Name: E.Y.EThe title of this article should not to be confused with the underwhelming Sylvester Stallone film released in the earlier part of this decade, but rather with the upcoming FPS-RPG hybrid from Streum on Studio, called E.Y.E. Now, before you roll your eyes (no pun intended) at the idea of yet another game bridging the gap between Call of Duty and Diablo, take a moment to read this quick preview of a game so ambitious it could very likely set this saturated genre ablaze. As the company's follow up to their acclaimed Half-Life 1 modification, Syndicated Black Ops, EYE (which is how I'll be referring to the game for the rest of the article to save my Period Key from an early death) has gone under the radar for many gamers due to its lack of exposure and a substantial delay that rocked the team and its community at the end of last year. And, while there isn't a whole lot of new news regarding the game's release, I felt as if a title with this much potential and heart needs to be brought to all PC gamers' attentions. Its setting is undeniably unique and its gameplay is equally as interesting, which means that overlooking this game would be downright criminal.
The first aspect to touch on is the EYE's dark and gritty world. Inspired by some of science fiction's greatest atmospheric triumphs, Streum's shooter is truly a hodgepodge of settings that hearken back to the likes of Blade Runner, Akira, and even the tapletop giant, Warhammer 40k. Corrupted by treason and machination, EYE's backdrop looks to be as engaing as it is mysterious. Donning the role of spy in the powerful organization known as Secreta Secretorum, you're tasked with the goal of infiltrating an elite group of warriors within your agency called E.Y.E; a sect made up of two rival factions that are continuously struggling for power of their centuries old secret organization. Your job is to uncover a sinister traitor within the group. But, to unveil this treanous warrior, the player must decide who he will fight for, against, and alongside through conversations that present multiple-choice dialogue trees. From this consequence-bound interface, players' decisions impact the world and its inhabitants that surround them.
Equally as intriguing as EYE's story is what Streum's doing to set its game apart from just about every other game released in the past 18 months that's injected RPG elements into, what would normally be, a traditional first person shooter. Offering various shooting modes for the 25+ different weapons found in-game, a hacking system that allows players to dynamically change environmental structures, a mission-based campaign that awards players with your standard XP and loot, a research and development system that commissions players to research new powers and weapons, an incredibly original psychology and trauma system, and well over 20 player skills and cybernetic implants, EYE isn't exactly your typical FPSRPG. "Wait, go back...Implants you say? I like the sound of that!" Ah, but before you close out this window and run on off to your free, streaming porn site of choice, let me explain what you've so quickly confused with a considerably less-than-moral concept.
EYE utilizes, what it calls, a 'Research and Development' progression to further customize your character and his abilities. A player has the opportunity, at any time in the game, to hire a team of scientists to begin work on a research project. Research essentially enables a player to upgrade their equipment and cybertechnology. However, the real potency and signifiance of research is the ability to find new weapons and technologies. At the start of the game, a player can research up to 5 research levels. Overtime though, more levels open up through a variety of means, meaning bigger and better abilities.
Now, aside from traditional skills, players are also granted 'Cybernetic Implants' that allow them to increase their existing skills and access new special powers. Obtainment of these implants can come from NPC's, the completion of a mission, or from winning multiplayer tournaments. With these implants, a player can better rise to the challenges set before them in the game's campaign. And it seems as if players are going to need all the help they can get to reach the game's end. With 4 difficulty levels, promised clever and non-scripted AI, and the game's random spawn system, enemy positions are said to never be the same, lending the game to a high level of re-playability.
But, where EYE really stands out from its FPSRPG brethren, is in its psychology and trauma system. The player possesses a skill called mental balance which determines the characters psychological state of mind. This skill level can be lowered, however, due to traumatizing events, such as being injured, witnessing a teammate or allied NPC's death, or through the confrontation of the many horrors faced through the campaign. If the player were to experience a 'mental unbalance', a test is given to evaluate the player's madness. Madness is a time-specific condition that affects the player in some negative way. Whether if it's inducing a paralyzing terror which restricts the character's movement, or inciting paranoia which forces the player to shoot intermittently without free will, players ultimately risk becoming permanently damaged from these conditions resulting in him losing a skill point.
Now, in today's day and age, what would be a game without a multiplayer component? EYE sports 3 multiplayer modes. Cooperative Campaign allows for you and a friend to go through the entire solo campaign together, Cooperative Missions put 8 players together on a single team and requires them to cooperate together to complete certain objectives, and then a standard, team-based adversarial match that requires teams to fulfill a series of objectives.
And last but not least, I come to the visuals department of EYE. With the constant strive for new, better, and more powerful technology, a game's graphical capabilities is an area of much interest for many gamers. And, while EYE is no Crysis, it definitely isn't a slouch by any means in the graphics arena. Using the Source Engine to power the game's visuals, EYE looks beautiful at times and above average at others. However, as much as some may not want to admit it, graphics aren't the end all and be all of a game's success. Graphics don't stand the test of time, however style does...and if there's one thing this game has, it's style. The art direction is top-notch and lends itself to establishing one of the most genuinely compelling and original settings I've seen in recent memory. It's gothic, apocalyptic in a sense, yet futuristic in a way that isn't trite or contrived.
However, there are some things worth pointing out that aren't all glowing. After watching the game in motion, I was uneasy about some of the animations, especially with regards to the melee weapons. While making close-combat look natural is far from easy, it wouldn't hurt to see some variety in relation to sword swings, hammer blows, and the like. Something else to take into thought is that Streum is trying to do a lot with EYE. In the past, countless developers have bitten off more than they can chew and promised players a wealth of gameplay diversity, only to deliver an experience that fell short of expectations due to the difficult nature of bringing together a slew of bright ideas and executing them well. Will EYE fall victim to the same pitfalls as those before it? Well, it's impossible to say at this point, however my fingers are crossed in hopes that the developers understand said pitfalls and know how to maneuver around them.
That being said, I really can't speak of E.Y.E any more highly than I have. Streum on Studio seems to be crafting a world that is brilliant, mysterious, and unforgiving. With a cyberpunk feel, some creative, gameplay features, a stunning art design, and a fully developed single player campaign that is also playable cooperatively with a buddy, E.Y.E could prove to an excellent demonstration of what happens when a small, indie developer comes together, with a specific vision, and creates a world they fully believe in.
Check it out if you like games such as: Bioshock, Borderlands, Deus Ex, Fallout 3, System Shock
What beer should you be drinking while playing this game: Unibroue's Ephemere: light and airy with a hint of banana, strawberry, and honey malts upfront, and finishes off with a splash of green apple tartness.