Altered Beast E3 2004 Preshow Impressions

After announcing the game just over one year ago and showing it in brief video form at E3 2003, Sega will be showing more of its PlayStation 2-exclusive update to Altered Beast this year at E3 2004. The original Altered Beast let you "rise from your grave" to maim and kill your way through cavalcades of bad guys, all while altering your character's form after collecting special power orbs, which let you appear as various types of beasts. This new update will still let you morph your character into numerous different beasts, but it will also feature quite a number of modern upgrades to the concept as well.

The story of Altered Beast will follow a special military operative (played by you), who is sent to investigate a deadly genetic outbreak in a small West Coast town. It will become immediately clear that you are going to have to battle for your very survival, since the town is overrun with failed genetic experiments. Your only hope is your darkest power, which is the ability to transform into a variety of different beasts.

Eight different beast types will be available to you in the game, including a werewolf, a dragon, a Minotaur, and an ice-breathing yeti. Every beast type will have its own specific attack technique and types, and you will be able to manipulate your special genetic DNA system to assign more-powerful and strategic attributes to each beast. While the original arcade game was a pure side-scrolling action game, Altered Beast will be fully 3D, with large environments to both explore and interact with. As you adventure, you will be able to interact with various non-player characters, uncover clues as to the true nature of the town's failed experiments, and discover the origins of your own dark past.

Altered Beast is currently scheduled to ship this fall. We will have more on the game from the E3 2004 show floor.