White Gold - first impressions

For the time being, we haven't been told how it all affects the game or story: Boiling Point's freeform nature meant it was a game of sundry delights, and while White Gold has 60 main missions, there are an additional 250 to just grab on the go.

There are a number of "usuals" for this type of game that White Gold happily revels in: all vehicles can be used, from bikes to choppers; NPCs have goals for their day, whether it's a job or an activity such as fishing, so they'll all busy themselves; and with 140 square miles to explore, there are a myriad of hidden places to go, including underwater caves and shipwrecks to dip into.

But Deep Shadows says they're somewhat bored of the "usuals," and as such are implementing a mystery that, if you choose to follow it (and you can completely ignore it) adds a touch of spice to the proceedings. We're introduced to the mystery by a man who's just run off the road because he splatted into a giant spider. Sure enough, sandwiched in between the crumpled car and the roadside barrier is a hideous, huge spider (We're hoping it's some sort of metajoke aimed at the number and size of bugs that were in Boiling Point). That and the shark driving is part of a wider mystery involving the local fauna...

White Gold is looking surprisingly slick so far. The engine is pretty, there's clearly a 40-hour chunk of game in there and Deep Shadows promises that all the bugs will be squashed before release. Although we're hoping they leave one or two in, just for old time's sake.