The Crossing

Arkane Claim That The Crossing will be the first game to feature 'CrossPlayer' gameplay, which to be honest isn't too difficult when you've made the term up yourself. But what first seemed like a marketing gimmick is quickly becoming something a little more interesting.

If Arkane are to be believed, The Crossing will feature some of the most innovative ideas in online gaming we've ever come across. Not, as we first suspected, something to do with people getting very angry, CrossPlay in fact allows real human players to take the place of Al enemies in a single-player-style story mode. These cannon fodder enemies, when not playing a role in somebody else's story, play regular deathmatches between themselves, just waiting for the chance to attack a passing story-mode player.

Sound like a bizarre, high-concept gameplay theory? Perhaps so. Either way, The Crossing's going to have a hard time proving itself to sceptics. Luckily for the game, it's a very pretty theory...

Le Singe Est Dans L'arbre

The game is set in Paris during several different eras and dimensions, which are all mingling to create a hotbed of interdimensional tomfoolery. Arkane, who recently gave us Dark Messiah, are continuing to work with the Source engine too.

Beneath A Steel Guy

The Templar have arrived from an alternate timeline which happened to overlap with our own. What this means is... well, we're not sure. Arkane are keeping very quiet.

Expendable Friend

If you play as the Al-replacing cannon-fodder, the game may offer you the chance to become an Elite player (that is, a single-player hero), and go off on your own adventures.

Feeling Skirmish?

A typical skirmish map might see soldiers facing off against Parisian thugs. If the .next round involves an Elite player, teams may be switched so that everybody's against the Elite.

They Didn't Start The Riot...

Even though it might look like it's based on the Paris riots, Arkane have been working on The Crossing since shortly before the Parisians started tipping things over and breaking windows.

Table Turner

If you do become an Elite, you'll have to fight your way out of the level you were just skirmishing in. People who might have been your allies in the previous round will want you dead.

Grapple Juice

We're the superficial sort, so things like grappling hooks really please us. Especially when you can use them to swing from a building top to a street before stabbing somebody in the face.