Swarm sees new pics

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505 has released shots of its third-person shooter from Buka Studios set in an alien-infested Moscow, due out on 360 in May.

Here's the word:

AGOURA HILLS, Calif. - Feb. 3, 2010 - 505 Games U.S. and Buka Studios today announced a May 2010 release date for The Swarm, an action-packed third-person shooter that drops players into the middle of a nuclear fallout after in alien invasion in Moscow, Russia. Targeted for release on Xbox 360, The Swarm forces players to choose between absorbing alien DNA - and powerful skills -- at the cost of gradually become a monster, or retaining their own humanity to fight off the alien invaders.

In The Swarm, players navigate an alien-infested Red Square in Moscow, shown under the effects of a nuclear catastrophe. The game features a unique adaptive combat system, where players awaken in an alien laboratory and will choose throughout the game to either enhance their performance with alien DNA that increases attributes like stamina and health, or retain their humanity - and standard abilities - to fight the invading forces.

While searching for an antidote to cure their allies against the alien mutation, players will solve DNA mini-games and puzzles for the option to absorb new abilities and become more adept at fighting tougher enemies. Players can then build and change alien DNA chains to improve different abilities like harvested energy from the bodies of defeated enemies, increased regeneration rate, enhanced vision or develop physical manifestations with access to energy weapons and sharp claws. Players can use a variety of weapons-including firearms, clubs, plasma projectors and grenades-for melee or ranged combat against enemies.

"This is not your standard third-person shooter," said Adam Kline, president of 505 Games U.S. "The game's adaptive combat allows players to mold their characters, draw them into the alien takeover and force them to make tough decisions typically not found in other shooter games."

We'll see. The game was annoucned in 2007 so they've had enough time to work in something special.

Gavin Ogden