Light sabers and machine guns are all well and good, but I'd gladly trade in those toys for the ability to move things with my mind. Just think about it. Don't chainsaw that big tree that just crashed into your yard. Lift and toss it off a cliff. Don't get up to grab the remote. Simply raise one of your hands and make it float in your direction. The possibilities are endless, but naturally, such powers could be used for evil. There would be nothing stopping you from flinging a bedpan at your most hated relative or lifting the Golden Gate Bridge, Magneto style. It's wishful thinking (I haven't been bending any spoons), but at the very least, I can pretend to be a bad ass in CellFactor: Revolution, Artificial Studios' upcoming PC game that features superb physics, slick graphics, and plenty of George Lucas-inspired Force powers.

CellFactor is a third and first person hybrid with a huge multiplayer focus. You're basically going to be dropped into an arena-style environment and given access to a host of cool machine guns and other neat weapons, except the mindless blasting isn't the coolest part of the game. The primary draw is the ability to use psychic powers to move things around, and I'm not talking about one or two objects. You'll be able to lift and fling hundreds upon hundreds of rigid bodies, thanks to Ageia's slick PhysX technology. All of the videos that have been released show funky looking characters floating over a hundred feet in the air and manipulating a ridiculous amount of stuff that can be swirled about, brought together, and chucked in any direction. It's easily the best use of PhysX that I've ever seen, and if anything, LucasArts should be taking notes on how Force powers are supposed to work.

In addition to interacting with debris, you can also destroy the environments. Is there a pesky sniper hiding out in a tower? Don't even bother engaging him weapon to weapon. Just crush the tower, pick up the pieces, and fling them at someone else. There are just a lot of cool things to do, and the best part is the demo runs without a hitch, at least as far as I can see. I mean, the game is probably not going to run on a basic machine, but if you have a GeForce 6800 (or a GeForce 7900) and a speedy processor, you'll be good to go.

As I previously mentioned, the game lets you change perspective, so if third person blasting isn't your thing, you can mix things up by making it a first person frag fest. And in addition to seeing your weapon out in front of you, you'll be able to see your selected character's hands moving around. But things seem to work well using either viewpoint, so what you choose will really be a matter of taste as opposed to settling with the best possible option. But to see the entire level, to truly get a great view of the absolute carnage that you may be causing, I recommend switching to third person.

CellFactor looks great. I don't think anyone can say otherwise with a straight face. The environments look cool, the sci-fi character designs are passable, and of course, the physics are just phenomenal. But I'm not sure if this game has evolved from its humble beginnings as an E3 2006 tech demo. Artificial Studios hasn't revealed how many maps there are, nor has it discussed all of the characters in the game. I know that one uses psi powers only, another uses a combination of psi powers and weapons, and another just uses guns, but other than that, everything's been kept under wraps. I don't know the names of these guys or why they're fighting. Ageia reps informed me that the game takes place in a militaristic society, but that's a pretty basic framework. I need more to work with, something juicy to sink my claws into.

There's no use debating how fantastic this game looks. The point is mute. But I am skeptical as to whether it'll be enjoyable. Artificial is an unproven developer, and details about the game's progress are scarce. But I am definitely intrigued, so expect to see more of CellFactor in the very near future.

For a video demonstation of CellFactor: Revolution, be sure to check out the game's homepage.