The Outfit

By Tristan Clark

Need tank now? Why not order one in, and watch as it floats down from the skies underneath a couple of parachutes? This is exactly what you can do in Relic’s new WWII shooter, The Outfit – and expect the rest of the game to share this crazy mentality.

Under development for the 360, The Outfit hopes to breathe a bit of fresh air into the oh-so-stale WWII shooter subgenre, foregoing historical accuracy and realistic weaponry in favour of sheer shrapnel-covered fun. To this end, the feel of the game is a world away from the subdued drabness of something like Call of Duty or Brothers in Arms – instead, you are treated to bright, vibrant graphics, big explosions, and some very generous physics.

These physics are actually one of the major selling points of The Outfit. The environment of the levels has been dubbed by Relic as being ‘destruction on demand’ – everything, from people to buildings to gigantic bridges, can be destroyed, creating a very satisfying amount of debris and chaos. Combine this with the graphical horsepower of the 360, and you have one exciting-looking game.

To make it even more fun, the developers at Relic have implemented a system known as ‘action points’. You acquire these points by killing enemy soldiers or capturing checkpoints, and can then spend them on reinforcements. In addition to calling a tank down from the sky, you can also summon machine gun emplacements, mortars, more soldiers, and air strikes. Once they arrive, you can either let the supplied crew get on with things, or take command yourself – and who wouldn’t want to personally drive a tank over the enemy line, crushing soldiers underfoot before ploughing headfirst into a building? Beyond tanks, expect to find levels littered with other vehicles to ride, from civilian trucks to trains.

Simply inhabiting the world of The Outfit is a joy. With the Xbox 360, everything is rendered in so much more detail, and you can have a lot more action on the screen at one time. As a result, battles can get pretty big and intense, while looking good at the same time.

As expected, there will also be multiplayer options for up to eight people via Xbox Live. You can choose to either work with or against your human rivals in battles that can range from short skirmishes to epic battlefields. Relic will also be providing downloadable content in the form of new skins, tattoos, and other decorative features, to help you personalise your online character.

The Outfit is shaping up to be a really fun take on World War II, and its irreverence will hopefully set it apart from the huge number of other games in the genre. Combine this with the destructible scenery and potentially hilarious ‘action point’ system, and Relic might just be on to a winner.

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