"Spectacular if you like shooters, and don't expect the next DMC"

Pressing the start button i was prompted with ''Project Number Three''. Apparently, that ''0'' i liked to pronounce was silent. Capcom had made a fool of me! Shortly thereafter i was treated to the intro, which was very cool. The game began after the short intro (thankfully) with your basic beginning area. The beginning area was quite nice for learning the controls. But enough about all that, it's time to break it down....

i'll start with:

Gameplay:
The gameplay is a blast. That is, if you like shooters. The basics of the gameplay are thusly: Control an agile and alluring female in her quest to destroy CAMS. You dodge lasers, roll out of the way, crouch, hide behind pillars, etc. and then pop back out and return fire. Of course, doing this all with style and skill is smiled upon. Doing it slowly and un-skilled is frowned upon. The goal is to finish the enemies as quickly as possible. You also get a nice little bonus for not getting hit. The point of doing things fast is so you can achieve combos. The combo system adds to the overall experience as you will commonly find yourself thinking ''alright, should i risk being offense, and possibly taking a hit to get those combo points, or play it safe for the ''no damage clear'' bonus?''. Once you defeat an enemy you are given a pre-determined amount of time for it's destruction. Lets say that the time given is ten seconds, therefore, you would have ten seconds to destroy your next enemy to achieve a combo. Lets say the next enemy was worth ten seconds as well, now you have a fresh ten seconds to kill your next enemy. The time not carrying over may seem like a bummer at first, but in all actuality it makes the combo system more diverse. After you killed all the enemies you could in your time limit, you receive a number. Lets say you killed 5 enemies, and the total points they were worth was 500, the game then takes the number you were given, and multiplies it by the points you would receive. After you kill all the enemies in a room, you move onto the next to decimate more robots. At the end of each room you are given a screen showing how you performed. You are also given a screen like this at the end of your mission, complete with a ranking. In between missions you can attempt the ''trial missions'', randomly generated areas based upon places you've fought robot scum before. The point of these is not only to be challenged but to gain more points. You use the points you earn from the main game and the trial missions for the purchase of everything from continues, to suits, to upgrades for your suits.

Control:
The controls in this game are very fitting. Sure it may take you a few moments to adjust, but once you do, you will more likely then not love the controls. They are rather simple, after all. 'A' shoots, 'B' jumps, 'Y' is crouch, 'X' changes your target, 'Z' performs either a 180 degree turn or a 90 degree turn if used in conjunction with the joystick, 'L' and 'R' dodge left and right, respectively, the D-pad is used to execute supers, the joystick is movement. There is an interesting restriction of not being able to move and shoot at the same time. However, the dodging abilities more than make up for this. All in all i had not a single control problem

Graphics:
Well, personally, i like the graphics. I can easily see the faults within them, but i like them none the less. Vanessa herself looks quite detailed, and the environments look nice. People complain that the environments are bland, and boring. I like what was done, and i enjoy the whole ''sterile'' thing. The robots are a little lacking, though, when compared to the environments and Vanessa. The lasers look like lasers, and everything is clearly discernible. I am not too picky with graphics, though.

Story:
Well, there IS a story, but its not like you're going to care. The story is not what this game is floating on. I mean, its a shooter, not the next RE game, or whatever.

Replay:
The replay in this game is here. But only if you are willing to stick it out. If you feel shooters get old, then this game has zero replay. If, however, you grew up playing ''Space Invaders'' and ''Galaga'' and their spawn/kin (like me) and always strived for that new high score, then you'll be playing this one for quite a long time.

THE END:
This game is an absolute surprise. Sure, it has some flaws, but what doesn't? If you go into this with an open mind, and don't expect a spectacular story, or the next DMC or big adventure game you are more likely then not going to have a good time. Be sure you rent it first, however, as you will need to make sure you are still into shooters, or ever were in the first place.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 09/18/03