14 DAY TRIAL // As if the Wii didn't have enough titles and popularity to go around, Epicenter Studios has revealed yesterday that it's developing Real Heroes: Firefighter for the Wii. They're not sure whether to stick with the name or not for now, but they've made it official: this title will be taking full advantage of everything that the Wii has to show off.
Real Heroes is said to put players in the "soon-to-be soot-stained" boots of a rookie firefighter who has just been assigned to a busy metropolitan fire station. I don't know..., don't you have to pass a test or something to get there first? There will be a test for sure. Anyway, as the official report says, players will undergo a "baptism of fire" in an escalating array of emergency situations.
"Combining our unique fire tech with the specific strengths of the Wii was a natural choice for us as we designed Real Heroes," says Epicenter CCO Bryan Jury. "The Wii-mote makes spraying down fires with your hose, hacking down doors with your axe and prying victims loose from wrecked cars with the Jaws of Life an absolutely visceral game experience."
Epicenter is using proprietary "Thinking Fire" technology, which is said to make blazes seem almost alive as they not only attack structures, potential victims and firefighters, but also cause unexpected changes to the environments that will suddenly alter the player's options and strategies, which means that no two scenarios will play out the same. Thinking fast and reacting quickly under pressure will be the only way to solve a situation.
"The Wii is a family-friendly console and we've designed Real Heroes with that in mind," notes Epicenter CEO Nathaniel McClure. "Because firefighting requires a lot more than dousing flames, Real Heroes emphasizes non-violent, game-integral puzzles that mirror the challenges and on-the-fly choices firefighters actually face. We are making every effort to create a game that is intense and engaging, but always respectful to firefighters who, we believe, are real heroes."
Epicenter has only confirmed a holiday 2008 release and is apparently sticking with the Wii alone on this one, although it sounds fairly impressive and would deserve a multiplatform installment. They have yet to choose a publishing partner, though. That's all.