Darkwatch: Curse of the West in development
by VGLN Staff

Wednesday, January 14, 2004

Game should be released by the end of the year.

Sammy Studios, Inc., a developer, publisher and global distributor of interactive entertainment content, today announced Darkwatch: Curse of the West, an all-new 1st person shooter (FPS) with an original premise blending Vampire-Horror and Western genres. The game is a cinematic FPS, with explosive action and great gameplay variety framed by a story and visual design that delivers a frightening re-imagination of the Wild West. "Darkwatch: Curse of the West" is the first title developed internally at Sammy Studios, created by the team who launched Sammy's US-based game development studio and publishing headquarters in 2002. The game is slated for release on the Microsoft Xbox in Q4 2004.

The game introduces the Darkwatch, a secret strike-force that has vigilantly protected man from evil incarnate since the dawn of civilization. Their newest and deadliest agent is Jericho Cross, an outlaw gunslinger pulled into their ranks by an unfortunate close encounter with a vampire lord. To save the West, and his own soul from damnation, Jericho must hunt the vampire that bit him through an American frontier suddenly overrun by his undead minions. At his disposal is the advanced, deadly technology of the Darkwatch, including an arsenal of powerful assault vehicles and enhanced versions of Western weapons, along with supernatural vampire abilities and a trusty undead horse. Players will experience an action-packed "living West" in "Darkwatch: Curse of the West" with massive environments, non-linear missions, dynamic enemy and non-player-character artificial intelligence (A.I.) affected by a player reputation system, and precision gunplay with location-specific damage.

With a wide assortment of Darkwatch-enhanced weapons and vehicles, horse-mounted gunfighting and superhuman abilities, "Darkwatch: Curse of the West" delivers tremendous variety in a FPS in both single and online multiplayer modes.

--- Paul