From a quick glance, it's easy to peg Kemco's Rogue Ops as just another wannabe stealth game. Sure, it borrows some aspects from recent competitors such as Splinter Cell, but don't be so quick to judge it without giving it a go. Since its announcement back in April, few details have been released about the game thus far, but we've been able to get our hands on a (very) early preview build of the game to pass along some details on what looks to be a sleeper hit for 2003.

Players take control of one Nikki Connors, whose husband and daughter were killed in an explosion linked with the terrorist group Omega 19. In order to seek your revenge (just like any good ol' housewife would do) you join forces with the anti-terrorist group Dark Phoenix to deliver hell onto your family's murderers. Other than the basic storyline, Kemco isn't releasing any other details about the game's storyline just yet, but then again, who really needs a story when you're delivering headshots without prejudice?

As we've mentioned before, Rogue Ops takes a few cues from Splinter Cell when it comes to being stealthy as possible. Having to hide in dark areas to avoid detection and moving bodies to different locations so their comrades won't find them out are essential to your survival in the game. Where Rogue Ops differentiates itself from Ubi Soft's masterpiece is that while Splinter Cell may have its feet rooted firmly in the real world (thanks to Tom Clancy's insistence on keeping the game realistic), Rogue Ops veers in the other direction by giving you tools and weapons that aren't exactly of this world. The game also differs in how you control Nikki. The control layout takes some getting used to, as all movement is performed with the left analog stick while strafing is done with the right analog stick. Most players will need at least a couple of minutes to get used to the different style of control. However, the control layout will definitely benefit gamers once they're dropped into various missions, as stealth kills are quite different from any other game before it.

Instead of simply going up to an enemy from behind and attacking them, Nikki must wait a few seconds before she can do the dirty deed. Unlike other games, sneaking up behind enemies is encouraged as you can actually pickpocket them if you wait long enough before a kill. Once you're in range for a stealth kill, a small meter will appear over the head of your would-be victim. By waiting for this meter to fill through three times, you'll be able to gain valuable items such as medic kits and additional ammo for your firearms as well as making your stealth kill easier. You're probably thinking "how do they make stealth kills easier than they already are?", but like we said before, killing someone in this game is very different. Instead of a non-interactive cutscene of Nikki taking out her enemy, players will have to input a sequence of buttons in a certain amount of time. The longer you wait behind someone to deliver your kill, the easier the button sequences become. The reward is a cool cutscene where you'll be able to see an enemy's bones breaking via x-ray special effect, like in the movie Romeo Must Die. However, if you input something wrong or allow time to run out and your enemy will be aware that you're behind them and start attacking, as well as calling in reinforcements. This is where the game's different control scheme comes into play. Because not every enemy in the game will be stationary, it would be quite difficult to control Nikki if she had to stay behind a patrolling guard with a normal 3rd person control scheme. By using both hands to control her lateral movement, it's much easier to creep up on an unsuspecting enemy long enough for you to deliver the coup de grace.

Rogue Ops features a collection of weapons that wouldn't be out of place in any action movie. Aside from the standard pistols and rifles, Nikki also has access to ninja stars and a cool serum that makes the action slow down. Also in the game is a simple radar system that gives you three different types of alerts if you happen to cause a commotion. A yellow alert is used if enemies have heard sounds or have spotted visual evidence that you've been in the area, while an orange alert indicates that an enemy has actually spotted you. A red alert means that you're just out of luck, and every guard in the area is on your ass. Pray that you don't get that.

Graphically the game is a bit rough thus far, as is expected from an early build. A lot of the environments seem rough around the edges, but the level design for the three missions available thus far are solid for introductory purposes. Even at this stage there are some cool little touches to the stages, such as moths flying around lampposts and leaves blowing up when you walk through them.

So far, Bits Studios and Kemco have created a title that may cause people to do a double take. While not much can be said about the game since it's so early in development, it seems that Kemco is on the right track with the game, as it cleverly borrows the best aspects from other games to fuse with their own original ideas for an experience that makes for a complete package. There are some problems that need to be taken care of, such as the stale graphics and loose controls, but having said that, this is by far Kemco's best game in a long time.

· · · Reno