NEARLY four years since its first foray into the PC game business with Anito: Defend a Land Enraged, Filipino game development firm Anino Entertainment gave a first glimpse of its next video game Project Phoenix and so far, it is looking good.

The game shown to hackenslash is a playable prototype of Project Phoenix, which was formerly called Project Xenon. The game, a hybrid of role-playing and action-adventure genres, is expected to be launched sometime 2008 in both the PC and Microsoft Xbox 360 platforms.

Technically, this will be the first time that a known Philippine-based video game development firm would fully develop a game on the Xbox 360 platform.

Project Phoenix is set in a futuristic high-tech cyber-punk megacity called Xenon, where the ruling organization is a large company called Terrastar Corporation, whose business is being overwhelmed by underground computer hackers.

Terrastar then hires a female death row inmate who gives her reprieve in exchange for infiltrating the hackers’ domain. For her to do so, the character, named Sarah, is imbued with cybernetic body parts and martial arts skills and will be equipped with an arsenal of ranged and melee weapons.

She would also have “magical” weapons in the form of “nannites” — microscopic machines developed out of nanotechnology that can transform to some type of melee weapon or floating gobs of enemy-seeking energy.
Sarah would receive mission objectives from her secret headquarters in one of the buildings in Xenon. From that location, she would be able to enhance her entire cybernetic form, armor and weapons, which range from pistols, rifles and swords. She would also be capable of dual-wielding some of her weapons. Sarah can also improve herself aesthetically where she can add new looks to her armor and hair.

Apart from her skills with weapons, Sarah would also be capable of using various sorts of vehicles to travel to different areas in the map. Likewise, the map would not be limited to flat terrain as Sarah would be able to climb up tall buildings — both from inside and outside. She will also be able to fight vertically as there would be flying enemies apart from the ground-based opponents.

The game employs a third-person swinging-camera perspective reminiscent of the Splinter Cell series. The turn-based combat system is also similar to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, though in Project Phoenix, the battle will be much faster. Sarah herself would have different types of attacks and counters, depending on the weapons she carries.

The game is influenced by movies and books such as “Blade Runner,” “Aeon Flux,” “The Matrix,” “Equilibrium,” “I, Robot,” “Ghost in the Shell” and “Neuromancer,” among others.

Anino Entertainment president Niel Dagondon said the role-playing aspect of the game will be the major focus. As Sarah progresses in her missions, she will be able to level up and increase her physical attributes.

Dagondon said Project Phoenix is still largely in pre-production stage and that the actual development would start soon. The prototype game could still drastically change in the final version but he said they have already decided on some aspects of the would-be product based on the prototype.

As for the storyline, Anino Entertainment producer Luna Cruz said the basic plot will be retained with a few changes, if necessary.

Cruz also revealed Sarah would not be a single heroine and will, in fact, have a love interest somewhere in the game.