kill.switch

Overview

kill.switch was originally developed by Namco for the PC, PS2, and Xbox in 2003. Often referenced as one of the first games to integrate a cover system into its gameplay effectively, the game introduced the use of blind fire while behind cover, as well as the element of moving from cover to cover, more or less codifying the modern third-person cover system. Although these features have been praised by reviewers and mentioned as the inspiration for later games benefiting from similar mechanics, kill.switch was otherwise thought to be unremarkable by critics at the time.

In a licensing deal with Destination Software, Inc., the game's development switched hands for a 2004 Game Boy Advance adaption, which received a similar mixture of praise and indifference from critics.

Gameplay

kill.switch is a run 'n gun third-person shooter, with notably influential gameplay. During a Game Developer's Conference speech addressing the influences for Gears of War, Cliff Bleszinski cited kill.switch specifically as the inspiration for Epic's third-person shooter, which expanded upon the promise of ducking down and taking cover behind walls by allowing the cover to feel more interactive. It's often overlooked that kill.switch also allowed players to suppress enemies with blind fire or even aim while stuck to a wall, mechanics that are not only borrowed by the Gears of War franchise, but by many other recent top-selling releases. In fact, the lead designer and producer of Kill Switch, Chris Esaki, was later a lead design director for Gears of War, in some ways making it a spiritual successor to Kill Switch. Esaki was later also a lead design director for Mass Effect.

Although kill.switch may have borrowed the cover system from earlier, on-rails games such as Namco's own Time Crisis, its execution of the concept in a free-control third-person manner was the best use of this mechanic seen at the time, building upon similar ideas found in WinBack: Covert Operations, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, and then later in The Getaway.

Weapons

• M4: The M4 is a compact assault rifle which provides reliable firepower.
• M203 Grenade Launcher: Provides devastating effects when firing upon an area.
• AK-47 - You know what this is.
• AKU: Compact, but powerful, the AKU's a decent automatic weapon in a pinch.
• AKUG: Slight variant on the AKU. Has a G.
• HK5A3: The HK5 is reliable and accurate, which are both important traits for any Submachine Gun.
• HK5SD5: The only difference between this and the HK5A3 is the addition of a silencer.
• M1: A 12 gauge shotgun which makes up for poor rate of fire and distance with its up-close efficiency.
• MCRT: Bolt-action sniper rifle. Efficient for taking out targets silently from afar.
• M249 Saw MG: Standard issue light machine gun used by military. Features large ammo capacity and rate of fire.
• Grenade: Standard grenade, commonly used to clear large groups in a single explosion.
• Flash Grenade: A non-lethal grenade temporarily stunning the enemy.
• Sticky Grenade: A frag grenade that sticks to surfaces, explodes when enemies enter its proximity.
• Mini Grenade: Smaller in size compared to frag grenade, it does less damage, although more can be carried.

PC System Requirements

Minimum

• Windows 98/98SE/ME/2000/XP
• Pentium III 800MHz processor
• 64MB RAM (128MB for 2000/XP)
• 900MB Hard Disk Space
• 16MB GeForce 2 Class Video Card with Hardware T&L
• DirectX compatible Sound Card
• DirectX 9

Recommended

• Pentium 4 1.5GHz Processor
• 128MB RAM
• 900MB Hard Disk Space
• 64MB GeForce 4 or Radeon 9000 Class Video Card
• DirectX compatible Sound Card
• DirectX 9