E3: Koudelka impressions

[05.16.00] » It's pretty, it's gothic, it's ... good?

   Koudelka was on display at the Infogrames booth. The title is visually amazing--one would expect no less from a team of ex-Square employees. The FMV visuals are easily the quality of Final Fantasy VIII, and the gothic environment of the monastery is packed with chilling detail. The title has three characters: the medium Koudelka, the adventure-seeker Edward, and the Vatican-dispatched priest, James. Each has his or her own reasons for entering the monastery. The U.S. version has added analog dual shock support, making navigation easier on the thumbs.

   Unfortunately, very little was shown of Koudelka's battle sequences, and it was here that the Japanese import took such a drubbing. Reports held that the Japanese version had a slow and unwieldly battle system; the absence of the section from the E3 demo suggests these fears might hold a grain of truth. Still, in the absence of more gameplay impressions, it can be safely said that Koudelka is a very beautiful game.