RLH: Run Like Hell

"A game with some of the best voice acting ever heard!"

When I first heard about this game I wanted it badly. But something happened in my head to make me forget all about this title until a few weeks ago I saw it in my local gaming store. I looked at the game and said, “I remember this game! Why haven't I bought it yet?” I then proceeded to pay for the game, only 15 bucks for a new copy (It was on sale) and went home to play it.

Being a huge fan of Horror and Sci-Fi movies I loved this game right from the start. It's almost like playing a movie instead of playing a game. From the great voice talent for the characters, to a detailed story that keeps you interested in what is going on, this game doesn't disappoint. Too bad it wasn't a bit longer, or had more extras to make you play it over again.

But once I forget about the well-written plot for the game I'll play this title again just for the story alone. The game is fun to play, but the story is what kept me in front of my TV for hours and hours.

Presentation
This game has a few flaws, but nothing that will make you go insane or saying to yourself “I can't believe I bought this game!” Let's start with the bad. The weapons are not that strong, and the first rifle in the game takes a bit to get used too. But at least it has infinite ammo, which is awesome. A few weapons like the Shotgun, and the Stun Gun are worthless. You don't stun these aliens, you blow them to pieces. The Shotgun is only great in close range, and these aliens need to be killed from a distance. If you are to close to one of them, you will take some damage. Other weapons are great to kill with, but the ammo is in short supply.

Now for the good points. You will never need to worry about health. That is, if you like to search your areas closely. When I ended the game I had about 100 health packs (Heal 25% of your body) remaining. There are machines that give you health bars and drinks to give you health all over the levels. They only give a small portion of your health bar back, but they are always around. Your body has a shield that can be recharged at computer stations located throughout the levels. The bosses are not hard to kill, once you know the pattern to their attacks.

The story is worth 80% of the score for this game. It is perfect. The script and the violence in the game is definitely for those over the age of 17. You always know where you need to go next, so don't worry about getting stuck somewhere. I also like the passwords that are needed throughout the game. It's cool to look for passwords instead of keys. Any fan of action games, or of outer space scenarios will enjoy this title. Give it a rent at least. 10/10

Graphics
There are a few problems with the graphics, but nothing to major. In certain areas, where there are a lot of aliens to shoot the game is slow down a bit. Also, if you are next to another character you can see through them. Which looks kind of cool, but isn't supposed to happen. The levels look very detailed, and I really liked the outside areas and one section of the base where it looked like the room was filled with fog. I also enjoyed the detail given to the aliens. They looked very unique. 9/10

Sound
Before I talk about the game sounds I really need to give credit to the great actor/actresses who did the voices in this game. They made the game feel like a movie! Lance Hanriksen (Aliens, Alien3, The Terminator), Michael Ironside (Heavy Metal 2000/Voice, V: The Final Battle, V: The Series, Highlander 2), Kate Mulgrew (Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Nemesis), Clancy Brown (Highlander, Starship Troopers, Pet Cemetery 2), Kevin Michael Richardson (Spawn: Armageddon/Voice in game, Animatrix/Voice), and Cree Summer (FFX/Voice in game, FF X-2/Voice in game). Each one of these talented people deserves some credit in making this game great.

The music and sound effects are great for a shooting game. In certain spots the music makes you think that something bad is going to happen, and most of the time it is. But the real enjoyment goes to the voice work in the game. 10/10

Gameplay
The controls are easy to get used to. But they should have added a switch off option for targeting multiple aliens. I don't like being locked on one alien while another one is killing me. There might be a different control setting with this option, but I just used the first setting.

This is your basic shooting game. You have items to find in order to proceed, or people to rescue. The aliens seem the same, but while you progress in the game the aliens change in different ways to make them harder to kill. The first few levels only have two alien creatures to deal with. But towards the end there are several kinds of aliens to kill.

The story is the backbone to this game. It makes you want to play until you see the ending. I loved the plot and the ending was amazing. I won't ruin the game but if you enjoy Sci-Fi movies like Alien, or even Star Trek then you need to give this game a chance. 10/10

Lasting Appeal
There really isn't replay value for this game. Unless you love Horror Sci-Fi games like I do, you probably will play the game over again in a few weeks. The game lasts about 15-20 hours. Depending on if you kill everything in sight, or how many times you die and have to restart the section again. But since I love this type of game genre I have to give it my usual score. 10/10

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 06/03/04