Geist [GC]

While there has been some experimentation in the first-person shooter genre, few titles have strayed from the standard kill-everything formula. Yes, the settings will vary and the weapons will look different, but the core play mechanic is usually similar. With Geist, though, developer n-Space is trying an approach that hasn't been touched since the much hyped Messiah went the way of the dodo -- the game relies on possessing other game characters.

Instead of playing Geist as a full-blooded human being, you will spend the majority of the game as a spectral spirit, or poltergeist, in a quest to get your body back. It seems that some "very bad things" have been happening in the "secret underground lair" of the evil Volks Corporation.

As special agent John Raimi, you are sent in with an elite team of counterterrorism commandos to eliminate the threat. Of course, things go very wrong, your team ends up dead and you end up as a captive and unwilling participant in a dastardly experiment. Strapped into a huge machine, your soul is ripped from your body. Disoriented, confused, and royally pissed off, your only hope for survival is to find your body and jump back in.

The game begins with a training mission that also serves as a prologue. Playing in human form, you don't have access to any of the spectral powers, but you are given plenty of time to get familiar with the standard controls. In the two years since Geist first debuted, n-Space has obviously spent a lot of time tweaking the controls. Whereas the early builds were very sluggish on the control side, the most recent revision felt tight and responsive.

A context sensitive control scheme helps keeps things simple, especially when exploring the world. To interact with an item, simply highlight it and press the action button. This is how you'll do everything from using an electron microscope to stocking up on health and ammo.

As the Geist, you have some cool powers -- such as the ability to slip through cracks and possess people (and even inanimate objects) -- but you are not all-powerful. A sealed door will still block your progress and possessing a person is not quite as simple as just flying on up to them and taking control. You have to scare them first!

How you scare someone is left to the player's imagination, but creativity is key. The more agitated you can make a guard, the easier it will be to possess them. Once you have taken over someone, you are in full control and can walk around the base in corporeal form. This alone requires some strategy, because possessing the right person can give you access to new sections of the complex, while possessing the wrong person won't do you much good.

When you take control of someone, keeping a low profile is usually a good course of action. Walking around where you're not supposed to be, or having your weapon unholstered, are easy ways to arouse suspicion. In addition to the guards on the base, you can also possess animals such as a dog or a mouse. Taking control of a critter is a great way to move around unnoticed.

Despite the obvious focus on possession, sometimes the best course of action is the indirect one. For example, at one point in the game you will need to open a door that is protected by a keycode. Simply possessing a guard won't do the trick as you still need to learn the code. The answer? Possess the keypad itself. By making the lock sputter, you will attract the attention of a guard who will then input the correct keycode to make sure the lock is working properly. Now that you know the code, you can use it yourself to open the door.

Set for release this summer, Geist has a lot of promise, though its success will depend on great level design. If the final game requires creative use of the possession mechanic from start to finish, Geist is sure to be a hit. We'll let you know how the final game turns out as soon as a copy comes into our possession.