The World Wildlife Fund would not approve. PETA would stage a protest. Rolf Harris would have to build a cybernetic laboratory into the Animal Hospital. Vivisector, from Brigades, will be the first first-person shooter to feature a menagerie of cyborg-animals for gamers to blow away when released this October for PC.
The year is 1878. A twisted scientific genius by the name of Dr Morhead is exiled from Britain for his fiendish experiments on animals. Ostracised by the establishment, he establishes a new laboratory on the distant Island of Soreo where he continues his life's work only to find that he is little bit too successful. Something goes awry and all communication is lost with the island.
Fast forward to 1978. Special Forces soldier, Kurt Robinson, is despatched to Soreo under orders to quell a rebel force by his high command. However, all is not what it seems and Kurt soon finds that rebels would have been a nice alternative to what he does find.
As Kurt, the player will be thrown into the lion's den - literally. There are 24 huge levels ranging from scientific complexes and laboratories to sprawling outdoor environments, including steaming jungle and mountainous terrain. The going will be treacherous. Dr Morhead has been busy and created no less than 20 different cybernetically-altered beasts all of which are baying for human blood.
The enemies are divided into three classes; Modbeasts, the numerous foot soldiers of the animal army; Humanimals, craftier bipedal warriors; and finally Overbrutes, the fearsome elite adversaries that are as powerful as they intelligent.
Being an elite soldier has its benefits though. There are 16 different types weapon with which to slice, snipe and vaporise the legion of technologically enhanced adversaries. Not only will the player's targets gorily fly to pieces under the onslaught, thanks to state of the art skinning on the character models but the physics engine will ensure satisfying death-throes whether enemies are gunned-down or blown-up.
Vivisector also features a proprietary engine called AtmosFear. The engine enables the developer to create huge outdoor environments with photorealistic vegetation while simultaneously coping with more claustrophobic interior levels.
A further addition to the gameplay is the player's ability to improve his statistics. Speed, Resistance, Aim Stability and Health can all be increased through earning points during the game by efficiently killing enemies, careful exploration and completing tasks.
Prepare for unmatched, ferocious gameplay when Vivisector marks its territory this autumn. Vivisector is developed by Action Forms and will be published by Brigades and distributed by Interactive Ideas in the UK this October for PC.