Reviews / previews
From the team responsible for the frantic and often-hilarious MDK, comes the long-awaited Giants: Citizen Kabuto. The story goes something like this: Five cockney space aliens known as The Meccaryns have crash-landed on a floating chunk of planet called the Island and are bent on destroying all its inhabitants. The Sea Reapers, a race of ocean-dwelling females with the power to conjure tornadoes, have created Kabuto, a massive giant, to combat the problem, but the uncontrollable Kabuto has turned on the Reapers and now all three are fighting for control of the Island. Players can expect a blend of strategy, action, and offbeat humor when Giants: Citizen Kabuto lumbers into stores later this year.
-- Brian Wright / GamePro
The long-awaited Giants: Citizen Kabuto is nearly complete and the GamePros got their hands on an early build. So far, things are shaping up nicely and it looks like the years of anticipation are going to pay off. Scheduled for release in October, Giants takes place on a bizarre interplanetary island where three groups--the military Meccs, the mystical Sea Reapers, and the hulking Kabuto--are fighting for control. The multiplayer mode combines Tribes-style team combat with the base building elements of real-time strategy games for a unique twist on both genres. Check out the latest screenshots and stay posted for an in-depth, Hands-On look.
-- Brian Wright / GamePro
Giants: Citizen Kabuto is slowly nearing completion and the anticipation is mounting. Here's a Hands-On look at the game that is going to have players asking the question, "So who gets to be Kabuto?"
Giants: Citizen Kabuto takes place on a fragment of a planet called the Island, where three groups (well, two groups and one behemoth) are fighting for domination. Developed by Planet Moon, which is made up of ex-Shiny members responsible for games like MDK and Earthworm Jim), Giants contains beautiful graphics, tons of action, and bucketloads of humor.
The single-player experience seems to be of the third-person action/adventure variety with various missions to complete for each of the playable characters. Mulitplay, on the other hand, is a Tribes-style team deathmatch with the base-building elements of an RTS thrown into the mix.
The Meccs have access to an arsenal of weapons, such as the Peashooter and the Shotgun That Acts Like a Rocket, and are equipped with jetpacks for flying around. In multiplayer mode, The Meccs must defend a base, but must first capture Smarties and have them build it. The Smarties must be fed and this is accomplished by killing Vimps (the Island's version of cattle) and returning to the base with meat. As the base grows, the Meccs will have access to a greater variety of weapons and special backpacks, including one that lets a Mecc disguise himself as a bush.
The nymph-like Sea Reapers are armed with swords and a collection of bows, including homing and sniper bows, and have a variety of spells at their disposal, including Teleport, Cloak, and the fireball-like Cluster spell. The Reapers can also summon tornadoes and various creatures, like sea monsters, for massive amounts of destruction.
Kabuto, meanwhile, is the master of brute strength. Towering over the land, Kabuto can pick up his enemies and choose to eat them, hurl them across the Island, or impale them on one of his spikes for later use. He is also armed with a few mighty roars and can smash his enemies with wrestling-style body slams. By eating Smarties, Kabuto is able to give birth to offspring, which he can then command to fetch Vimps for his eating pleasure.
The graphics are a sight to behold with beautiful sky effects, smooth animations, and humorous character designs. And while the voices were not implemented in the beta version, the music by Mark Snow of X-Files fame was excellent and fit the atmosphere perfectly. The control is fairly simple and handles like most third-person shooters, although with several hotkeys to learn, it can be a little complicated at times. Hopefully, developer Planet Moon will be able to simplify things by the time Giants: Citizen Kabuto hits stores in October.-- Brian Wright / GamePro
One of the most clever and innovative games in a long time, Giants: Citizen Kabuto takes you on a long strange trip indeedand has nearly everything you could want in a game. This real-time strategy challenge is hilarious, has a wonderful story, looks and sounds great, and best of all, puts you in the shoes of a 100-foot monster, crushing or eating everything in your path. If you own a PC and play games, get Giants: Citizen Kabuto.
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