14 DAY TRIAL // CJ Games Global might not benefit from worldwide name recognition just yet, but the company, which was founded by the leader of Samsung, is a leading force on the South Korean games market and has big plans for its first game to move to the West, District 187.
The core of the game, which is already available on the home market, is that of a first-person shooter and the execution is extremely pure, bringing to mind the Counterstrike era, where quick movement and sharp eyes mattered more than the perks and the weapon mods that dominate the culture of modern era Call of Duty.
District 187 is fast and aggressive, weapons have some eight to them, the map I have tried out small and full of nooks, where a player can hide to surprise his enemies.
Outside of the actual matches, District 187 offers all the bells and whistles that audiences have come to expect from multiplayer shooter, from clan support to customizable weapons, a class system and an emphasis on teamwork.
The overall theme of the game pits SWAT teams against gangsters and the various game modes have been tweaked to reflect this, with, for example, Capture the Flag turned into an effort to get loot out of a bank vault and back in.
The unique feature of District 187 is how it handles level progression from 10 onwards, taking into account now just normal XP but also kill to death ratios and other trackable information, with only 2 players able to occupy the highest Level 15 at the same time.
The developers are equally careful with low-level players, with those under level 6 able to access a special server where they can hone their skills before jumping back into the competitive areas.
District 187 is offered under a free-to-play system and gamers will have access to an extensive store where they can pick up character items and cosmetic changes for real-world money.
CJ Games Global plans to have District 187 go into beta stage for Western markets on September 18 of this year, with the actual launch set for later during 2012.