Few remember a little game for the PC named Messiah. And for good reason, the game was a forgettable, buggy experience. Although mostly an ill-conceived third-person shooter, it did bring one interesting element to the table: possession. As Bob, a cherub, you were able to possess enemies on the screen and use their abilities to solve puzzles. Unfortunately, the idea wasn't nearly as realized as it could have been.
About a year ago, at their 2003 E3 press conference, Nintendo showed a brief glimpse of an n-Space developed title named Geist. Although the game appeared to be just another FPS, it did showcase what seemed to be the ability to travel between bodies and possess enemies ala' Messiah. However, this short glimpse was all anyone saw of the game and Nintendo, being Nintendo, quieted about the project. A year later, Nintendo has finally revealed what that short clip was all about.
At its heart, Geist is an FPS, albeit a very interesting and innovative one. The most compelling aspect of the game is the ability to not only possess other living things, but inanimate objects as well. While you can only possess certain objects, something that I personally don't like, it still lends an interesting puzzle aspect to the game.
For example, one area lets you possess a dog's bowl and scare him. Of course, this is mostly just for sick pleasure, but its fun. As you progress through the game you'll have to think carefully about who you choose to possess. Taking over the body of a dog will allow you to go through narrow spaces and air ducts, but won't do you much good in a fire fight.
Graphically, the game looks even better than it did last year. While it may not fully keep up with some of the other games on the floor, I really enjoyed the amount of graphical style showcased in the title. While in spirit form, everything has a sort of haze as if you're there, but not really there. Really cool. Once you take over the body of someone (or something) the perspective changes to fit that particular item. Seeing the world through the eyes of a solider is one thing, but seeing it though that of a thermostat is something else.
Though much of the gameplay still remains to be seen, I was pretty impressed with what I've seen so far.