| Earth's Special Forces | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | ESF Team |
| Engine | GoldSrc |
| Version | 1.2.3 (stable) Final (in development) |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Genre(s) | Third-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
Earth's Special Forces (also known as ESF) is a modification based on the Japanese anime Dragon Ball Z for the popular first-person shooter Half-Life.
Contents |
The object of the game is to kill all of the other players. The player controls one of nine Dragonball Z characters, each of which has different abilities, such as the ability to fly, teleport, jump great heights, or to beamjump, which is using the force of firing a beam at the ground to propel oneself into the air. Each ability drains energy, which must be replenished by powering up.
Players may use either an energy attack or a melee attack. Energy attacks are executed by selecting the desired attack and holding the mouse button until attack is charged up. Melee attacks can occur in two forms: simple and complex. Simple melee is executed by flying into another player while holding the left mouse button. It consists of hitting the opponent and sending him flying across the arena. Advanced melee is executed by holding down the right mouse button while flying into an opponent. This will initiate advanced melee mode, where both players must hit directional keys in the proper order with the correct timing in order to throw or block multiple punches. Advanced melee mode gameplay is similar to that of Dance Dance Revolution or Guitar Hero.
The strength of an energy attack or a melee hit is determined by the player's power level. The higher the power level, the stronger the attack will be. Power level is increased by dealing damage to other players. When a player accumulates enough power, he can transform, granting him additional speed, attacks, and power.
ESF is a modification of the game Half-Life and, therefore, has a different gameplay style than the original. It is a third person deathmatch game in a Dragonball Z setting.
ESF has been in development for almost 10 years. In this time the game has been through numerous updates. Alpha 2.0, which was released on November 2001, marked the beginning. In November of 2002, Beta 1.0, the first major update for ESF, was released. Beta 1.0 featured a simple melee system and laid the foundation for future updates. In 2003, the next major update, Beta 1.1, was released. Version 1.1 added tweaks to simple melee, added the ability to beam jump, and added new attacks, such as Goku's Kame Torpedoes. In 2004, Beta 1.2 was released, adding advanced melee. It also featured tweaks to simple melee, several control changes, and graphical updates.