MINDJACK E3 preview

The build was early and multiplayer only, but Mindjack offers an intriguing entry for Square Enix/Eidos int the first-person shooter genre. In spite of being slated for an October release, only an arena-style team combat element was playable at E3 in Los Angeles and it is the online multiplayer that will have FPS fans sitting up and taking notice.

Basically, this is how it works: Players enter the online mode and continue the single-player campaign. Other players can hack into the game and take over other characters in the game, and this is without the knowledge of the ‘host’ player.

You could be playing along when suddenly a robot starts acting erratically and begins attacking in a manner completely out of character with what other robots are doing. Or a civilian suddenly opens fire on you. Every bystander in the single-player world can suddenly become an antagonist with the hacking system that is in place.

In the arena-combat mode, players can leap from character to character, assuming control of a variety of NPCs in the course of a battle. The action is fast-paced while the game treads some of the control schemes that will be familiar to fans of the genre.

Mindjack plays well and looks good. This title, though demo’d on the PS3, will also be available on the 360.