Tabula Rasa

E3 Preview 2005

It has been one year since Tabula Rasa strutted its stuff at the Electronic Entertainment Exposition (or E3) in Los Angeles.

My, how times have changed.

Tabula Rasa has had its release date pushed way back, and the NCsoft massively multiplayer online title has done so for a reason - the game is completely different than what was previously shown. The new look was shown during a quick run-through behind closed doors at the NCsoft meeting rooms at E3 2005.

NCsoft's Starr Long said that in the war between the humans and the Bane, NCsoft "tried to combine the action of a shooter with the back end of an RPG," and frankly admitted the new look has "borrowed a lot from the shooter games."

The snippet of a level shown was rather brief, but some of the former elements of Tabula Rasa remain intact, including integrated voice chat, as well as the ability to move quickly from one location to the next. "We wanted exploration," Long said. Scattered throughout the mapboards are waypoints. Once players unlock the waypoints, then all those that have been unlocked are linked, and players can travel somewhat instantaneously between one location and the next. There is a large variety of weapons available, and the game also uses sticky targeting. While some weapons will allow players to run and gun, others will require remaining stationary while the weapon is fired. For example, a .45 can be used while moving through an area, whereas a rocket launcher - which does the most damage - requires that players remain still.

The level displayed took place on a large mapboard in a dynamic environment. Mobs don't just drop in for no reason - rather they are spawned or air-dropped when there is a need. The game still has a variety of missions, and there are mystical elements in addition to the shooter elements.

With an incredibly deep backstory also comes a complete alien language. Players will be able to decipher the iconistic language and that in turn will lead to the mystical skills that players will be able to utilize. While the game seems to be focusing on PvE (player versus environment) elements, Long did say that there would be some PvP (player-versus-player) as well.

The game is visually compelling, and the sound is interspersed with both the environment mayhem as well as voice chat from teammates. The new look may be completely at the other end of the spectrum from where the game began, but it does appear that Tabula Rasa will provide a fast-paced action shooter adventure.