NeoTokyo (video game)
Encyclopedia
NEOTOKYO° is a first-person shooter
total conversion modification
of Half-Life 2
in a futuristic world setting, developed by STUDIO RADI-8.
, in which gameplay takes place in a series of several rounds. When a player dies in-game, they must wait for the beginning of the next round before being able to play again.
The game is class-based
, with three classes available, each with slightly different characteristics, abilities, and available weaponry.
NEOTOKYO° has two gametypes: team-based deathmatch, in which the team that manages to kill all members of the opposing team wins, and "Capture The Ghost", though the majority of maps are designed for the latter mode. This gametype has the two teams competing to capture a randomly-spawned objective item, the "Ghost", by picking it up and carrying it to a designated location on the other side of the map. It is generally similar to capture the flag
, except that either team can win by eliminating the enemy, as well as that the Ghost allows the player holding it to see the locations of opposing team members through walls, at the expense of wielding a weapon. The Ghost and any player holding it can be seen as a blip from any location on the map. In a passing nod to Ghost in the Shell
, the objective resembles the torso of a gynoid.
and Akira
, NEOTOKYO° is set in a near-future Tokyo, Japan. After the failure of a proposal to alter the Japanese constitution
to allow foreign deployment of Japanese soldiers, a military coup d'etat is attempted by extreme nationalist factions in the JSDF
. In response, the Prime Minister of Japan pools former military intelligence operatives and police officers into a sub-group of the Interior Ministry's
National Security Force (NSF), called Group Six, to seek out subsequent coup plotters and uphold the law in both domestic and international soil. Immediately, rumours surface that an unknown faction in the JGSDF
's special forces unit "Jinrai" is preparing for another coup attempt against the government. According to the information, the said members of this group are from Special Operations Group 43, fierce ultranationalists determined to succeed with the coup once more. The ensuing strife between these two factions sets the backdrop for the game.
as a deathmatch mod with capture points, the game was later taken into consideration of Valve
's Source engine
and released in 2009.
Several of the game's concepts were based on the interpretations of the cyberpunk
genre during the development of NEOTOKYO°.
, he also contributed to early sound design before focusing entirely on music. A soundtrack CD was released through CD Baby
.
. The game has also been featured on gaming website Kotaku
, where it was stated that the game "looks completely amazing." It won second place for the 2008 Upcoming Mod of the Year Award.
In February of 2010, NEOTOKYO° placed third in Mod DB
's competition for mod of the year.
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
total conversion modification
Mod (computer gaming)
Mod or modification is a term generally applied to personal computer games , especially first-person shooters, role-playing games and real-time strategy games. Mods are made by the general public or a developer, and can be entirely new games in themselves, but mods are not standalone software and...
of Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2 , the sequel to Half-Life, is a first-person shooter video game and a signature title in the Half-Life series. It is singleplayer, story-driven, science fiction, and linear...
in a futuristic world setting, developed by STUDIO RADI-8.
Gameplay
NEOTOKYO° uses a round-based structure similar to Counter-StrikeCounter-Strike
Counter-Strike is a tactical first-person shooter video game developed by Valve Corporation which originated from a Half-Life modification by Minh "Gooseman" Le and Jess "Cliffe" Cliffe...
, in which gameplay takes place in a series of several rounds. When a player dies in-game, they must wait for the beginning of the next round before being able to play again.
The game is class-based
Character class
In role-playing games, a common method of arbitrating the capabilities of different game characters is to assign each one to a character class. A character class aggregates several abilities and aptitudes, and may also sometimes detail aspects of background and social standing or impose behaviour...
, with three classes available, each with slightly different characteristics, abilities, and available weaponry.
NEOTOKYO° has two gametypes: team-based deathmatch, in which the team that manages to kill all members of the opposing team wins, and "Capture The Ghost", though the majority of maps are designed for the latter mode. This gametype has the two teams competing to capture a randomly-spawned objective item, the "Ghost", by picking it up and carrying it to a designated location on the other side of the map. It is generally similar to capture the flag
Capture the flag
Capture the Flag is a traditional outdoor sport generally played by children, where two teams each have a flag and the objective is to capture the other team's flag, located at the team's "base," and bring it safely back to their own base...
, except that either team can win by eliminating the enemy, as well as that the Ghost allows the player holding it to see the locations of opposing team members through walls, at the expense of wielding a weapon. The Ghost and any player holding it can be seen as a blip from any location on the map. In a passing nod to Ghost in the Shell
Ghost in the Shell
is a Japanese multimedia franchise composed of manga, animated films, anime series, video games and novels. It focuses on the activities of the counter-terrorist organization Public Security Section 9 in a futuristic, cyberpunk Japan ....
, the objective resembles the torso of a gynoid.
Plot
Inspired by such titles as Ghost in the ShellGhost in the Shell (film)
"See You Everyday" is different from the rest of the soundtrack, being a pop song sung in Cantonese by Fang Ka Wing. It can be faintly heard playing in the marketplace scene, when Batou is hunting the ghost-hacked puppet....
and Akira
Akira (film)
is a 1988 Japanese animated cyberpunk science fiction film directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, written by Otomo and Izo Hashimoto, and starring the voices of Mitsuo Iwata, Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama and Taro Ishida. The screenplay is based on Otomo's manga Akira....
, NEOTOKYO° is set in a near-future Tokyo, Japan. After the failure of a proposal to alter the Japanese constitution
Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution
Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution is a clause in the National Constitution of Japan that prohibits an act of war by the state. The Constitution came into effect on May 3, 1947, immediately following World War II. In its text, the state formally renounces war as a sovereign right and bans...
to allow foreign deployment of Japanese soldiers, a military coup d'etat is attempted by extreme nationalist factions in the JSDF
Japan Self-Defense Forces
The , or JSDF, occasionally referred to as JSF or SDF, are the unified military forces of Japan that were established after the end of the post–World War II Allied occupation of Japan. For most of the post-war period the JSDF was confined to the islands of Japan and not permitted to be deployed...
. In response, the Prime Minister of Japan pools former military intelligence operatives and police officers into a sub-group of the Interior Ministry's
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications
The ' or Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is a cabinet-level ministry in the Government of Japan. The English name Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications was used prior to 2004...
National Security Force (NSF), called Group Six, to seek out subsequent coup plotters and uphold the law in both domestic and international soil. Immediately, rumours surface that an unknown faction in the JGSDF
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
The , or JGSDF, is the army of Japan. The largest of the three services of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, the Ground Self-Defense Force operates under the command of the chief of the ground staff, based in the city of Ichigaya, Tokyo. The present chief of ground staff is General Yoshifumi Hibako...
's special forces unit "Jinrai" is preparing for another coup attempt against the government. According to the information, the said members of this group are from Special Operations Group 43, fierce ultranationalists determined to succeed with the coup once more. The ensuing strife between these two factions sets the backdrop for the game.
Development
NEOTOKYO° has been in development since October 2004. Originally designed as a game mod for Unreal Tournament 2004Unreal Tournament 2004
Unreal Tournament 2004, also known as UT2K4 and UT2004, is a futuristic first-person shooter computer game developed by Epic Games and Digital Extremes...
as a deathmatch mod with capture points, the game was later taken into consideration of Valve
Valve Corporation
Valve Corporation is an American video game development and digital distribution company based in Bellevue, Washington, United States...
's Source engine
Source engine
Source is a 3D game engine developed by Valve Corporation. It debuted in June 2004 with Counter-Strike: Source and shortly thereafter Half-Life 2, and has been in active development ever since...
and released in 2009.
Several of the game's concepts were based on the interpretations of the cyberpunk
Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a postmodern and science fiction genre noted for its focus on "high tech and low life." The name is a portmanteau of cybernetics and punk, and was originally coined by Bruce Bethke as the title of his short story "Cyberpunk," published in 1983...
genre during the development of NEOTOKYO°.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack of NEOTOKYO° was composed by Ed Harrison, and was described as "haunting" by Jeff Fleming of Game Set Watch. After being recruited from a forumInternet forum
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are at least temporarily archived...
, he also contributed to early sound design before focusing entirely on music. A soundtrack CD was released through CD Baby
CD Baby
CD Baby is an online music store specializing in the sale of CDs and digital music downloads from independent musicians to consumers. The company is also a digital aggregator of independent music recordings, distributing content to several online digital music retailers.CD Baby has achieved recent...
.
Reception
NEOTOKYO° was featured in the "Mod World" section of the September 2009 issue of Game InformerGame Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
. The game has also been featured on gaming website Kotaku
Kotaku
Kotaku is a video games-focused blog. It is part of Gawker Media's "Gawker" network of sites, which also includes Gizmodo, Deadspin, Lifehacker, io9 and Jezebel. Named to CNET News' Blog 100, Kotaku is consistently listed in the top 40 of Technorati's Top 100...
, where it was stated that the game "looks completely amazing." It won second place for the 2008 Upcoming Mod of the Year Award.
In February of 2010, NEOTOKYO° placed third in Mod DB
Mod DB
Player's Choice*Best Indie Game: Tremulous*Best Released Mod: Point of Existence 2*Best Unreleased Mod: Black Mesa*By genre-2005:*-2004:*-2003:*-2002:*- External links :* *...
's competition for mod of the year.