In October of 2008, Nintendo showed off a compilation video of numerous Wii exclusive titles set to hit Japan in 2009. Among those games were titles such as Sin and Punishment 2, Dynamic Slash (known as Zangeki no REGINLEIV) and Cosmic Walker. The first of which, Sin and Punishment 2, has already been released in Japan and is hitting NA and EU shelves in early 2010. Zangeki no REGINLEIV was recently released in Japan with a special black casing -- showing Nintendo’s support for the mature title, and a possible localization in other regions. The last of the three mentioned games, Cosmic Walker, has been shrouded with much mystery since its initial trailer and general tidbits of info.
With the very little amount of information known about Cosmic Walker, many different speculations can be made about the gameplay of this space set action-adventure title. There are two different ways Cosmic Walker can go -- both equally great: an exploration sim taking place in the Milky Way, or the tale of an epic adventure set in space.
Currently, only the following is known about Cosmic Walker’s gameplay: players will go from space station to space station transporting supplies and performing general repairs. Naturally, we can assume that the actual final product, if it’s ever released, will have a lot more depth than that. In both gameplay types, traveling from space station to space station will be one of the many activities players will participate in.
Space Exploration Sim
The universe, and the Milky Way Galaxy for that matter, are mind-bogglingly large. Nobody can expect Nintendo to create such a large area for players to explore, so creating just our own Solar System is more likely. This means that our entire Solar System will be available to explore, including popular spots on certain planets and moons. Obviously, the gas giants wouldn’t be feasible locations to explore.
This version of the gameplay can be compared to another Nintendo series: Endless Ocean. In Endless Ocean, players dive into the deep blue and explore underwater as they encounter different types of wildlife in their ecosystems. In this version of Cosmic Walker, players will be able to carry out expeditions in space similar to the underwater sessions of Endless Ocean. Considering Endless Ocean 2 has online co-op with WiiSpeak support, online play including voice chat is a must for this type of Cosmic Walker gameplay. To keep things fresh, new hidden planets would have to be incorporated for players to discover and explore either offline or online with friends.
Adventure in Space
The other gameplay type for Cosmic Walker is less of a laid back experience than the former. While space travel and exploration will remain constant in this variation, there will be a substantial increase in action.
The entirety of our Solar System will be open for players to explore in sandbox fashion -- there will be several large space stations with civilian and military populations spread across the space. Along with that, Earth and a few select moons will have cities available for travel. The big part, however, is what players will actually be engaging in as they play this version of Cosmic Walker.
As it’s a sandbox style game, this version of Cosmic Walker will grant much freedom for the player. This includes what type of character they want to play as: either a bounty hunter or a space pirate. Either one will be completely up to the player as they progress through the game, so they aren’t stuck with the choice of choosing one or the other as the game begins. If players fancy to become a bounty hunter, different types of quests and missions will be available to take and earn money for different weapons, equipment and space ships. If players opt to become space pirates, then they’ll be spending the majority of their time raiding different cities and outposts, and eventually attempt to conquer the entire Solar System. Each of these two types will have different missions that progress their individual stories -- so if players are playing through mostly as a space pirate and get bored, they can start bounty hunter objectives and advance that particular story line. Essentially, Cosmic Walker will have two different endings to two different sagas.
Both of these gameplay types are purely hypothetical and wishful thinking, as almost nothing is known about Cosmic Walker at this time. There’s a chance, however, that Cosmic Walker could become one of these games, an entirely different game type, or both of these gameplay types combined. Only time will tell, and hopefully more details for Cosmic Walker are revealed at E3 2010.
What are your ideas for Cosmic Walker? Do you have hopes for a possible release? Share your thoughts in the comments section!
Check out your local Game Stop or Game Force Longmont for future pre-order information.
If you liked this article, then you may also like:
Wii Essentials Part One: Platformers
Top Overlooked Wii Games of 2010
Preview: Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver
Comments
I really hope Cosmic Walker sees the light of day!
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!