ATARI has announced its 2003 lineup and it includes several heavy hitting licenses as well as a couple of new names that are sure to be hits.
At E3 this year, there was a lot of focus on The Matrix and ATARI?s new blockbuster game, selling over 1 million units within the first week. Enter The Matrix is a stunning game with intense graphics and visual effects taken straight from the movies.
You take on one of two characters in this third person action game and you fight your way through security guards and other enemies with the ability to distort time as seen in the movies.
Other games being released by ATARI are Kya: Dark Lineage, Unreal Tournament 2004 and Horizons.
Piloting the wind and using basic hand-to-hand combat, Kya: Dark Lineage takes you across a series of floating islands in search of a way to save your brother and get back home. As Kya, you start the game by discovering a town of natives, but the town has been destroyed and the natives are oppressed by Wolfens, people that resemble werewolves, but are actually natives put under a spell by the evil Brazul.
As Kya defeats wolfens, she can use her magical powers to free them, and the native can then return to the village to help rebuild. As you progress through the game, you will want to return to the native?s town as much as possible, because as the area is rebuilt, new abilities and information will be available to you. Kya is going to be available for the PlayStation 2.
The much anticipated Unreal Tournament 2004 is almost ready for release. This new version contains many levels, and several new types of games. One new type is the ?Onslaught? where you will be able to pilot and destroy vehicles that range from armored tanks to one-man four-wheelers. Though the vehicles are currently only in the Onslaught game, they can be put in any of the other types as well.
?If someone wants to create a Capture the Flag game with the editors we will provide, and use vehicles, it won?t be a problem. We just have them only in this game right now, that?s all,? said an ATARI representative.
ATARI is also moving into the MMORPG side of games with the development of Horizons. This game will allow you to play as Humans, Elves, Dragons, Dwarfs, Half-Giants, Fiends, and more. Each of the different races has different controls to customize your character in ways that were not previously seen.
?When you create a character in this game, you will see those details on the playing field instead of some generic avatar,? said another representative.
One of the features that Horizons is boasting is a continuous world, where you can actually walk (or fly) from one end to another. Though some areas may only be available by teleporting or flying there, it is still accessible as one large world.
Another plus for the MMORPG is the ability to be a Dragon. When you first start the character, you are an adolescent dragon, as you gain treasure and power, you grow into an adult dragon and eventually an ancient dragon.
ATARI?s line seems to be full of heavy hitters that are bound to get a lot of people?s interests.
