September 22, 2004 - During the launch of Full Spectrum Warrior, THQ and Pandemic officially announced they would launch additional downloadable levels for Xbox in the future. The future is almost here. Come Monday, October 4, fans of the original game can download a single independent level for free to their Xbox consoles, with a second downloadable level available approximately one month after. Both levels are included in the upcoming PC version, which shipped to retail stores yesterday.
Simply called Full Spectrum Warrior: Epilogue 1 (the second one is wildly named Epilogue 2), the new level is downloadable via your FSW disc and Xbox Live, and after having spoken with Pandemic Designer Daven Simmons, we've learned quite a bit about it.
Epilogue 1 is a Search and Destroy mission that takes place approximately one to two hours after the end of the game proper. If you remember correctly, by game's end in FSW the fictitious terrorist al Afad was killed, and you were told to rest and prepare for a new mission. No more than two hours after, the town of Al Saif, Zekestan is tipping toward the brink of ****. Al Afad's sons are attempting to regain control of the city by starting an uprising among insurgent Mullah and militia of ex-mujahedeen. In the first downloadable level, one son, Al Samir takes command of a radio tower, which he utilizes as a command and control center.
Your team meets with Captain John Stark (from chapter 9 of FSW) who updates you and provides orders. Your mission is a two-fold affair: To take Teams Alpha and Bravo through the industrial shanty town of Al Saif and to clear a path for a United Nations' CASEVAC site, designed to aid Zekestan civilians. The second part is to locate the central command station (containing the commandeered radio station) and eliminate Al Samir himself.
Using military protocol and tag-team suppression cover, players will cooperatively clear out the streets against as many as 70 enemies in total. During the mission they'll experience airstrikes and artillery strikes as part of triggered events. The new area, the industrial town of Al Saif, shows many indicators of chaos in the street including burning wreckage and smoldering debris, twisted steel, and provides both outdoor and indoor fighting.
Control your team using direct or bounding commands.
On the whole, players of FSW will not see dramatic changes in gameplay or graphics. Epilogue 1 uses the same engine, the same rules, and the same style of gameplay. However, Pandemic has implemented subtle and interesting changes that fans of the series will notice. These reflected alterations have resulted in the team taking advantage of more vertical levels and high elevations, specifically for enemies. "So, you'll see more dramatic scenes, with guys falling down from higher elevations tumbling to their deaths," said Simmons. "More enemies will take cover on balconies, walkways, and rooftops, which will add more depth to the game."
Time to load up team Alpha and Bravo for another brutal session.
Simmons said the two levels will be harder. "We'd like to think these levels are more difficult than the standard levels in the game itself. Basically, they are as hard as we could make them without making them horribly unfair." Sounds like the perfect challenge to me. Pandemic also said the levels are comparable in length to those in the game proper, and that they can be played in any order.
Both downloadable levels are included in the complete PC version. Pandemic added that THQ has yet to decide whether the second downloadable level will cost a small fee. The second downloadable level (Epilogue 2) will include a third asset (Charlie team), enabling players to spot and call in air strikes.
Pandemic is also working on a sequel to Full Spectrum Warrior, IGN learned today. Though, both THQ and Pandemic are still pondering whether the game should be for this or the next generation of consoles. "Yes, we are working on a sequel; the nature of it is still to be determined," Pandemic told IGN. "That's one of the things we're exploring -- whether it will be on this generation of next."
We'll have full impressions of the downloadable levels as soon as possible
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