kill.switch (0)

First release date

2003-10-28

Platform

Game Boy Advance PlayStation 2 Xbox PC

Developer

Visual Impact Namco

Publisher

ZOO Digital Publishing Ltd Destination Software, Inc. LSP Games Hip Games Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe Hip Interactive Corp. Namco

Overview

kill.switch was originally developed by for the , , and in 2003. Often referenced as one of the first games to integrate a into its gameplay effectively, the game introduced the use of 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 , the game's development switched hands for a 2004 adaption, which received a similar mixture of praise and indifference from critics.

Gameplay

kill.switch is a third-person shooter, with notably influential gameplay. During a Game Developer's Conference speech addressing the influences for , cited kill.switch specifically as the inspiration for 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 or even aim while stuck to a wall, mechanics that are not only borrowed by the franchise, but by many other recent top-selling releases. In fact, the lead designer and producer of Kill Switch, , was later a lead design director for Gears of War, in some ways making it a to Kill Switch. Esaki was later also a lead design director for .

Although kill.switch may have borrowed the cover system from earlier, on-rails games such as Namco's own , 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 , , and then later in .

Weapons

: The M4 is a compact assault rifle which provides reliable firepower.
: Provides devastating effects when firing upon an area.
- You know what this is.
: Compact, but powerful, the AKU's a decent automatic weapon in a pinch.
AKUG: Slight variant on the AKU. Has a G.
: The HK5 is reliable and accurate, which are both important traits for any .
HK5SD5: The only difference between this and the HK5A3 is the addition of a silencer.
: A 12 gauge shotgun which makes up for poor rate of fire and distance with its up-close efficiency.
: Bolt-action sniper rifle. Efficient for taking out targets silently from afar.
: Standard issue light machine gun used by military. Features large ammo capacity and rate of fire.
: Standard grenade, commonly used to clear large groups in a single explosion.
: A non-lethal grenade temporarily stunning the enemy.
: 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.