More Gameplay

Details, details, details

Terminal Reality did a great job paying attention to the little details. We already mentioned the cloth modeling and dynamic lighting, but Terminal Reality really pulled out all the stops. An example: firing at werewolves from the top of the train. You'll notice that the smoke puffs from your gun trail off toward the rear of the train after you fire! This further reinforces the idea that the train is really in motion. Recall that every object is 3D and the world obeys real physical properties. You'll see and hear shell casings pop out and bounce. Dynamite sticks will also bounce and roll realistically when thrown. Nocturne makes good use of decals too, with tons of blood spray and bullet holes in the walls.

Lots of decals

Look at the buckshot holes on the left

Blood blood blood

What was really fun about the Nocturne beta was looking at all the different ways that a zombie can fall apart into pieces (by the way, those gibs can be picked up and thrown as a weapon!). Hit one square in the torso with a point blank shotgun blast and you might very well cut it in half. Nail one in the head with the shotgun and its head will disintegrate. Sometimes the zombie just crumples in a heap as blood gushes out from its neck, and sometimes it will actually reach up and grope for its missing cranium. Shovel and axe attacks will often times remove limbs from the decaying undead. Blood and goop will actually stick to your melee weapon and drip off as you walk away. Dead bodies remain on the ground for the duration of the chapter - they don't just melt away. When you walk through puddles of blood you'll notice bloody footsteps trailing after you, fading slowly as they wear off your shoes. Terminal Reality's got all the bases covered!

This Zombie's going to get cut in 2

Check out the radial blood spatter!

Story and pacing

From what we can tell from the Texas act, Nocturne's got some great stories to tell and rich cinematics to help move the game along. The levels are a mix of linear (like the train level, and the last chapter of the Act) and more problem solving and open ended like the demo chapter and the following chapter in the mine. In every case you're going to be in a rather large world to explore and you're going to have a lot of freedom to look around and figure out what's going on. Character development in the cinematics is going to be a great draw to the game.

Huh?	Where's my head?