Enemy Front Message Board

Younger readers may not be aware that World War II were once like zombie games are today. Everywhere you looked, Allied soldiers were planting satchel charges and running through the bombed-out ruins of once-picturesque French villages. Over 85% of games released between 1999 and 2004 featured an Omaha Beach level. Enemy Front looks like it may take us back to that time. The opening of the trailer caused a smile to flicker across my face, which is a wholly inappropriate reaction when faced with depictions of horrific warfare. But it looked like a return to the original Call of Duty games. Soon, the explosion count rises until almost every bullet seems to hit a self-destruct button.

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Get ready to go back to World War II shooters in this tactical shooter powered by CryEngine 3.

Alongside the above trailer, developer CI Games has announced that its upcoming World War 2 shooter Enemy Front will reach retail shelves in the US on June 10, with Europe following suit on June 13. [Image: CI Games]

What do fallen gods and iconic ninjas have in common? Bandai Namco, of course! Earlier this week, the publisher held a showcase in San Francisco to exhibit its 2014 lineup. A diverse sampling of games made an appearance — some for the first time since their announcement.

Dark Souls II and Lords of the Fallen won special attention at the event, thanks to their striking art direction and uncompromising combat systems. But there was much more than tales of dark fantasy to entertain and entice attendees. The latest in Naruto’s long-running Ultimate Ninja Storm series was featured, along with a new side-scrolling platformer from developer Suda 51.

If you’re craving a punishing challenge and twisted story, look no further than Sid’s hands-on experience with Dark Souls II. And read on for the highlights from the rest of Bandai Namco’s impressive showing.

Lords of the Fallen
PS4 — 2014 Thousands of years before the beginning of Lords of the Fallen, the people of the world fought and defeated their god, imprisoning him beneath the soil. In his last moments, he thrust his fingers upwards in an attempt to escape, leaving five unsettling mountains above as a reminder of his reign. But people have largely forgotten this legend, and eye the menacing rocks with indifference.

This ancient conflict sets the stage for the dark fantasy in Lords of the Fallen, by CI Games. In it, players control Harkyn, a man of immense stature bearing strange markings across his face. As the fallen god’s power returns, Harkyn works against the demons that are rising again.

Lords of the Fallen requires a patient and tactical state of mind to play, as Harkyn’s enemies — the Rhogar — can make quick work of the man. Players must study enemy behavior, move in and out of attack range carefully, and dodge often.

Good timing is a foundation of play in Lords of the Fallen, though players will also explore devastated ruins for loot, and wield powerful, class-specific magic. Harkyn can take the role of the Warrior, Cleric, or Rogue, which affects his performance in combat and the types of spells he employs.

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution
PS3 — 2014 The team at Cyberconnect2 has demonstrated its passion for the Naruto universe for years, and continues to do so with Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution. This fast-paced fighting game empowers players with spectacular attacks, highlighting quick thinking and reflexes over elaborate button combinations.

Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution carries new modes into the fray, along with returning favorites. And the dizzying roster has rocketed to more than 100 playable characters, including a few making their Ultimate Ninja Storm debut. One such character is Mecha-Naruto, a mechanical menace designed by Masashi Kishimoto himself exclusively for Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution.

CyberConnect2′s latest Naruto effort also features both the English and Japanese voice-over, as well as new combination jutsu attacks.

Ranko Tsukigime’s Longest Day
PS3 — Spring, 2014 High school girl by day, assassin by night. The perfect setup for this frantic side-scroller directed by Suda 51 of Grasshopper fame. This PS3 exclusive follows the story of the titular Ranko Tsukigime as she evades the clutches of a shadowy power that’s clawing at her heels.

Each level is a race to outrun Ranko’s enemies while also dodging obstacles and defeating baddies who get in her way. Fall behind, and Ranko will be swallowed up by darkness before beginning the level anew.

Longest Day is an explosion of movement and color, where players never rest in their mad dash from one side of the stage to the other. Slashing through enemies will unleash debris that in turn can defeat other opponents. Longest Day caters to gamers who obsess over perfecting their run through a level, eliminating every superfluous jump and missed attack.

Clearing missions will eventually unlock new costumes for Ranko, and unlockable art is scattered throughout the campaign.

Tales of Symphonia Chronicles
PS3 — February 25th, 2014 The Tales JRPG series has garnered a massive global following throughout the years, thanks to its colorful characters, unique battle systems, and overall charm. Tales of Symphonia Chronicles brings two Tales adventures to PS3 for the first time: the original Tales of Symphonia, and Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World.

For the first time in the series, Chronicles features both the Japanese and English voice work. The original Japanese openings have also been included, for gaming purists who were disappointed by their absence in previous versions.

The visuals of Chronicles have been enhanced, and the collection comes packed with additional content like new artes, costumes, character titles, events, and monsters. Both games boast 30 to 50 hours of play, so even devoted JRPG enthusiasts will have a lot of questing to do next month.

Ace Combat Infinity
PS3 — 2014 The latest in the Ace Combat series is going free-to-play on PS3, and the development team wants gamers to try out the fast-paced arcade combat for themselves in a beta that launches next week.

Ace Combat Infinity celebrates the fun of dog fighting, and chasing down other players through the skies while hunting for that perfect shot. The beta will include a new co-op multiplayer mode that allows teams of four players to face an opposing team of four in aerial combat. Although teammates will be working together to take down the opposing jets, they’ll also be competing for the best score among their own group.

Ace Combat Infinity will also be built with customization in mind, enabling players to create unique looks for their jets. There’s even a climbable tech tree for unlocking useful upgrades to be unleashed during fights.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle
PS3 — Spring, 2014 Prepare for deafening colors and outrageous poses. All-Star Battle is a stylish, one-on-one fighter launching exclusively on PS3. Developed by the aforementioned ninja experts at CyberConnect2, All-Star Battle follows all eight story arcs from the original JoJo’s manga.

Like the Street Fighter IV series, All-Star Battle uses 3D visuals set to a 2D plane, but employs extreme camera angles to capture the flair of the source material. Characters pummel their enemies, use menacing familiars, and even enter the fight on horseback. Yes, actual horses. With more than 40 fighters on the roster, there’s plenty of bizarreness to satisfy every play style.

All-Star Battle includes all the patches that were applied to the Japanese version, along with a new arcade mode that pits players against eight random opponents.

Enemy Front
PS3 — June, 2014 The team at CI Games has more than just Lords of the Fallen to keep it busy. The Polish studio also had Enemy Front on display at the showcase — a first-person shooter running on CryENGINE 3.

The developers initially wanted to tell a story set in World War II, but with modern shooter design. During this process, they decided to focus on a personal angle and highlight the devastation the war brought to their own Warsaw, Poland. Players control an American journalist named Robert Hawkins who eventually joins the resistance fighters in an effort to drive the Nazi forces away.

Considering CI Games’ history with the Sniper series, Enemy Front allows for a number of different play styles — especially stealth and sniping. As players fight through battlefields in France, Germany, Poland, and Norway, they’ll use signature resistance weapons and varying combat tactics. Players can expect the badass, slow-mo sniper cam to make its triumphant return.

But it’s not all action in Enemy Front. One mission opens in a besieged hospital, its hallways lined with bodies both bleeding and dead. These moments remind players of the unimaginable gravity of war, and the heartbreak it leaves in its wake.

All these games are currently scheduled to launch this year across both PS3 and PS4. We’ll have more details on them in the future, so stay tuned.

Is now a good time for shooters to return to WWII?

City Interactive's Enemy Front, now under the direction of Far Cry 3 narrative designer and Warhammer 40K: Space Marine director Raphael van Lierop, is expected to launch in the spring of 2014 for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

The game is currently being shown at PAX, with gameplay featuring the game's non-linear combat sandbox. Players can approach the game's WW2 missions through combat or stealth.

Enemy Front was first announced back in 2011, under the direction of Stuart Black. Following the established trend, Black left the project in late 2012 over what were reportedly creative differences with publisher City Interactive.

Stuart Black, creative director of Codemasters' Bodycount and designer of Criterion's Black, has left his most recent publisher, City Interactive, where he was working on Enemy Front. Black has a history of establishing a shooter franchise at a new studio and then leaving the studio to work on another shooter franchise, a trend we noticed even back in 2010.

Black left City Interactive in August, CEO Marek Tyminski says, according to Polish website Miastogier and translated by VG24/7. Black left after his vision for Enemy Front proved to be "different from" City Interactive's. Enemy Front was announced in November 2011 as a World War II first-person-shooter, but since Black's departure it has changed directions.

"Following the first game shows, press releases, we decided to take into account the media attention and now we have made ​​a number of quite significant changes in the game storyline and assumptions, including the main character," Tyminski says.

City Interactive is now working with cinematic director Mark Bristol in the US and on an "extensive" multiplayer mode, handled by a team in Romania.

Black's LinkedIn now lists his occupation as "indie developer."

Releasing a shooter set on the battlefields of Europe during the Second World War hardly seems likely an original proposition for a genre approaching market saturation. It's been done time and time again. Storming the beaches of Normany shouldn't ever elicit an apathetic groan. Even Call of Duty was...

Stuart Black's "exciting new story-driven WWII shooter" will be called Enemy Front, publisher City Interactive announced today. The game will be powered by CryEngine 3 and will launch on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC with an expected 2012 release date.

Hopefully, Enemy Front ends up having a happier legacy than Black's previous two high-profile projects: Black and Bodycount. Criterion Games kept on driving with car games after Black left the studio following Black's cool reception. And then there's Bodycount, which Black bailed on before production ended, and had a bodycount that included the game's reviews and the studio itself.

City Interactive have sent word of a new “gritty” FPS called Enemy Front. They explain: “Enemy Front is the realistic tale of a hardened soldier dropped behind Nazi lines to engage in dynamic, diversified missions ranging from quick skirmishes, espionage assignments, and sabotage activities.” The game is being developed jointly by studios in UK and Poland, and is designed by Stuart Black, who worked on the popular console manshooter, Black. It’s using CryEngine 3, which apparently allows “fully destructible maps that reflect the damage from every bullet fired and every grenade tossed”. So that sounds handsome. I’ve posted three more screenshots of angry or dying soldiers below.

Enemy Front will shoot Nazimen in 2012.(more…)

Enough of this modern warfare -- who's ready to go back to World War II? Enemy Front will take you there next year. The first-person shooter is coming to the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC, and it just so happens to have Stuart Black -- creator of Black -- as chief designer. Developed by City Intera...