Section 8

March 12, 2008 - If you want to make a name for
yourself in the console sector of the gaming market -- especially the
Xbox 360 portion -- then you pretty much have to make a first-person
shooter that's worth more than the weight of its polycarbonate plastic
(Ed's note: that's the material used to make DVDs). With so many
first-person shooters already staring eager consumers in the face, and
with such a relatively high percentage of them being of a high quality,
times have never been tougher for a fledging game developer to break
onto the scene. But Texas-based game maker TimeGate is undeterred
thanks to their latest creation known as Section 8,
a futuristic FPS that borrows elements from games like Counterstrike
and Battlefield and puts them into its own unique universe.

Last week we got an early look at what was being called a
"pre-pre-alpha" build. Section 8 isn't scheduled to surface on store
shelves until late 2009, but the groundwork has been laid for what
sounds like a fun gameplay experience. We were shown pieces of the
multiplayer in which players are charged with roaming around a huge
battlefield -- the environment that we were shown stretched for miles
-- and taking over capture points. We know what you're thinking:
"Capture points? Again?!" But Section 8 plans to do it with a twist.


Talk about a thick shell.


Rather than having capture points add to a numerical value, they'll
instead provide you with a strategic advantage on the battlefield.
Capturing a radar array will let you scan the battlefield while taking
over an engineering bay will lessen the cost of vehicles. Hold more
capture points on the field of play than your opponent and they'll be
backed into a corner until their only option is skulking away in defeat.

The story behind Section 8 is centered on two warring factions: the Arm
of Orion and the EDF. The Arm of Orion is the tyrannical,
megalomaniacal group hell-bent on taking over the installed government.
Section 8 is the prized eighth armored infantry division of the EDF,
and as such it's their job to put a stop to Orion's hopes of conquering
the land. TimeGate was quick to point out that this is not a massive
world war but rather an isolated hot spot with the potential to spread
into something more if you don't put a stop to it.

Just as with Battlefield before it, Section 8 will have vehicles
playing a large role in its gameplay. But unlike Battlefield, Section
8's method of earning these vehicles is based around a monetary system
where players build their wad of cash by taking down enemies and
capturing command points. There are massive EDF and Orion ships
orbiting the planet and they'll be the ones dropping tanks and jetpacks
to aid you in battle.

These ships also provide the means for the inventive respawning
technique used in Section 8. Rather than having players materialize
from thin air in a base or at one of the capture points TimeGate is
employing a new system called "burning in." When players die they'll
have to wait for a certain amount of time before one of the orbiting
ships can send in reinforcements. At that time you're presented with a
first-person view of your heavily armored soldier blasting through the
atmosphere and hurling towards the ground below. The entire map is
visible as you start your descent with the ground coming more into view
as you descend. You'll need to time a burst of your jetpack to brace
your fall or you'll slam onto the field of battle thus removing your
shields for a time.


The art of burning in.


Section 8 is another FPS that will make use of character classes to
allow for different types of players to flourish. The usual suspects
are all accounted for with assault, sniper, and support classes
available. Each will have a unique set of gear that can be earned
through success in-game. You'll get things like a repair tool to fix
vehicles and hacker tool that will help you capture points faster. We
were told that there will be some level of persistence with your
character, but anything beyond that was left up in the air.

TimeGate is supremely confident in Section 8's ability to turn more
than a few heads when it releases late next year. So much so that
they're calling Section 8 2009's first game of the year contender.
While we'll save such praise until we get to play it for ourselves,
combining the best elements from stellar titles of the past has
certainly worked before and can work again. If the developers can put
together a succinct storyline to go along with its multiplayer
component (and provide a single-player game that's more than a bot
match) then the stable of high-quality FPS games may have just gotten a
bit more crowded.