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PAX East Impressions: Warp | PSNStores

PAX East Impressions: Warp

Posted by on March 16th, 2011 | 1 Comment | Tags: , ,

Trapdoor Studios announced Warp a little while back. We didn’t have much information on the title, so I had no idea what the game looked like, played like, sounded like, etc. During press hours on Saturday morning, we headed over to Trapdoor’s booth and played a short demo of Warp. In general, Warp is a top-down stealth action game. You play as an alien who is trying to escape an underwater research lab. You have only the ability to walk and warp. (It seemed as if more abilities would be unlockable later on.) There’s a small reticle in front of your character, and pressing the warp button transports you to that spot. This comes in handy as all of the doors in the facility have been locked shut. Can’t open a door? Warp to the other side. In addition to traversing short distances, you may also warp into certain items. For instance, to avoid being seen by an armed guard, it might be a good idea to warp into the barrels in the room. When you get close enough to a guard, you can warp into him. Warping out of the guard leaves him stunned for a short period of time, but wiggling the analogue stick enough will result in a violent explosion of flesh and blood. The graphics are cartoonish, something akin to Evil Genius, but the bloodstains on the lab floor are surprisingly gruesome. It brings a nice contrast to a game that is seemingly innocent. Of course, if you want to play the pacifist, you’re more than welcome to. There may even be some achi… trophies in it for you stun-and-run players out there.

After making my way through a few of the easy rooms, the game began throwing a few hurdles my way. Guards with guns will shoot on site, shield-powered doors require you to blow up a reactor before they can be warped through, and blue bubble shields suppress your abilities. The demo we played ended shortly after things started getting interesting, but the chunk of gameplay we have just may pique your curiosity as much as it did mine.

Think Metal Gear Solid with an alien twist