Fracture First Impressions

When the Playstation 3 system first hit shelves, there were few -- if any -- superb games available for it. As more and more games continue to be released for the next-gen system, a few gems now boast incredible game play, story lines, and a high enough caliber to take advantage of the system's incredible power and technology. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is one example of this type of game, offering players an engrossing plot, and Haze and Grand Theft Auto IV are two new titles that are on everyone's lips. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is an upcoming game that is surrounded by a cloud of chatter, predictions, and most likely well-deserved hype. Fracture is another such game. Coming from LucasArts and Day 1 Studios in October 2008, Fracture is the subject of quite a bit of gossip in the gaming community. Is the hype deserved, however? This female gamer takes a look at the evidence.

Fracture is a first-person sci-fi shooter that is set over one hundred years in the future in an America on the brink of a second civil war. This time, however, race relations are not the issue at hand. Instead, the East and West coasts battle over questions regarding genetics, cloning, and what it means to be human. The Atlantic Alliance, equipped with the most cutting-edge technology in cybernetic defense and weaponry, sends the game's main character, demolitions expert Mason Briggs, west to help take care of the genetically modified Pacificans' rebellion and subsequent secession.

This game looks good. If it is anywhere as well put together as the LucasArts website, Fracture will look and play like every shooter fan's dream. As impressive as the graphics, music and sound, game play and characters, and in-game arsenal appear, however, those admittedly key selling points only interest me secondarily. Instead, I am most drawn to Fracture's story line. It seems that too few games, in addition to films, books, and other newly produced media, address pressing present-day issues. I was incredibly surprised and impressed, for example, by Ironman's uncommon and gutsy move to grapple with questions revolving around current Middle East conflicts, terrorism, and human dignity. The makers of Fracture display similar courage as they wrestle with the advantages and pitfalls of genetics and cloning, an issue that will surely only grow in stature as real-world technology advances. Even though I am not normally a fan of first-person shooters, I am eager to play this game based on the story alone.

That is not the only aspect of Fracture that captures my interest, though. One of the unique new battle technologies that the game introduces is terrain deformation. This gives the player the ability to alter the in-game landscape in very specific ways. Not only will this revolutionize how the game's civil war will be waged, but it will also be just plain interesting to both watch and participate in as a player. This is a component of the game's arsenal that has never been seen before in any other game. Terrain deformation's absolute singularity in the world of video gaming recommends the game even further. Impatient fans can test out this creative new technology at the newly updated Fracture website.

Although I count myself a gamer, shooters are not usually my genre of choice. Fracture, however, seems so meticulously produced, cunningly written, and groundbreaking in its content that that I am putting it on my list of games to try. Slated for an early October 2008 release on both the Playstation 3 and XBOX360, this is an incredible looking game that any next-gen console owner will not want to miss.