It looks like this fall is going to be full of stellar game releases. Hot on the heels of the UT2003 demo release comes a demo of yet another highly anticipated sequelNOLF2. Cate Archer is back and better than ever fighting the evil minions of H.A.R.M. The demo serves up 4 different missions to showcase the improved sights and sounds from an overhauled Lithtech engine. Earlier tonight I played through the demo in hard mode and this title definitely should be on everyone’s "must have" list. The game looks to cater both those who prefer a head on rush as well as others who may prefer stealth. Stealth seems to spotlighted with maps full of nooks and crannies where Cate can slip into and hide quite effectively while other areas allow her to sneak around back of a building and climb through windows. The game also will feature a Deus-Ex type character development where Cate will earn points towards skill upgrades. Those who like the adventure of seeking out secret files and completing side missions will be rewarded with extra points towards those skills. As with the original NOLF, the AI looks to be top-notch. Those times where I went in guns a-blazing the AI effectively used duck and cover tactics and seemed to take advantage of the time I needed to reload the crossbow, but those times were few and far between since I preferred to sneak around and cap the baddies from behind.
