Pariah

"Lights, camera,.....lack of action."

The definition of a pariah is an outcast. At least the developers got that right about this stupid game. I personally found no enjoyment in beating this game, and only beat it for the sake of "what doesn't kill me only makes me stronger." However, this game didn't make me stronger. It just really, really pissed me off. I'd almost of preferred it killed me.

First off, the story. I'll admit it's a decent plot. Then you realize what year it's based in, and the first thing that pops to mind is, "Wow, it's only a few years behind Halo." Sadly, that's where the similarity in fun ends. The story is essentially you crash in hostile territory, in the middle of this vast wasteland with a bunch of bloodthirsty bandits. Your buddies die pretty much a few seconds after the start of the game, and you're left with this girl infected with a virus, that causes her to have superpowers. She just can't control them, and has catastrophic meltdowns every now and then. I won't 'spoil' the ending for you, it'll do that for itself. I found my self in awe at the ending, as it was the stupidest thing I've ever seen. All I'll say is that those catastrophic meltdowns make for a really bad ending.

The graphics weren't the worst I've ever seen, they actually are sort of enjoyable. But, as with the story, gameplay pretty much kills any enjoyment I'd of gotten out of the graphics. Also, the sound was incredibly good. I enjoyed hearing the gunshots and cars and things. All over the graphics and sound quality is good, but is spoiled by very broken gameplay.

Ah yes. Now onto the aforementioned gameplay. It's horrible. Pathetically monotonous, you feel like you're doing the same thing over and over and over and over and over and fricken' over again. They took a great concept with the vehicles. They are actually fun to drive. Wait, let me correct myself. They would be fun to drive, but there are so few moments in which they are a practical choice, that there's no point in even using them in most situations. And the multiplayer. They manage to trick you into believing that making your own maps is fun. Jokes on us. It's not. Not even close. It's tedious and incredibly boring, just like the multiplayer. It's almost impossible to get a feel for the maps, and you find yourself running around just trying to find your opponent. But when you find him, it's nearly impossible to shoot him, due to the horrible aiming system. I can't even pinpoint what's wrong with it, it just doesn't feel right, it feels to forced. It's not smooth in the least and takes a lot of fun out of the gameplay. Some of the weapons are fun to use, such as the grenade launcher, but the aiming... well, it's already been said.

Overall, I disliked this game. A lot. I found a few enjoyable moments, but they were washed away with bad gameplay and pathetic endings. I would not recommend this to a friend, however it is bad enough to give it to an enemy, for a laugh at their frustration at playing this game.

Reviewer's Score: 3/10, Originally Posted: 07/28/08

Game Release: Pariah (US, 05/03/05)