The Grinder
Encyclopedia
The Grinder is a first person shooter video game in development for the Wii
, and a top-down shooter for the PlayStation 3
, Xbox 360
, and Microsoft Windows
by High Voltage Software
. Its current status is unknown.
, mythical creatures such as vampire
s, werewolves
and zombie
s are a reality, and the people of Earth
have adapted to their presence. A small group of monster hunters, comprising Hector, Doc, Miko and AJ, are hired by the mysterious organization called "Book" to exterminate these threats while investigating the source of the outbreak.
.
An online multiplayer
mode will be included in The Grinder, and each level
can be played online cooperatively, with support of up to four players simultaneously, and will have multiple routes.
At the 2010 Game Developers Conference
, it was revealed that the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game would be a top-down shooter
, rather than a first-person shooter.
The Grinder will use the Quantum3 engine, which High Voltage confirmed would help push the amount of characters onscreen to the maximum. The developers are also working to have the game contain no loading times. High Voltage Software previously worked on Hunter: The Reckoning
and confirmed that The Grinder was influenced by that game. Left 4 Dead
was also an inspiration, as were grindhouse
horror films.
The Grinder was in development for the Wii only, but a later interview revealed that ports will be made for other platforms. While the Wii version of the game is a first person shooter, the ported versions are top down shooters.
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
, and a top-down shooter for the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, and Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
by High Voltage Software
High Voltage Software
High Voltage Software is an independent game development company located at Illinois' Hoffman Estates. Established in 1993, it now employs approximately 95 staff members. Red Eye Studios, a motion capture facility, is a wholly owned subsidiary of HVS...
. Its current status is unknown.
Plot
In an alternate universeParallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
, mythical creatures such as vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
s, werewolves
Werewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
and zombie
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
s are a reality, and the people of Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
have adapted to their presence. A small group of monster hunters, comprising Hector, Doc, Miko and AJ, are hired by the mysterious organization called "Book" to exterminate these threats while investigating the source of the outbreak.
Gameplay
In The Grinder, players control one of four characters, each with their own unique attributes which can be upgraded as the game progresses. Players will have to use different techniques to defeat certain foes, and will have access to a large number of weapons, some of which can be dual wielded. The game will also offer players complete customization of its controls, and is stated to support Wii MotionPlusWii MotionPlus
The is an expansion device for the Wii Remote video game controller for the Wii that allows it to more accurately capture complex motion. According to Nintendo, the sensor in the device supplements the accelerometer and Sensor Bar capabilities of the Wii Remote to enable actions to be rendered...
.
An online multiplayer
Online game
An online game is a game played over some form of computer network. This almost always means the Internet or equivalent technology, but games have always used whatever technology was current: modems before the Internet, and hard wired terminals before modems...
mode will be included in The Grinder, and each level
Level (video gaming)
A level, map, area, or world in a video game is the total space available to the player during the course of completing a discrete objective...
can be played online cooperatively, with support of up to four players simultaneously, and will have multiple routes.
At the 2010 Game Developers Conference
Game Developers Conference
The Game Developers Conference is the largest annual gathering of professional video game developers, focusing on learning, inspiration, and networking...
, it was revealed that the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game would be a top-down shooter
Shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...
, rather than a first-person shooter.
Characters
- Hector: A Mexican bounty hunterBounty hunterA bounty hunter captures fugitives for a monetary reward . Other names, mainly used in the United States, include bail enforcement agent and fugitive recovery agent.-Laws in the U.S.:...
who has tracked targets on both sides of the border. Hector is boastful, arrogant and greedy. He used to be a professional hunter, but has annoyed so many people over the years that he cannot get a job with any of the professional companies.
- Doc: He wants to figure out what makes the monsters tick. Doc was a hunter for years but he left the life behind years ago when a mission went very badly. Since then, he has been working as an underground doctor.
- Miko: Miko is a JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese assassin looking for a new challenge. She was getting bored with her job, until the night one of her targets turned out to be a werewolf. Despite nearly getting killed, she found the battle exhilarating and immediately set out to take down more monsters.
- AJ: An urban explorer who had a very bad experience and is looking for revenge. AJ is the sole survivor of a Slasher attack. She knows that it is only a matter of time before the unkillable monster that slaughtered her sorority sisters on a weekend camping trip catches up with her to finish the job.
- Book: The secretive contact responsible for hiring the four hunters to control the outbreak.
Development
Hunter: The Reckoning (video game)
Hunter: The Reckoning is a video game based on the role-playing game of the same name. Developed by High Voltage Software and published by Interplay Entertainment, The Reckoning was first released on May 21, in North America for the Xbox. Hunter: The Reckoning is an action game where the player...
and confirmed that The Grinder was influenced by that game. Left 4 Dead
Left 4 Dead
Left 4 Dead is a cooperative first-person shooter video game. It was developed by Turtle Rock Studios, which was purchased by Valve Corporation during development. The game uses Valve's proprietary Source engine, and is available for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and Mac OS X...
was also an inspiration, as were grindhouse
Grindhouse
A grindhouse is an American term for a theater that mainly shows exploitation films. It is named after the defunct burlesque theaters located on 42nd Street in New York City, where 'bump n' grind' dancing and striptease were featured.- History :...
horror films.
The Grinder was in development for the Wii only, but a later interview revealed that ports will be made for other platforms. While the Wii version of the game is a first person shooter, the ported versions are top down shooters.