MICAH WRIGHT

The Dukes of Hazzard: Return of the General Lee
E3 2004 Preshow Hands-On Impressions

It's no surprise that Ubisoft's upcoming game based on The Dukes of Hazzard television series is named after the General Lee. After all, that orange Charger was the show's signature "actor" (though fans of Catherine Bach, aka Daisy Duke, may beg to differ). For those of you who were born sometime during or after the Reagan administration, The Dukes of Hazzard was a popular television show that ran from 1979-1985. The show was set in the fictional Hazzard County in the Deep South and centered around the Robin Hood-like exploits of a pair of brothers, Bo and Luke Duke, who drove around Hazzard County in an orange Dodge Charger, dubbed the General Lee. In Return of the General Lee, the titular car will again take center stage as players race, make daring jumps, and outrun Hazzard County sheriffs. We recently had a chance to try out an early version of the game, which ran on a PlayStation 2, at a pre-E3 press event.

Ubisoft calls the game a "driving adventure," which is a pretty apt description. Although you'll see the signature characters, such as Bo and Luke, Uncle Jesse, and, of course, Daisy, interacting in cutscenes, there are no on-foot elements to the gameplay. Throughout the game's 18 missions, you'll be driving around in the General Lee or, in some cases, other cars, like Cooter's tow truck, Uncle Jesse's pickup, Boss Hogg's Cadillac, and even Rosco P. Coltrane's police car. The missions are varied in nature. Some involve the simple pick up and delivery of items, while others require you to stealthily tail certain targets. You may also be able to find alternate routes in some missions. In most levels, you'll spend time trying to outrun the police, in addition to making daring stunt jumps over objects. Each time you make a jump, the game goes into a cinematic, slow-motion camera mode. Then the game rates the jump based on your height, the number of times your car flips or spins, and some other factors.

The driving feel of the game is fairly solid, though it has a definite arcade-leaning. You'll notice the difference in handling, depending on the road surface. Cars tend to lose traction much more easily on dirt as opposed to pavement, for example. The General Lee also sustains scarring and other minor damage as you rub fenders with Hazzard County sheriffs and bump into obstacles, but you won't see anything actually falling off the famous Charger. And while you can land on the car's roof if you misjudge a stunt jump, the game will automatically flip the car over for you so that you can continue.

Two actual television writers penned the script for Return of the General Lee, and all the living actors from the show lent their voice talents to the game. Some of them noted that the game's script was actually better than most of the scripts for the show itself, so hardcore Hazzard fans have even more to look forward to in Return of the General Lee.

Multiplayer fanatics can unlock a number of two-player split-screen modes, such as racing, police pursuit, destruction derby, and tag. The game is currently slated to ship in September for the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox. Stay tuned to GameSpot for more information on The Dukes of Hazzard: Return of the General Lee as it becomes available.

Ubisoft announces the latest game based upon America's favorite good ol' boys...

Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, today announced that The Dukes of Hazzard: Return of the General Lee will be available for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and the Xbox video game system from Microsoft in October 2004. Licensed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, The Dukes of Hazzard: Return of the General Lee is a humorous action racing game that combines a mission-based adventure and arena-style driving.

"Based on the success of the first two Dukes of Hazzard games, we are working with a great property that has stood the test of time," said Tony Kee, vice president of marketing for Ubisoft Entertainment. "This game will appeal to a wide audience of both fans of the show and racing game enthusiasts."

Set in Hazzard County, players step into the shoes of Bo and Luke Duke as they race to win prize money in order to save the local orphanage from Boss Hogg's latest crooked scheme. With the help of the ever-popular Daisy Duke, Uncle Jesse and Cooter, the good ol' boys go up against the villainous Boss Hogg, his bumbling cohorts Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane and Deputy Enos in order to win the Hazzard County Derby. Just like the television show, The Dukes of Hazzard: Return of the General Lee is filled with wild off-road action, gravity-defying stunts and adrenaline-pumping car chases.

Game features include:
Dukes World: The game captures all the joyriding thrills and homespun action of the original television show.

Dukes Celebrity: Full cast represented from the show, with voice-overs and likenesses from John Schneider (Bo Duke), Tom Wopat (Luke Duke), Catherine Bach (Daisy Duke), James Best (Roscoe P. Coltrane), Ben Jones (Cooter) and Sonny Shroyer (Enos Strate).

Variety of Playable Vehicles: Players can control a variety of vehicles including the General Lee, the Black Charger, Uncle Jesse's Pickup, Daisy's Road Runner, Cooter's Tow Truck, Rosco and Enos's Police Cruisers, and Boss Hogg's limousine.

Variety of Gameplay: Features a single-player Adventure Mode containing over 18 missions and an unlockable multiplayer mode that features destruction derby battles, head-to-head competition and cooperative play.

The Dukes of Hazzard follows the lives the Duke Boys and their beautiful Cousin Daisy as they battle the law and fight for the good guys. Despite a knack for getting into trouble, the Dukes always have a way of getting out...eventually. Although Bo, Luke and Daisy Duke cannot help but get involved in the affairs of the Hazzard County Police Department, they always make sure that justice is served.

Full of nostalgia and spirit that celebrates the good ol' USA, The Dukes of Hazzard is a true All-American property. Popular TV stars John Schneider, Tom Wopat and Catherine Bach kept families glued to their sets with episodes full of good, clean fun and excitement with plenty of car chases. The Dukes of Hazzard was on CBS for seven seasons, from January 1979 to February 1985, for a total of 147 episodes.

Ubi Soft Entertainment, one of the world’s leading videogame publishers, today announced a deal with Warner Bros. Consumer Products to develop and publish games based on The Dukes of Hazzard television series. Cutting-edge technology will fuel the Duke’s GeneralLee, as the classic TV cult favorite hits next generation consoles in the fall of 2003.
Game fans will remember that Ubi Soft distributed The Dukes of Hazzard games starting in 2000, which sold more than a half million copies since their release. Ubi Soft will now produce an entirely new multi-platform game based on the TV series and release it in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America.

“ Warner Bros. granting Ubi Soft The Dukes of Hazzard license gives us the ability to tap into an existing fan base with strong brand name recognition,” said Jay Cohen, vice president of publishing, Ubi Soft Entertainment, Inc. “But along with the nostalgia factor, the ultimate car chase adventure will be opened up to new fans, who demand fast-paced, high-octane excitement on their favorite next generation game platform.”
“ We are excited to see how the widely popular and well-established brand of The Dukes of Hazzard launches with the latest gameplay technology,” said Philippe Erwin, Vice President of Interactive Entertainment for Warner Bros. Consumer Products. “Continuing to work with Ubi Soft, we look forward to taking next generation gamers to a higher level with engaging car chase games based on a favorite property.”