For all of us who were weaned on MTV's Liquid Television, the sound of a fly buzzing always brings to mind that insect trapped in the lustrous lashes of our favorite animated heroine of the sci-fi future, Aeon Flux. Peter Chung's pioneering series is being brought to live action film this fall, starring the lovely and talented Charlize Theron. Somewhere in between the sensibilities of the animated series and the film lies the new videogame developed by Terminal Reality, slated for release concurrently with its celluloid counterpart.
The basic plot for the game and movie revolve around Aeon Flux, a top operative for the underground resistance against a totalitarian government. This regime would have you think you're living in a utopia, but as Aeon discovers, the slick lies of the people in charge are hiding a terrifying secret (and yes, it's better than "Soylent Green is made of people!"). While Theron's face was digitally scanned for stunningly realism, she adds her voice to the game as well. The body modeling was a combination of detail from the animated series and also the film.
The playable areas on the floor at E3 got me hooked immediately. The controls are smooth and intuitive, especially considering the vast number of options that are available. Aeon's moves are highly acrobatic, and include the ability to do flips, front walk-overs (which can be combined with a move where you break an enemy's neck with your thighs), wall-crawling, repelling, and death defying leaps and rolls courtesy of the animated series. She also has fighting moves that are realistic and entirely player controlled. The more impressive the combos that are linked together, the more style points are awarded for future use. I am overjoyed about this, as I have been frustrated recently with games that have you push one button to do impressive combos that have nothing to do with your skills.
Not only is the hand-to-hand lots of fun, but you can also fire a number of weapons (and are able to do this while repelling on a line or employing other hand-to-hand moves). The game rounds out with puzzle-solving using a plethora of sci-fi gadgets. I have to say I haven't been this excited for a game to come out since the early Tomb Raider days.
At E3 not only did I get to test out the playable levels of this futuristic franchise, but I got to talk with Producer Raymond Holmes about what surprises we could expect from this title. First we covered the basics. The game is slated to have 8 missions with two distinct areas in each. Lest anyone be worried about the size of said levels, the ones I played were sprawling cityscapes with tons of items with which to interact. He also said that there were levels that utilized Flux time? (the ability to slow down time for greater accuracy) and levels where Aeon was forced to use her acrobatics to avoid lasertraps. There was an awesome concept in the training levels: a gladiatorial-style fashion show. How cool is that? It was wonderful to talk to someone who was just as excited about making the game as I was about it being released!
I have to say that the game so far is frenetic, fun, and an absolute treat for the eyes. I appreciate the fact that the designers made a game that challenges players to step up and show their skills and intelligence while playing. This game is one that is on my list to purchase. The rating has not yet been set, but Mr. Holmes thought that it would probably be a Teen game because of bone-crunching? fatalities and specific plot elements. With this newest addition to the Flux family, I look forward to seeing the future!