P.N.03 - Product Number 03

Due out in little over six weeks (in Japan anyway) very little is known about this title that has been developed in tandem with RE:0. Indeed it is not the first game it come out of the blue, many would remember Diddy Kong Racing on the N64, announced just weeks before it went on sale. So far we have seen very little of P.N.03 but what we have seen we like. The whole package is very well polished and makes great use of CAPCOM's 'advanced engine'. Curves can be found everywhere, especially on the main character herself with every part of the suit designed in mind-bending detail. The inside level is amazingly lit and where other developers would run crying CAPCOM stands tall. Everything is curved; in fact only things that must be straight remain so.

 

The main character Vanessa Z Schneider (note the lovely German name there) is placed into this perfect world, with just one problem, and here in lies the game. The general 'plot' if you can call it thus is that the planet's CAMS (Computer Arms Management System) has gone wrong and has taken over a remote colony. The reason for Ms. Schneider's presence is that some of the victims of the machines were her family. As the game moves on the amount and strength of the machines affected grows and you must upgrade your suit in order to become the ultimate robot killing machine. The action dashes into motion as the CAMS takes control of the first set of machines and you are left, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. The way in which you get anywhere near the main facility is hard enough so expect to be welcomed by numerous 'bots just seconds into the game.

You start off with a measly laser gun (a bit like the PP7 in GoldenEye if you like) and it is this that you must use to tackle the first few droves of enemies before you can get some nifty upgrades. The first is a device that allows all killing power to be channelled through her hands, so what's the catch? Well you have to defeat a screen-filling monster with your poxy laser first! Whilst little else is known about your weapons arsenal you can be sure that as you progress you will get more and more powerful upgrades as the difficulty of your enemy increases. Fitting in perfectly with the style of the game, the way in which Vanessa moves is very smooth. She can flip and run up walls and down the other side in a style that is more than a passing tribute to the much recycled Matrix system. However, unlike in other games this addition is much more than something that looks good, you must utilise it in order to avoid enemy fire and other dangers that you find along your way.

 

But what of the dangers? Well CAPCOM have revealed details of some of the foes you will be meeting along the way...

Guards
The name says it all really. These large and slightly cumbersome robots are the guards to most doorways and can usually be found in sets of two. Main weapons are machine guns situated on each arm.

Sentry Guns
These highly powered and twice as accurate guards can be found at junctions and above important entrances. You must use your full range of movements and be quick to spot safe areas to even have a slight chance of getting past these things.

Perimeter Cannons
These high power hidden laser cannons can be found in the external levels. Designed to detect moving objects approaching (like yourself) it will pop out of the ground when you're just about on top of the damn thing!

Floating Sentries
Getting rid of the problems that make their stationary brothers easy to pass these foes can activate anti-gravity pads and float around corridors in packs.

Speeder Bikes
Designed to hunt and kill, at very high speeds, these unmanned bikes patrol the outside areas.

 

Perimeter Boss
Great fun this one. Just as you think you reached the main facilitly this one will pop out the ground and blast the hell out of you, yay!

AAF-03 Sonnenblume
Located at the centre of the facility this is one of the more powerful enimies we have come across. Using some sort of fan to convert heat into high powered lasers.

And that's just the start of it. In fact so far we have only seen the first two levels. You can expect numerous different locals based around the themes shown in the screens here, all utilising the superb game engine. This is without a doubt one of the most interesting games to come out of the CAPCOM/Nintendo partnership since its birth and we can only hope that there are many more to follow...