Project Snowblind
Encyclopedia
Project: Snowblind is a first-person shooter
video game released for the Xbox
, Microsoft Windows
and PlayStation 2
on February 22, 2005. It was originally conceived as a multiplayer-focused third game in the Deus Ex
series, Deus Ex: Clan Wars. But after the less than expected commercial performance of Deus Ex: Invisible War
, it was decided to set the game in its own universe. Nevertheless, it remains a spiritual sequel
to Deus Ex and retains many visible and conceptual links to its progenitors.
In Project: Snowblind, the player assumes the identity of Nathan Frost, a soldier in an international peacekeeping force known as the Liberty Coalition. After being critically injured during an enemy attack, Frost is implanted with experimental nano-technological augmentations and enhancements, turning him into "the soldier of the future". Frost must use his new powers to help lead the Coalition to victory against overwhelming odds.
. The city is suddenly attacked by a hostile force known as the Republic, led by a rogue Chinese general named Yan Lo. An international peacekeeping force stationed in Hong Kong, known as the Liberty Coalition, is tasked with defending the island from the invasion.
The story follows Liberty Coalition 2nd Lieutenant Nathan Frost, who is critically injured in a surprise attack by the Republic while attempting to save the life of a wounded soldier. He is rebuilt by the Coalition using experimental nano-technology. Using the powers granted to him by his nano-technology augment
ations, Frost spearheads the Coalition's counter-attack against the Republic, eventually rescuing a defecting Republic scientist named Dr. Joseph Liaw. Dr. Liaw informs Frost about a plot by General Yan Lo known as Project: Snowblind.
Yan Lo, who believes that technology has made humankind weak, plans to detonate EMP
bombs in New York, Paris, and Hong Kong thus shutting down much of humankind's technological civilization and plunging the world into another dark age.
In an attempt to stop the General's plot, Frost launches an attack on Yan Lo's secret underground bunker, fighting past the General's nano-augmented elite guards and confronting the General himself. It is here that Frost learns that the General is an augmented super-soldier just like himself, created twenty years ago using earlier bio-mechanical technology. The painful side-effects of his physical augmentations have driven the General insane, and fueled his hatred of modern technology. Frost and Yan Lo battle using many of the same augmentation powers, with Frost eventually emerging the winner. Yan Lo overloads and explodes, but not before taunting Frost and informing him that Project: Snowblind will still proceed forward.
In a last ditch attempt to stop Project: Snowblind, Frost launches a final assault on the facility where the EMP bombs are being prepared for distribution, aided by all surviving Coalition soldiers. Frost succeeds in destroying the facility, while the soldiers stayed at the entrance, holding off the enemy reinforcements.
The ending cutscene shows Nathan Frost and the remaining Coalition soldiers walking to the nearest Coalition base, which was fifty miles away.
Unlike Deus Ex, the game is entirely centered around pure combat, but nonetheless provides the player with multiple options regarding every battle. Every weapon in the game has a secondary fire mode, several of which create exotic effects such as a swarm of drones
that will actively seek out and attack enemies. The player can also throw a variety of grenades with different effects, including a riot shield that creates a temporary stationary energy wall for the player to take cover behind. The player can also use a special "Icepick
" device to hack enemy cameras, turrets, and robots and use them against enemy forces. The game also features several driveable vehicles. Finally, the player's character possesses a variety of nano-technology augmentations that can be used to grant them various powers.
Frost's complete list of augmentations are:
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...
video game released for the Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
and PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
on February 22, 2005. It was originally conceived as a multiplayer-focused third game in the Deus Ex
Deus Ex
Deus Ex is an action role-playing game developed by Ion Storm Inc. and published by Eidos Interactive in 2000, which combines gameplay elements of first-person shooters with those of role-playing video games...
series, Deus Ex: Clan Wars. But after the less than expected commercial performance of Deus Ex: Invisible War
Deus Ex: Invisible War
Deus Ex: Invisible War is an action role-playing game developed by Ion Storm Inc. and published by Eidos Interactive. Released simultaneously for Microsoft Windows and the Xbox video game console on December 2, 2003, the game is a sequel to the critically acclaimed Deus Ex...
, it was decided to set the game in its own universe. Nevertheless, it remains a spiritual sequel
Spiritual sequel
A spiritual successor, sometimes called a spiritual sequel or a companion piece, is a successor to a work of fiction which does not directly build upon the storyline established by a previous work as do most traditional prequels or sequels, but nevertheless features many of the same elements,...
to Deus Ex and retains many visible and conceptual links to its progenitors.
In Project: Snowblind, the player assumes the identity of Nathan Frost, a soldier in an international peacekeeping force known as the Liberty Coalition. After being critically injured during an enemy attack, Frost is implanted with experimental nano-technological augmentations and enhancements, turning him into "the soldier of the future". Frost must use his new powers to help lead the Coalition to victory against overwhelming odds.
Plot
The game takes place in the year 2065 in Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. The city is suddenly attacked by a hostile force known as the Republic, led by a rogue Chinese general named Yan Lo. An international peacekeeping force stationed in Hong Kong, known as the Liberty Coalition, is tasked with defending the island from the invasion.
The story follows Liberty Coalition 2nd Lieutenant Nathan Frost, who is critically injured in a surprise attack by the Republic while attempting to save the life of a wounded soldier. He is rebuilt by the Coalition using experimental nano-technology. Using the powers granted to him by his nano-technology augment
Augment
Augment or augmentation may refer to:*Augment , a syllable added to the beginning of the word in certain Indo-European languages*Augmentation , heraldic modifications...
ations, Frost spearheads the Coalition's counter-attack against the Republic, eventually rescuing a defecting Republic scientist named Dr. Joseph Liaw. Dr. Liaw informs Frost about a plot by General Yan Lo known as Project: Snowblind.
Yan Lo, who believes that technology has made humankind weak, plans to detonate EMP
Electromagnetic pulse
An electromagnetic pulse is a burst of electromagnetic radiation. The abrupt pulse of electromagnetic radiation usually results from certain types of high energy explosions, especially a nuclear explosion, or from a suddenly fluctuating magnetic field...
bombs in New York, Paris, and Hong Kong thus shutting down much of humankind's technological civilization and plunging the world into another dark age.
In an attempt to stop the General's plot, Frost launches an attack on Yan Lo's secret underground bunker, fighting past the General's nano-augmented elite guards and confronting the General himself. It is here that Frost learns that the General is an augmented super-soldier just like himself, created twenty years ago using earlier bio-mechanical technology. The painful side-effects of his physical augmentations have driven the General insane, and fueled his hatred of modern technology. Frost and Yan Lo battle using many of the same augmentation powers, with Frost eventually emerging the winner. Yan Lo overloads and explodes, but not before taunting Frost and informing him that Project: Snowblind will still proceed forward.
In a last ditch attempt to stop Project: Snowblind, Frost launches a final assault on the facility where the EMP bombs are being prepared for distribution, aided by all surviving Coalition soldiers. Frost succeeds in destroying the facility, while the soldiers stayed at the entrance, holding off the enemy reinforcements.
The ending cutscene shows Nathan Frost and the remaining Coalition soldiers walking to the nearest Coalition base, which was fifty miles away.
Gameplay
Similar to the Deus Ex series, the focus of Project: Snowblinds gameplay is giving the player a variety of choices on how to approach any given situation. Although the game is generally linear, most levels feature multiple paths through any given area, allowing players to either rush in guns blazing or attempt to find a more stealthy side-path.Unlike Deus Ex, the game is entirely centered around pure combat, but nonetheless provides the player with multiple options regarding every battle. Every weapon in the game has a secondary fire mode, several of which create exotic effects such as a swarm of drones
that will actively seek out and attack enemies. The player can also throw a variety of grenades with different effects, including a riot shield that creates a temporary stationary energy wall for the player to take cover behind. The player can also use a special "Icepick
Intrusion Countermeasures Electronics
Intrusion Countermeasures Electronics is a term used in cyberpunk literature to refer to security programs which protect computerized data from being accessed by hackers.-Origin of term:...
" device to hack enemy cameras, turrets, and robots and use them against enemy forces. The game also features several driveable vehicles. Finally, the player's character possesses a variety of nano-technology augmentations that can be used to grant them various powers.
Augmentations
One of the main focuses of Project: Snowblinds gameplay is Nathan Frost's nano-technology augmentations. Although most of Frost's augmentations are inactive at the beginning of the game, they become activated as the game progresses, granting Frost additional powers.Frost's complete list of augmentations are:
- Vision: A harmony of night vision, x-ray vision, and infrared vision. Dark areas are brightened, enemies and mines give off a bright yellow glow and can be seen through walls. It also lets Frost see the viewing range of security cameras, and where they are looking at that time. This power is especially useful later in the game when Frost acquires the Rail Laser, which can fire through solid objects like walls.
- Reflex Boost: Slows down time allowing the player to dodge bullets and make better decisions. This can be useful when combined with Vision upgrade, letting the player see the enemies positions and better plan their attack.
- Ballistic Shielding: Frost is covered in a white shimmering net-like material, and is invincible while the shield is active. The shield eventually exhausts its meter, and it will decrease more quickly if Frost is shot.
- Cloak: Renders Frost invisible for a short period of time. If he fires a Primary or Secondary weapon while cloaked, the cloak deactivates. Punches do not deactivate the cloak.
- Electrical Storm: When activated, the HUD fills with blue-grey static as a huge electrical blast emanates from Frost's body, severely injuring or killing enemies in range as well as disabling electronics.