From the twisted mind of Clive Barker comes the squad-based shooter Jericho. Developed by the Madrid-based studio Mercury Steam, the game centers on the exploits of a seven-person Special Forces strike team known as the Jericho Team. Trained in both conventional and paranormal warfare, each team member specializes in a different para-psychological discipline such as clairvoyance, telepathy, alchemy, blood magic and exorcism.

At the outset of the game, Jericho gets dispatched to Al-Khali, a modern Middle Eastern city built atop civilizations from past millennia. It also happens to be the site of a top secret archaeological dig and paranormal research centre. Suddenly, all of that gets whisked away when it becomes the center of a dimensional rift from which an ancient evil emerges -- one that threatens to engulf the entire globe. Players must lead the team into the now flaming ruins of the city, one filled with hellish monsters that only Clive Barker could imagine.

Initially, players assume the roll of Captain Ross, who ends up dying not long into siege. However, his death doesn't occur in vain, and actually facilitates the game's key play mechanic. Ross becomes a spirit with the ability to jump between the bodies of his former squad mates to utilize their specific paranormal abilities. This "threading" technique lets player mix the abilities of the characters together like an alchemist. For instance, Ross can jump into one character to create a mystical shield, and then switch to another with telekinetic powers to turn it into a weapon.

As the story unfolds and players navigate through the streets, alleys and buildings of Al-Khali, they'll learn all the "whys" and "what for" of this macabre story. As the squad gets closer to the rift, the city becomes flooded with hellish warriors. These "warriors" are actually the spirits of dead soldiers who have died throughout history.

In an interesting twist, history becomes layered through the many labyrinthine walls of the city. According to a press release from Codemasters, the game's publisher, the city itself will be like a maze. Barker says, "I don't want to give too much away just yet, but the concept is that somewhere in northern Africa there is a walled city which is not just a walled city but walls within walls within walls. It's like Russian dolls, spaces within each other, and trapped inside each space is a slice of time where the warriors of good have gone against ultimate evil and have lost."

The first level contains modern day soldiers, while other levels include ancient warriors armed with magical powers. Therein lays one of the many twists: some of these warriors are evil while others are not; the player must decide which they are. With each level, combat becomes more primitive and a more primal experience. The team must rely less and less on traditional weapons and instead harness their collective psychic abilities to defeat the supernatural combatants.