'Alias' takes on the gaming world
By Sid Lipsey
CNN Headline News
(CNN) -- It almost seems redundant to say there's a new video game based on the TV show "Alias." The popular spy drama is already closer to a video game than almost anything else on television. The show's hyper-stylized fight scenes, cloak-and-dagger intrigue and zippy music score are common in many an action game.
The main character -- agile, clever and impossibly beautiful superspy Sydney Bristow (played by the agile, clever and impossibly beautiful actress Jennifer Garner) -- could easily hold her own with the gallery from "Mortal Kombat." Add in the fact that "Alias" and its epic, sometimes shocking sometimes schmaltzy storylines can be as engrossing as "Metal Gear Solid," one can convincingly argue that "Alias" is really just a video game that happens to come on your TV every Sunday night.
Well, "Alias" has finally come to what could be its most natural home. The video game version from Acclaim hits stores this month and will be available for Xbox and PlayStation 2 systems.
"J.J. Abrams, [creator and executive producer of "Alias"] and his team were heavily involved in the project from day one," says Patrik McCormack, a producer on Acclaim's "Alias" development team.
The principal actors from the show, Garner included, contributed their voices to the game. And the show's writers helped craft the story line.
That story line takes place late in the show's second season. Players step into Sydney's shoes for a series of daring missions. Like her TV counterpart, Sydney is a master of disguise; players can change her outfits to best suit a particular mission -- an important feature because, though Sydney is an athletic and resourceful secret agent, she does not run well in heels (to be fair, neither does James Bond).
"There's a unique balance of combat and stealth game play," producer McCormack says of the game's action elements. But Sydney's attempts at stealth aren't always successful and, sometimes, she must fight her way out of a jam. For such occasions, the game puts a number of martial arts moves at your disposal.
 "Alias" |  |
And when that fails, Sydney gets creative.
"In the TV show, Sydney picks up objects and uses them as improvised weaponry," McCormack says. "We wanted to utilize that in the game as well." Anything in Sydney's immediate vicinity is a potential butt-kicking accessory: Frying pans, vodka bottles, pipes and two-by-fours. There's really nothing like taking out three gun-toting thugs with a broom.
"Alias" has its own secret weapon, and fans will be glad to learn that he also appears in the game. Marshall Flinkman -- the stammering, A.D.D.-afflicted techie played by Kevin Weisman -- shows up to explain gadgets, share intel and provide the hilarious tangents that make him the show's most reliable comic relief.
McCormack is quick to note that prior knowledge of the TV show is not required to enjoy the game.
"It's really an exciting spy story that explains itself," he says.
True enough, but those who are already addicted to the TV show could very well become addicted to the game. And this new version of "Alias" may just be exciting enough to make the opposite true as well.
