Party of Sin: Preview Exclusive feature

The first time I ever really thought about the ‘7 deadly sins’ was watching Seven (Se7en) starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman. It was one of those films that started my love affair with the thriller and horror genres of the film industry. But today I am not writing about the film industry, but a new development for Xbox Live called Party of Sin.

It has to be said, PoS looks incredibly quirky. Not only was my immediate feeling one of intrigue but I immediately sensed a detailed and somewhat retro feel behind this new development. And this probably has something to do with the team working on it.

Heading up the team at Crankshaft Games is Dan Menard as Project Lead. This name may be familiar to those of you that played Half-Life 2… this is because Dan was the project lead behind the critically acclaimed Eternal Silence mod for the same title. Dan has brought with him 2 of the mods artists; Daniel Williams and Tobias Frank. Other names worth mentioning are artist Liz Hollerman, gameplay programmer Vincent Hippoman and marketing man Alexander Galasso. Most recently is the addition of Blake Allen, the PoS sound designer. If you ask me, these guys seem to have a fantastic team behind them.

So moving on, what is PoS and how will it be affecting your life? It’s really quite a simply concept to be honest. We, the player get to control one of the Seven Deadly Sins: Envy, Gluttony, Greed, Lust, Pride, Sloth and Wrath. Our goal is to escape from the gates of hell and fight our way through four different and unique worlds each with their own enemies on our route to Heaven; our final destination. I say ‘our’ goal because you can play cooperatively with up to 4 players, each picking their own personal favourite Sin. Sweeeeeet! Of course it goes without saying that each Sin provides the player with a unique battle power.

“The storyline will touch upon religion and mythology; both scarce topics in games today,” said Project Lead, Dan Menard.

Talking about the artistically remastered settings within the game, Tobias Frank, Lead Concept Artist had the following to say: “We wanted to give the game a fun mixture of well known and modern elements.”

Adding complexity to the game play is the task of juggling your relations with fellow Sins. You have to decide whether to steal points from them with your special abilities or to work together and overcome the endless hordes of angels you face. Dan Menard explains: “We want players to work together, but also doubt their friend next to them. Tripping up fellow sins on your way to victory is a great deal of fun.”

In an interview with the folks over at ModDB.com, a personal favourite site of mine for years now, Vincent Hippoman summed up this project perfectly for me: “The players will face a mixture of puzzle solving, tricky platforming, and intense combat. Both their brains and reflexes will be put to the test.”

A few FAQ’s about PoS:
(Taken from the FAQ’s page over at www.partyofsin.com)

Q: Where can I download Party of Sin?
A: Party of Sin is developed on XNA and will be available for download on Xbox Live.
Q: Is Party of Sin free?
A: The game will be sold on Xbox Live, so no, it won’t be free.
Q: When is Party of Sin coming out?
A: Party of Sin will be available by the end of this year.
Q: Will there be multiplayer?
A: Yes and no. In the first release of the game, there will be no online multiplayer. However, Party of Sin can be played cooperatively with up to four players. Get some friends together, bust open some beers (if you’re legal) and start kicking some angel ass.

I think it is safe to say that PoS is looking to be a great Indie title and has a lot going for it. I will be keeping my eyes firmly on the development over the coming months and will keep you guys updated on their progress.

For now however I will leave you with a selection of Screenshots and Artwork… enjoy!

Roo.