Enclave

"I just cant stop playing!"

So much seems to have changed since Enclave was first shown to the world, at one time this game was destined to include a massive multiplayer mode, but sadly that has been removed. Does the game still have enough gas to keep going or will it sputter before it leaves the starting line? Read on to find out.

“The end was near. From all directions Vatar’s dark hordes closed in on the nearly defeated army of Celenheim. But atop of one of the ridges a lone figured, clad in a wizard’s robe, defiantly faced the demon. He lifted the staff high in the air and slammed it hard into the ground, unleashing the wrath of nature itself. Over a single night, the world erupted. The skies grew black, the soil turned crimson with fire, blood and chaos. The Rift races forth, ripping the Earth’s crust asunder wherever it went. The demon was believed to be gone forever, and so was the wizard.

Light separated from dark, the world had become divided. On the side of Light, the Enclave, known as Celenheim, was now protected from all sides by a wide rift, a bottomless abyss. On the other side, dark, twisted forms struggled for survival, their hatred growing as they dwelled in the shadows. To the people of Celenheim they became known as the Outlanders. In the darkness, their power slowly growing, and they knew that one day their time would come. They would cross the Rift and claim what they believed was rightfully theirs.

The Rift is growing more narrow with every moment. The Earth is healing. And soon, the Outlanders will take to arms, to crush the people of Celenheim once and for all.”

Graphics

Let me start by saying Enclave has a menu system that would make most high end Dvd’s blue with envy, the overall look of it is just fantastic! I am sure you already know that the graphics in this game are better then just about anything out there. Amazingly high polygon counts with superb animation and some of the highest resolution textures you will ever see on a TV this game has it all, well almost…. At times when the action is at a peak you will notice a tad of slowdown, which is forgivable due to the over stimulation you get from everything else around every corner, but things like your head going inside a wall should be considered a crime in this day and age. Another thing that cooks my noodle is the bump mapping or lack thereof? Halo has shown everyone how great trees and rocks can look in a game, and Enclave fails in that respect, when your far away a tree or rock (or wall etc) look’s great, but when you get really close it tends to blur into something you should be seeing in a less powerful console, not a system that comes with all the bells and whistles a graphics fanatic could ever ask for. For that I deduct a point, shame on you Starbreeze!

Sound

Almost every Xbox owner has come to expect Dolby 5.1 in their games, and this like most delivers in every respect. From the clangs of the sword to the whoosh of an arrow (or 16) flying by your head everything sounds great. What I love the most about Enclave’s audio is the environmental aspects, from earthquakes to plain old ambient sounds everything seems to fit, and since its all in 5.1 surround you know where its coming from as if you were truly there, all hail Nvidia! Did I forget to mention voice acting? Well its pretty damn good, most of the voices sound like they are coming from “real” actors, not those Resident Evil esque voice’s most game studios like to employ, maybe not as good at the Legacy of Kain series but good nonetheless.

Game play

Do you like to Hack and Slash? This game couldn’t have come at a better time, I've been longing for some straight out stab them till their dead style mayhem and this game delivers. You start off with NOTHING, but within the first 5 minuets you should have a cheap little sword and shield to kill trolls with, and it couldn’t be more fun. The rest of the game is pretty much just that aside from the fancy magic you get later on, but is it really a bad thing? I don’t think so. Scattered throughout some of the levels you will find objects to aid you on you way, for instance at the start of the game you will find a Cannon which you need to aim and blast through a huge wooden door. I cant really go into depth in this section because if I do ill ruin many of the “HOLY SH**” moments this game throws at you. The only real problem is lack of a checkpoint save system, you can make it ¾ through the level and suddenly die, then start waaaaaaaay back at the beginning all of over again ::sigh::. Just expect lots of swords, death and fun + anger before this game is over. And when it is over, you can start again, but this time you can play as those nasty Outlanders for a running total of 12 playable characters!

Control

As soon as I picked this baby up I said “HALO!”, and then I died because I thought that’s what I was playing. The control scheme mimic’s Halo in almost every way which is great because 70% of us have played that gem of a game and have mastered the controls. Here's a quick rundown. Left Thumb stick moves front, back, and side-to-side, while the right stick is used for looking/aiming. The L trigger is a “use” button which can open doors and interact with object in the game, it also draws your shield so you don’t die so quick and trust me you will die plenty, the R trigger is your slash/fire and it feels just right, headshot anyone? Black puts you into or out of first person mode, which is only useful for sniping with your bow, otherwise stick to the 3rd person perspective, and don’t say I didn’t warn you. Y drinks the ever-important health potion (when will game characters just heal over time!?), X switches between items in your inventory including but not limited to types of arrows, X & B both cycle through any weapons you have, but make sure you have a good few feet between you and your opponent(s) when switching between blades and bows because it takes time!

Closing Comments

This game is worth a good look, if you don’t have the cash to run around buying games everyday then give it a rent first. Don’t come into this game expecting Barneys Adventure, this is a challenge and will give even the best of gamer a serious case of controller chucking, but in the end its worth it. Enclave 2 anyone?

-Steve


Graphics 8
Sound 8
Gameplay 8
Control 8
Replay 9
OVERALL (not an average) 8

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 08/04/02, Updated 08/04/02