C.O.P. The Recruit Preview

E3 2009 Preview

While Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars launched recently to critical acclaim, the open-world sandbox genre hasn’t really been one that has been tapped into very much when it comes to the Nintendo DS. However, Ubisoft is looking to throw their hat into the ring with their upcoming sandbox action game, C.O.P.: The Recruit.

The Recruit puts you in control of a reformed street racer turned undercover cop who runs missions for the police, taking out criminals and searching the city for action. The game has a definite stylized look to it, opting for an over the shoulder look as opposed to the top-down approach used in GTA: Chinatown Wars. The game mixes driving mechanics with solid shooting, and plays quite well on its system. If all goes well, The Recruit would be one title that Nintendo DS owners will want to get their hands on.

In the demo playable on the show floor, Ubisoft showed off areas that emphasized the game’s driving and shooting mechanics. While driving, missions are presented to you in real-time, as a voice will come over your radio (subtitles will pop up) and you’ll receive info on what is going down. A waypoint will then show up on your map, guiding you to the right area.

Once you arrive, the action then switches to third-person shooting. Entering the establishment (in this case a warehouse) in search of a perp, we were immediately attacked by a group of thugs, who opened fire and took cover behind the environment. You move your targeting reticule with the stylus, tapping on your enemies to take them out. The action was pretty intense, but luckily we had a full arsenal of shotguns, pistols and machine guns to take out our foes.

C.O.P.: The Recruit is shaping up very well, with solidly implemented driving and shooting and great stylized storytelling. Look for it Q3 2009.

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