Cologne, Germany, February 11, 2010 – Black Inc. and developer Coreplay from Munich, Germany, are releasing new gameplay features for the space shooter Ion Assault. An automatic update will add the high score “survival” mode and an alternative control setup to the first German-made arcade game for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®.
The new controls enable the player to handle targeting directly: Using the right stick, the player is now able to align the spaceship immediately, instead of rotating it around its axis as before. This is much easier for fans of similar games, while veterans of Ion Assault can continue to use the classic controls in both the campaign and multiplayer modes.
The newly added survival mode demands faster reactions and more stamina than the campaign. The player is confronted with more and more increasingly dangerous enemies within a certain time limit. When destroyed, enemies drop Score Orbs which not only yield points, but also valuable extra seconds, making them essential for anyone aspiring to beat the high score.
In the new mode, the ion particles the player uses to fire at enemy spacecraft do not have to be collected as they are in the campaign. The particles are automatically bundled from the beginning, and can be fired in a focused beam. The constant ion flow allows the player to concentrate fully on evasion and targeting. Thrill-seekers looking to set a new high score will find the new game mode a fast, intense experience. Moreover, Ion Assault pilots all over the world get to compare their Achievements in the “Survival” rankings. Players can also choose to explore the trial version of the new game mode first.
Visually, the developer Coreplay continues to make the most of Ion Assault’s spectacular particle effect system in the survival mode: The particles’ colors and the lighting change depending on the enemies who appear, creating a visually dynamic world.
Ion Assault can be downloaded from Xbox LIVE Arcade for 800 Microsoft Points. The update including the new game mode and control setup is installed automatically.
Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.
