Geist

"The game that was supposed to be... but wasnt"

First person shooters are a tricky affair. A developer has to find new ways to make them interesting and show them as something worth buying. However, what happens when you've figured out the idea of something truly infectious... but stumble on it before it even gets out the door. We get GEIST... a so-so shooter with enough bland elements to make us give up on it in the first half.
This review is going to be a bit different, as I hate giving the same old point by point reviews that drag on. Instead I'm going to compare the "what it should be" elements (WISB) to what it actually is.

VISUALS: (WISB: 8) Actual: cheap-half baked 6

There is nothing more annoying than having a game that excels in some areas of visuals and other portions that flounder like a ship. It's like the game has a personality disorder and can't figure out if it wants to be a current game or a 1st generation game. The backgrounds are rich and textures are feasible. The character models would've looked great on the Dreamcast, but doesn't hold ground to today's current gen standards. Too bad... We expect good detailed character models and this just doesn't deliver.

AUDIO: (WISB: 7) Actual: exhilarating 8

The music is actual pretty good. It can get intense and the score is well rounded. The sound effects do your average job. Nothing that truly stands out. The voice acting has its up and downs but there just aren't enough of it to really say "wow". Overall the audio is good.

GAMEPLAY: (WISB: 9) Actual: dragging-aimless 5

What happens when gameplay looks so enticing it makes you crave the idea of such a game. A game where you go around and possess things at your own will and can do whatever you very well choose to. ...absolutely stinks that this idea is nothing more than a dream even after playing it. Everything in this game is linear and runs on a hand-in-hand do this and do that scenario. You can possess random things... you can't control whatever YOU want... you control only what the GAME WANTS YOU TO. Nooo... but yes, it is the most disappointing element of the game. Strip it of whatever the thing has left and you got this really cheap first person shooter that runs like a tank. It's clumsy, no accurate movements because your character is slow and literally feels out of control 85% of the time. It's only when you turn into animals that you actually feel a sense of happiness. The puzzles are boring, gameplay drags and nothing seems quite that interesting out of the first 2 hours.

STORY: (WISB: 8) Actual: fizzling 5

The story had a lot of promise overall. Except... after about half way through the game, it completely falls apart and becomes about as believable as a Mario adventure. Hello... at least make this mature shooter something more than some alien-rip off! Nothing more needs to be said about this train wreck! Moving on and if you you play this, you better drink a lot of coffee and have a ton of patience.

MULTIPLAYER: (WISB: 9) Actual: good 8, but not spectacular

Another promising feature that entered my imagination was the possibility of a truly riveting multiplayer mode. What sucks is the fact that it falls flat on its face. There's a few variations but it all proves to be a "been there, done that" rehash of many titles we've played before. Where's the creativity?

REPLAYABILITY: (WISB: 7) Actual: so-so 7

There are some collectables which unlock features in multiplayer but outside of those and the multiplayer itself... it's horribly lacking thus leaving the buyer to wonder... why didn't I just rent the horrid thing? I beat it in 7 clam shelled hours!

ALL AND ALL: (WISB: 9) Actual: 6

Mediocre... the best word to describe this out of control horse trolley. Oh and it does go over the edge of the cliff but in a truly uninspiring way. If the clumsy control scheme and reaction time of your character don't kill you... then the forced, unimaginative puzzles and atmosphere will. The game that never was and as of now... never will be. Get a priest Geist to take you to that sweet place you truly don't deserve... and get out of our living rooms.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 12/07/05