Fireblade

"Worth the cash"

Never once have I found a game that started at 20 bucks and was worth every cent. This is as close as Ive gotten.

GAMEPLAY - 9 - As everyone says, this makes or breaks the game. This is no different. Fortunate enough, this is done well. Missions are well rounded with different ways to go. Objective based but how you complete it is really up to you. If you wanna go in guns and missiles blazin then go for it. If you wanna sneak around in stealth mode and take out the posts or vehicles, you can do that too. The sniper view is about as cool as it gets. The AI is pretty good, The only time you really have trouble is if you dont know where they are shooting from or if they are tappin ya from behind. Otherwise they are pretty easy to strafe around. Most of my deaths usually come from being swamped in enemy fire and runnin low on missiles. Definitely fun

CONTROLS - 4 - I HATE when games arent made with the option of letting the gamer change the controls. The controls take some getting used to but they are alright. Another gripe i have with them is when used with the Xbox s controller the triggers end up being unresponsive while in the sniper cannon mode while in stealth. This is the biggest reason this game didnt get a 9 or 10

GRAPHICS - 9 - When I started the game I kept in mind that I only spend 20 bucks on the game and I was impressed when it started. Textures are respectable and if you zoom in real tight on the vehicles they look real good. The thermal imaging looks great. It lines blur lightly as you fly along and when you come to a hover they gradually sharpen. For a budget game I dont see how you can be disappointed with the graphics.

SOUND - 7 - Ok, it gets a little generic here. Nothin too spectacular but I wasnt really expecting anything jaw dropping. Definitely dont need 5.1 to enjoy the game. You can tell where you are getting shot from by the radar. The best part is listening to troops scream when you shoot off their limbs or fire and send em flyin.

REPLAY - 9 - Ive played the first campaign so many times trying to get as many kills as I can and trying to get all the awards. Not to mention just playing more to fly a sweet attack helicopter around blowin stuff up.

OVERALL - 8 - The game is great and should be bought by anyone that likes helicopters, flying them around, and blowin stuff up. Its easily worth the 20 dollars and will not disappoint. Its not a 10 mostly because the lack of options with the controls and the kinda blah sound.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/13/02, Updated 12/13/02