Cenega shows us gangsters and aliens at E3

Every once in a while, a PC game deserves a second look. In the case of El Matador, maybe even a third.

At first glance, El Matador, a third-person action game under development by Czech developers Plastic Reality Technology and published by Czech publisher Cenega Publishing is just another Max Payne knockoff with a strange Latin American twist by way of Eastern Europe. Set in Central and South America, the game lets players take on the role of a special DEA agent as he takes on the dangerous "Latin Narcomafia," an organized crime syndicate, and deals with betrayal by his own people.

After watching the demo, El Matador actually appears to be a decent game, featuring a movie-like storyline featuring 15 levels and seven chapters, excellent graphics and a really cool slow-motion, bullet-time ability. Players progress through a story that combines unexpected twists and dramatic developments into "a tale of corruption, revenge, moral ambiguity and ultimate justice." Czechs making a game about a DEA agent in South America suddenly doesn't seem so odd, even though the hero looks like be belongs in a telenovella.

Graphically, the game is superb, with real dynamic shadows and a realistically rendered environment. Players are able to choose from a huge arsenal of weapons and are faced with a large range of enemies armed with a hierarchical AI system. In addition, much of the environment is destructible and real physics apply. All in all, an enjoyable-looking game. Based on some of the action and language featured in the demo, it will most likely earn a Mature rating, but that's not a problem. It'd be an R-rated movie as well.

El Matador is set for release this fall for the PC. Take a look for yourself.

Also on the menu over at Cenega is UFO: Afterlight, a real-time strategy game under development by ALTAR Games. A sequel to UFO: Aftershock, UFO: Afterlight features a mixture of squad based tactical action and global strategy, as players control the actions of elite ground troops, and the running and construction of an intricate network of interlinking bases while collecting resources.

UFO: Afterlight takes players to Mars, where a human colony has been built. Predictably, their efforts to colonize the planet have unleashed an ancient alien defense mechanism and Earth is not answering the phone. The game features strong roleplaying elements, a complex training system and advanced tactics with a new storyline featuring new enemies, new technologies and everything needed for a decent sequel.

UFO: Afterlight is scheduled for release early next year.