Gameplay and cool moves

Bending bullets around corners? Check. Using telekinesis to clear rubble? Check. Villains flambé thanks to your "flaming" spirit? Check. Using second sight to discover whether GI Janes use wonderbras or not? Err, not clear yet. Later in the game it will be possible to combine powers to obtain something cooler and mightier than ever.

So ,what about the gameplay? Jericho will basically be a survival horror/FPS in which you’ll be able to control your teammates (six, tops) and give them basic orders; some interactive QTE (quick time events) à-la Resident Evil 4 will allow you to proceed to the next chapter of the story.

At the beginning of the article I mentioned the two opposite sides of the horror spectrum, an intimate side and a more direct one. There's no doubt that Jericho belongs to the latter, so be prepared for some serious gore. When it comes to fiendish creatures, sick make-ups and uncomfortable piercing, Barker has no match. You’ll meet children ripped in half that attack you with their innards, women who make furniture out of human flesh (IKEA guys, that’s something you should NOT consider – ever), a man nailed to a cross, every joint in his body fused to that so that he suffers for eternity, or a dude who removed the flesh around his eye sockets to better see his prey. Nice, uh? [Err, no? - Yukked out Ed]

From a technical standpoint, Mercury Steam decided to take the less beaten path and to use its own engine, the Mercury Engine. A brave choice, when almost every developer in the world seems to be licensing the Unreal Engine 3 for future titles. We already had a chance to see what UE3 is capable of (Gears of War for Xbox 360 and Roboblitz for PC) but looking at the first screens available at this time, ME seems to be a tough competitor, with plenty of detailed models, intense use of normal maps, lightning, hi-res textures and so on. [Suggesting that the minimum spec to play it might be reasonably high - Ed]

Clive firmly believes that video games have a strong narrative potential, and that the level of immersion that games can provide is pretty unique - we can't agree more. The English author provided the team with the story, dialogue, concepts and the initial design for the game. He’s very committed and he’s following the team along all the development stages. In Undying Barker lent his voice to Ambrose, one of the big bosses the player had to defeat in order to accomplish his mission. Shall we expect him to do the same in Jericho? We definitely hope so!

Visit the Codemaster site on Clive Barker's Jericho here. There's no ESRB information on the game just yet but it's obviously going to be a mature rating!

All images in this preview are in the public domain but remain sole property of The Codemasters Software Company Ltd.