LucasArts, Day 1 Announce Fracture

Officials from LucasArts and developer Day 1 Studios (MechAssault franchise) have announced the development of Fracture, a new original title for next-generation console platforms. Development on Fracture was first announced in August 2006, and while few details were announced at that time, the companies have now revealed that the title will involve an “intriguing storyline” concerning a conflict of ideologies leading to war in the year 2161. The game is currently expected to ship in summer 2008 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. While little has been revealed regarding Fracture's gameplay, LucasArts and Day 1 officials note that the third-person action title will involve terrain deformation so that players can “literally change the battlefield on the fly.” In Fracture, players take up the role of demolitions expert Mason Briggs and utilize an array of weapons, such as tectonic grenades, to fight for the cybernetic Atlantic Alliance against the genetically enhanced soldiers of the Pacifican army. The implementation of terrain deformation technology is not new to video games, with other notable titles featuring similar gameplay elements including Volition’s Red Faction and Criterion's Black, though the take promised by Fracture sounds decidedly more robust than either of these titles. Among the examples offered by LucasArts and Day 1 include the ability for players to burrow beneath otherwise impassable structures using rockets, as well as the use of vortex grenades to pick up surrounding rocks and debris to be used as weapons. “LucasArts sees simulation-based gameplay as an essential component of a true next-gen experience, and that’s exactly what Fracture delivers,” said Peter Hirschmann, vice president of product development at LucasArts. He adds: “Day 1 Studios has done a phenomenal job of creating true next-gen tech that not only dazzles on a visual level but also serves as a core gameplay mechanic. Unlike many other next-gen games on the market, Fracture simply isn’t possible in the previous generation of consoles.”