XIII

"Great to look at, but three fatal flaws mar the final score!"

I would've easily gone for an 8 or 9, but for three major flaws!

But the good stuff first:

GRAPHICS: Yes, the game is VERY cool to look at. The Graphic Novel is brought across VERY well. It really is more than just a gimmick - it really suits the overall game, and makes for some very unique levels throughout. I first had this game on the GameCube - but heavy aliasing and very difficult gameplay led me to getting it on PC - and graphically it was very well worth the change! As far as I know, there are no other FPS out there with this look.

SOUND: The much touted VO talents of X-Files Duchovny and ORIGINAL Original Batman Adam West lend credence to the game - but of the two, West actually takes first prize. Duchovny seems very uninterested in his VO. The rest of the game features the typical sounds of the genre - with a serviceable enough soundtrack that made me think of NO ONE LIVES FOREVER more than once!

GAMEPLAY: Well, here is where we get to the fatal elements. In straight gameplay, this game is really cool! The shootouts are fun, the weapons varied, the level design very well done. And, snapping necks with your wrist and smashing chairs over heads NEVER gets old throughout the game!

But, the big problem I had with the gameplay is three-fold:

1) THIS IS A HARD GAME! Even on the third or fourth level playing on EASY setting, I was getting constantly wasted! This is due to the fact that you lose health like a hole in a bucket! two shotgun blasts will kill you, and if you get flanked by two or more machine gunners, might as well restart the level right there! Which leads me to my second bone of contention . . .

2) THERE IS NO QUICKSAVE FUNCTION! In this FPS day and age, this is a cardinal sin!! FAR CRY had the same problem! Rather than let you reload at any moment, each level is designed with two or three checkpoints. So, you can actually Quicksave - but no matter where you are, you will always reset to the last checkpoint with all objectives unfinished and all enemies alive again. This coupled with the difficult gameplay really serves to kill the fun of the game in the later levels - particularly in the stealth missions that are prevalent near the end. Which leads to point three . . .

3) The stealth in this game sucks! There is no way to gauge how stealthy you are being. Now, there are some indicators as to where the bad guys are, and whether or not they are turning suspicious - but as for any concept of whether or not you are well concealed - forget about it! Stealth missions should be alot of fun - but not when every single mistake sends you back to the beginning of the level! Trial and Error is out here because of the lack of Quicksave.

All told, the game was still alot of fun - but the difficulty level REALLY needs tweaking in light of the above three issues. As it was, I gave up on the final boss and simply uninstalled my game, lest I through my whole computer out the window!! The game is still worth the buy, but don't spend more than $10 on it!

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 12/24/05