While typically around this time of year, our timelines would be buzzing with news of E3, things are shaping up a little differently this year. In the past month, both Sony and Microsoft have delivered socially-distant reveal events showcasing the games set to launch on their platforms, and highlighting the brilliant studios behind them.
Today, Microsoft held their Xbox Games Showcase, an hour-long live stream which, among other reveals, gave the first glimpse at Remedy's story-mode, single-player campaign for CrossFireX. This was a game that I've been looking forward to hearing about for a while and so I'm excited to be able to delve into and talk about the first details on the game, and there's a lot to get through!
Xbox Games Showcase Reveal Trailer.
Debuting at the event was the first trailer specifically focusing on CrossFireX's storymode. The trailer is almost two minutes long and explores some of the explosive events and gameplay twists the studio has in store for us.
"A sprawling global conflict rages between the Global Risk and Black List mercenary factions in an immersive and cinematic single player experience from Smilegate Entertainment and Remedy. Where will the fight take you?"
Following the trailer reveal, the embargo lifted on a number of new previews and interviews with select international media outlets including GameInformer, ShackNews, The Verge, IGN, and Eurogamer DE, and Eurogamer UK.
New Previews and Interviews.
Following the trailer reveal, the embargo lifted on a number of new previews and interviews with select international media outlets including GameInformer, ShackNews, The Verge, IGN, and Eurogamer DE, and Eurogamer UK.
In a tweet, Remedy's Communications Director, Thomas Puha, clarified the footage used in the trailer as well as the gameplay preview shown earlier to press. In the post, he states, "well the trailer did have some CGI mostly the CrossfireX campaign trailer was all real-time, in-game :) The previews popping up are based on a demo we showed in video format that was recorded on Xbox One X. 60fps of course for an fps. We got plenty to show."
New Gameplay Footage.
In addition to their written preview, IGN showcase exclusive new gameplay footage and explored further into Operation Spectre's story.
Story & Features.
Remedy's story mode campaign will be delivered in "Operations" which itself will be broken down into episodes. The first one set to roll out is called "Operation Spectre" and it's already looking pretty impressive!
In previews shown to the press, you play as Luis Torres (one of a number of main protagonists, you play as throughout the campaign), a petty thief who starts the operation handcuffed and on their way to a correctional facility in South America. The vehicle is suddenly ambushed by a drone, sent by Global Risk, but Torres survives the encounter and is rescued by members of Black List. Taking refuge inside a nearby hospital, he meets up with another character who will become a familiar name to players, Nicholas Kamara. The sequence is packed full of action and intense gameplay as they fight to survive and escape the area.
For their first FPS title, Remedy is bringing back their infamous slow-motion combat mechanic with "Combat Breaker". While teased a little bit in the trailer, the feature will help nail those perfect shots in the game.
A Little About The Remedy & Smilegate Partnership.
At last year's XBOX E3 2019 Media Briefing, Phil Spencer announced a new partnership with Seoul-based developer and publisher, Smilegate. The result of the partnership sees their upcoming game, CrossFireX, launch on the XBOX One in 2020, marking the first console launch for the series. Originally a PC-exclusive brand, the move to console is a bold choice for Smilegate who hopes the switch allows them to expand their audience into new markets, having already established more than 650 million registered players since 2007. For the latest game in the CrossFire series, Remedy has been hard at work developing a story mode campaign.
But the partnership had been no recent thing! In fact, the two studios had been working together for several years on projects headed by Smilegate. Their collaboration was originally announced in a press release almost four years ago, but even that revealed that the studio had "been developing this project for a while". CrossFireX has been a long time coming but we're really genuinely excited to start learning more about what the studios have been cooking up.
For Smilegate, the company wanted to bring onboard a new studio to, in itself, introduce the game to a brand new audience. In Remedy, they felt a studio focused on delivering story-driven adventures, and in Microsoft, a platform to bring in console gamers.
