OK, according to what
I’ve seen and read there is yet another WWII game getting ready to hit store
shelves extremely soon on the Xbox 360 called “The Outfit”. I know, I know …
you’re probably saying to yourself “Oh great! Another game based on World
War II. Never played that one before”. Well, you’d be right on the money
with that statement, but all subject matter aside … if the final playable
version is anything like the downloadable multiplayer demo, fans of wartime
shooters and action games could be in for a big treat.
Basically, the
downloadable preview allows the player to go online (or split screen) for
multiplayer battles in third person perspective on a map which reminded me of a
little farming village around the mid 1940s either head to head, two on two, or
three on three team battle style. Each side (the Germans and the U.S.) had three
different characters to choose from and the individual ones come equipped with
their own unique look and weaponry ranging from bazookas and grease guns to
flame throwers and rifles, and then off you go to capture waypoints and
different key areas (BF1942 or Battlefront style) until all command points from
one side or the other have been depleted. Along the way, you can also call in
air strikes, order up tanks, vehicles, and artillery to be air dropped on the
spot (provided you have the money to do so which is earned by killing the
opposing team and capturing certain areas), or just head off on foot either on
your own with four AI controlled squad members or with a teammate to reap death
and destruction along the countryside while trying to obtain victory.
What makes The Outfit
different in my opinion is the sheer level of opportunity and potential strategy
that can be used based on what your teammates and you (depending on cooperation
level of course) decide to do to win the battle. For example, the repair depot
needs to be captured which allows your team to call in tanks and vehicles, but
you have to capture waypoint towers to help keep your score up and take points
away from the opposing side. Seeing this scenario, you could possibly … (A) Try
to take over the depot and hope someone on your team takes the cue to get the
waypoint, (B) Drop a .50 caliber machine gun in front of the waypoint for a
teammate while you take over the depot, (C) air strike the waypoint when the
opposition approaches it and head to the depot while they are distracted, or (D)
sit and drink a cold one while laughing at everyone else running around trying
to figure out what to do. Either way, there is no wrong answer, or as you can
see there are many good ways to design some good game plans to take out the
opposition.
At this time, the game is
looking really good with some decent albeit a bit repetitive voiceovers, good
sound effects and music, some great looking graphics including a fully
destructible and interactive environment (yes, I pushed a teammate around in a
wheelbarrow while dodging artillery fire … what would you have done?), and while
there were some hopefully “fixable issues” by launch time that were found
(soldiers taking direct bazooka hits without dying, splash damage not “splash
damaging”, and a pretty rough and annoying driving control on smaller vehicles),
hopefully The Outfit can hit the shelves and provide a fun and entertaining
action title for 360 owners everywhere.
*** The single player
demo was not available at the time of this preview, but the finished version
will include a campaign mode ***
