With Cipher Complex scheduled to release in a little over a year, developer Edge of Reality has furnished us with some screenshots of their next generation stealth action title to whet our appetites. The shots all feature the main character, John Cipher - a thickly-muscled military fellow with a penchant for stabbery. He looks like Sam Fisher might if he went on a strict diet of bull hormones and liquid anger. Judging by the speed and strength with which Cipher seems to dispatch his foes, we can certainly see why the developer characterizes Cipher Complex as an "aggressive infiltration" game.

John Cipher has been charged by the CIA to investigate mysterious goings-on in a decommissioned Russian missile complex, hence the industrial setting you'll see in all these shots when you hit the Images tab above.

Cipher's adrenaline-fueled high speed attacks will allow him to seemingly bend time in his quest, and though they might trigger your own adrenal release, don't count on the time-bending ability to transfer as well. Edge of Reality hopes the Xbox 360 and PS3 will be suitable vehicles for the complex lighting and motion effects they hope to deliver, and we hope Edge of Reality will deliver the innovative fast-paced stealth gameplay that they've promised.

We'll be watching them in our peripheral vision, because direct eye contact can be perceived as threatening.

November 30, 2006