MWSF - Graphsim Announces Two New Mac Games At MWSF

by , 2:30 PM EST, January 10th, 2001

Graphsim, the company responsible for the Mac ports of such great titles as Descent 3 and Baldur's Gate, has made an impressive announcement for the next two titles being added to their 2001 lineup. The Role playing action title, Summoner, and the FPS (first person shooter) Red Faction.

Summoner is a title that puts you in the role of a "summoner"... (go figure). A summoner is a magical being who has the power to summon all manner of beasts to do his or her bidding, indluding Demons, golums, and a host of other nasties. The graphics are all fully 3D, with a 3rd person camera perspective that is "easy to use". The environements, as seen in the screenshots available on the Summoner website, show multi-tiered structures, outdoor wilderness, and subteranean caves. Here are a few features to whet the appetite:

• Full 3D engine with a 3rd person view
• Dynamic, easy to control camera system offering cinematic views
• In-depth story with unique characters
• Jaw dropping spell effects and summonings
• Quality party-based multiplayer, unconstrained by the storyline
• Streamlined, mouse-driven interface
• Easy-to-learn combat system, with progressive depth
• Amazing in-game cinematics
• Massive amounts of weapons, spells, monsters, and characters

We are especially interested in the multiplayer, "unconstrained by the storyline". Not enough game companies put enough thought and care into the multiplayer aspect of their games, and we hope Summoner will place much of its attention on this important element. You can view the particulars of this game at the Summoner web site.

Red Faction is the second title announced today by Graphsimm. This title sports a new technology (Geo-Mod) that allows the player to not only blow up other players and NPC's (non player characters), but also to shoot holes in the floor, walls, and ceilings. Trapped in a maze of corridors and cannot find your way out? Blow a hole in the wall and walk to your freedom. Here are a few features for this title:

• Geo-Modª Engine - the only FPS with real-time, arbitrary geometry modification
• Advanced physics simulation - supports falling geometry, particles and liquid
• Land, sea and air vehicles to commandeer and control
• A completely immersive and compelling storyline
• Stealth and action driven objectives
• Varied environments including natural settings unique to the genre
• Object shadow casting and more
• Advanced AI behavior in 20 dynamic 3D levels
• Real-time skeletal deformation and interpolation for silky smooth animations
• Location-based damage system
• Proprietary level editor that is faster, easier and more advanced than any on the market
• Multi-player support for LAN and TCP-IP

The game is looking incredible based on screenshots available on the Red Faction website. And who can resist the temptation to blow stuff up? You can view the particulars of this game at the Red Faction web site.

The Mac Observer Spin:

Graphsim has worked hard for us Mac gamers and we should be grateful. These two titles are ambitious projects that will complement your collection nicely, but we have to hope that Graphsimm can hold things together and not let another Baldur's Gate Multiplayer fiasco happen.

For those of you who don't know, Baldur's Gate was shipped for Mac without a multiplayer element to gameplay. Graphsimm promised to have it out "shortly" after the solo game was released, but we are still waiting. Here is hoping they can hold things together and ship both of these new products whole and complete.

Graphsim