There are relatively few role-playing games that take place in futuristic settings, and even fewer played from a close-in third-person perspective, so Black9 may seem like a typical sci-fi action game at first glance. But while you can expect to engage in plenty of hacking, slashing, and shooting in the game, Black9 is fundamentally an action RPG backed up by a flexible skill-based system for developing your high-tech mercenary character. And not only will Black9 have a complex, conspiracy-laden story for the single-player campaign, but Taldren's multiplayer plans for all three platforms--PC, Xbox, and PlayStation 2--will also include full cooperative play through the campaign and competitive modes that will let players develop persistent characters.​