Tweet
Also known as: Ico with zombies.
Amy is a downloadable game for PSN, XBLA, and Steam, the work of Paul Cuisset, who designed the early cinematic platformer Flashback and its 3D sequel Fade to Black. It's set in a city during a zombie outbreak. You'll play as Lana, a scientist who finds herself trapped in the city with Amy, an 8 year-old girl who seems immune to the airborne virus that's infected everyone. Your character has been infected with the same virus that wiped out the city and as you play you'll see her slowly transform into a zombie, growing nasty green veins on her face and arms while her eyes get a demonic sheen.
There are areas in each level where the virus hangs more heavily in the air and accelerates the rate of your infection. If you let things go too far you'll transform completely into a zombie and the game will end, but if you're brave enough to let yourself go a little you'll be able to slip past enemy zombies without them realizing you're still a human. You can heal yourself with med packs that can be salvaged from corpses. Alternately you can rely on Amy, whose mysterious immunity can lower your viral load if you hug her for a few seconds.
This mechanic is framed with a perfect sense of melancholy.Amy is terrified of the zombies in the city. If there are lurking zombies nearby she'll stop moving and cover her face with her hands and, if you leave her exposed for too long, she'll run away. There's a short but touching scene in the demo that underscores Lana's sadness in discovering what's inside her when she looks at her reflection in a mirror after traveling through a room with a high intensity of zombie virus. The camera zooms in subtly as she realizes her face is being overtaken by the horrific zombie veins, catching a heartbreaking sense of regret.
It's in this context you'll hold Amy's hand, leading her through the ruined city trying to reach a hospital where survivors have gathered. When you hold her hand you'll reassure her if she'd been in a fear-state. Like Ico, you'll hold down R1 to take Amy's hand. As long as you're holding on you'll feel Amy's heartbeat through rhythmic rumbles in the controller. Aside from underscoring Amy and Lana's emotional connection, the frequency of Amy's heartbeat works as a kind of radar.
The faster it beats the more afraid she is because of nearby zombies. The slower it beats the safer you are. When not holding Amy's hand Lana will be flying blind. This is because most of the zombies in the game are in a hibernating state, strewn along the ground along with non-infected corpses. It can be hard to tell one from the other with the naked eye but Amy has a supernatural intuition about the zombies that you can benefit from when holding on at her side. Careless movement or loud noises can wake them up.
Amy will be out worldwide on PSN, XBLA, and Steam this September. It should cost $13 in North America.
Amy is a downloadable game for PSN, XBLA, and Steam, the work of Paul Cuisset, who designed the early cinematic platformer Flashback and its 3D sequel Fade to Black. It's set in a city during a zombie outbreak. You'll play as Lana, a scientist who finds herself trapped in the city with Amy, an 8 year-old girl who seems immune to the airborne virus that's infected everyone. Your character has been infected with the same virus that wiped out the city and as you play you'll see her slowly transform into a zombie, growing nasty green veins on her face and arms while her eyes get a demonic sheen.
There are areas in each level where the virus hangs more heavily in the air and accelerates the rate of your infection. If you let things go too far you'll transform completely into a zombie and the game will end, but if you're brave enough to let yourself go a little you'll be able to slip past enemy zombies without them realizing you're still a human. You can heal yourself with med packs that can be salvaged from corpses. Alternately you can rely on Amy, whose mysterious immunity can lower your viral load if you hug her for a few seconds.
This mechanic is framed with a perfect sense of melancholy.Amy is terrified of the zombies in the city. If there are lurking zombies nearby she'll stop moving and cover her face with her hands and, if you leave her exposed for too long, she'll run away. There's a short but touching scene in the demo that underscores Lana's sadness in discovering what's inside her when she looks at her reflection in a mirror after traveling through a room with a high intensity of zombie virus. The camera zooms in subtly as she realizes her face is being overtaken by the horrific zombie veins, catching a heartbreaking sense of regret.
It's in this context you'll hold Amy's hand, leading her through the ruined city trying to reach a hospital where survivors have gathered. When you hold her hand you'll reassure her if she'd been in a fear-state. Like Ico, you'll hold down R1 to take Amy's hand. As long as you're holding on you'll feel Amy's heartbeat through rhythmic rumbles in the controller. Aside from underscoring Amy and Lana's emotional connection, the frequency of Amy's heartbeat works as a kind of radar.
The faster it beats the more afraid she is because of nearby zombies. The slower it beats the safer you are. When not holding Amy's hand Lana will be flying blind. This is because most of the zombies in the game are in a hibernating state, strewn along the ground along with non-infected corpses. It can be hard to tell one from the other with the naked eye but Amy has a supernatural intuition about the zombies that you can benefit from when holding on at her side. Careless movement or loud noises can wake them up.
Amy will be out worldwide on PSN, XBLA, and Steam this September. It should cost $13 in North America.
Comment