Destruction on Demand

THQ® is in the mood for violence lately. After bringing Xbox® owners a groundbreaking exercise in modern-day armed engagements with riveting real-time strategy title Full Spectrum Warrior™: Ten Hammers, it's launching an all-out assault on Xbox 360™ via The Outfit™, an explosive action game set amidst the rich and historically compelling backdrop of World War II that's both eye-opening and innovative.

Presented like a blockbuster war movie, complete with a riveting opening sequence that introduces the headliners by tracking their battlefield exploits, the game stars three distinct and playable individuals:

• J.D. Tyler: A bald guy with a chip on his shoulder, J.D. prefers sniping away at enemies with a light rifle and trench shotgun.
• Tommy Mac: Crewcut-sporting and chisel-jawed, his grease gun and flamethrower make short work of foot soldiers.
• Deuce Williams: A cigar-chomping, helmet- and sunglass-wearing G.I. who begins with a pistol and bazooka, the latter weapon being ideal for neutralizing enemy vehicles.

As the first scene opens, pick a spawning point from which to start on the initial level's map. Once done, the game switches into a 3-D, third-person view and places you in direct control of your chosen character.

Re-fight World War II with the help of troops and
vehicles which you can call into existence at any time.

Rather than trudge forward into combat alone, the first suggestion you get is to call in reinforcements using the unique troop-summoning feature, which the designers at Relic have dubbed "Destruction on Demand."

"Call in the Air Strike"
Throughout the game, you directly control the actions of one hero. Pressing the appropriate joystick and button commands causes them to move, shoot, switch weapons, enter/exit conveyances, throw grenades, aim, and crouch. You can also instantly bring vehicles, artillery, gun emplacements, and computer-controlled supporting allies sprinting to your side by purchasing them with Field Units (or FUs) earned by capturing buildings and annihilating enemies.

Summon reinforcements on the fly.

Press the Y button at any time to make a circular interface pop up. Scroll around it with the joystick and see how much various pieces of equipment and other goodies (such as air strikes or additional G.I. regiments) will cost. Provided you've got enough FUs, purchase each one on-demand.

Reinforcements parachute right down onto your current position. As for vehicles and gun emplacements, you have to pick a drop point by moving a cursor modeled in the form of their silhouette around nearby terrain. Colored smoke rises from the spot you've selected and a delivery plane flies overhead to drop a crate containing the item at the designated locale.

Period-specific vehicles are yours to control.

Heat of Battle
Suppose you stumble onto an armory guarded by German forces. Immediately, you request aid, and four squadmates arrive on the scene. They begin shooting at the Nazis and engaging in hand-to-hand combat while you circle around and pick off stragglers.

Wait, what's that on the horizon—one of Hitler's half-tracks is screeching onto the scene! Calmly dial up a tank, hop in the driver's seat (your men take up secondary positions on the mechanized monster) and start blasting away with its shell-spitting turret.

Next, the warning comes down from HQ: Enemy planes inbound! No sweat—just leap out of the vehicle, purchase an anti-aircraft gun, and choose where to anchor it. Jump into the gunner's chair with a quick press of the X button and furiously blast Stukas out of the sky.

Where are your men during all this excitement? Busy keeping the SS pinned down using the machine gun nests you purchased for them earlier and conveniently set up behind those bullet-stopping sandbags.

Dialing up a little "Destruction on Demand."

Ridiculously gorgeous, bursting with excitement, and fully Xbox Live®-equipped—up to eight can storm a dozen multiplayer maps, or two can tackle solo missions in co-op mode—you can already see the potential. With a massive single-player campaign and dynamic, finger-blistering battles (die and you can re-spawn at any strategic objective you've captured, as in Star Wars Battlefront™ II), it's never the same game twice.

You'll hear more buzz about The Outfit as the game nears its March release; a title this awesomely captivating is sure to stir up more excitement than yet another German invasion of Poland.

Article by Chris Zimmerman