Epic Games boss Mark Rein has revealed a spin-off project based on macho Xbox 360 sci-fi shooter and - wait for it -  it's Gears of War Golf! Yep, COG squad hard-man Marcus Fenix takes a break from dismembering Locust hordes, ditching his chainsaw-equipped rifle for a sturdy graphite driver and steps to the green for a pleasant round of hit the ball. Unfortunately, this intriguing clash of muscle and swing has only been created as an internal project at Epic, so don't expect it be appearing on a console near you any time soon. Shame.

This curious gaming hybrid is the result of Epic proving that its always-in-employment Unreal Engine 3 shouldn't just be seen as a tool used exclusively for creating first-person shooters. "We were talking to a Korean publisher about using [Unreal Engine 3] to make casual games," Epic's Rein explains in the latest issue of Edge magazine. "So we got an animator to make a golf swing for Marcus Fenix, and then a programmer took one of the Gears levels and added some mounds and stuff to make a course."

Apparently taking only a day to make, the game featured a camera sweep of the course pre-tee off and used Gears of War's grenade launching mechanic to aim and hit the ball. Rein didn't reveal whether Fenix was re-skinned with plaid trousers and a pastel pink polo shirt.

May 10, 2007