat suits, leather boots and with her razor wit in tow, Cate is not a babe to be messed with. There are plenty of cut scenes that allow you to sit back and enjoy the view as it were.
Agent Cate Archer is very much from the English upper crust and while a deadly shot with any weapon, expects to be treated like a lady. The character is based on a real-life model (Mitzi Martin) that as modelled for LâOreal, Maybelline and Lubriderm and shot with the industryâs top photographers including Herb Ritts, Patrick DeMarchellier and Mathew Rolston. The original developers went to great lengths to find the write woman to base the story on and using face-mapping techniques, Mitzi Martin is really Cate Archer. Unlike many other games, the amount of work and dedication is not limited to the character design; No One Lives Forever features a variety of gadgets, weaponry (over thirty in total), memorable characters and various forms of transport at your disposal. Your weapons and gadgets include the rocket-launching briefcase, a Robotic Poodle; infrared goggles, exploding lipstick and lethal acid perfume. Vehicles to use in your missions will include motorcycles and snowmobiles, which she can ride.
On the PC this game certainly needed a monster PC to run it and to appreciate the graphics and in particular the animation involved. The PS2 version is promised to be as just as good with no cutbacks likely without any of the hardware or patch hassles that the PC market brings with it. As Timesplitters has shown it is possible to create a good control system without the need for a mouse and keyboard set up however at this time we cannot confirm if USB support will be included. An excellent feature of the PC version was the huge training levels, full of secrets, humour and tasks, almost a game within itself; this will be present in the console version.
The PC version featured a multiplayer element, which is heading over to the home console version. We can expect ten multiplayer levels including death match and cooperative assault. The cooperative assault missions allow gamers to team up against each other and accomplish story-driven goals.
Agent Archer works for a covert anti-crime network (UNITY) that means worldwide travel and a variety of villains belonging to the HARM organisation and of course possible shopping trips. Your travels will take you through seedy nightclub areas of Berlin, English countryside, Morocco, Germany, England, the French Alps, the Caribbean and even a secret Russian space station. In total there are over 15 levels in this version (same as the PC) that will include a variety of styles with expansive outdoor environments and richly detailed buildings, streets and cities. As a bonus Monolith is including four new levels featuring Cate Archer in her younger days as a thief. While some levels will feature typical first person action, such levels as the one featuring the American ambassador involve sniper rifles and others more sneaky agent stuff. The memorable characters are not just limited to Agent Archer, as you will encounter various henchmen including a pugilistic Scotsman, a trio of nubile female vixens and a villainously off-key opera Frau.
