The Great Escape

"Some people will enjoy this game. Most will not..."

Introduction

First of all, please note I am being VERY generous by giving this game a six. I took everything about the game in to account, to the extent of my knowledge of the game, and decided it was somewhat worthy of an above average score (five being average). The Great Escape is based on an old movie which I have never seen. It doesn't really matter, however, because I seriously doubt the movie could've done much to make this game better, other than a few little snippets of nostalgia.

Graphics - 6.5/10

Blah. That's the only word I have. The cutscene graphics are amazing, as in EVERY game, however the gameplay graphics suffer. And they suffer badly. Extremely badly. The character models need some serious revamping. There just aren't that many polygons per character model. I mean, you'd think atleast the main characters would look a little better, but no. Average graphics, with above average landscapes/environments are a disappointment, especially on the XBOX version.

Sound - 8/10

Blah. Yes, another blah. Nothing amazing on the OST (Original SoundTrack) but you CAN play your own music while playing the game. One track that I found great to play to is the Primal (PS2) SoundTrack. Otherwise playing The Great Escape to Metallica or 50 Cent isn't going to do much for the game. If you have a dramatic orchestral soundtrack, or something along those lines (i.e. Lord of the Rings soundtrack) go ahead and burn it on to your XBOX and play it while listening to this game. It gives the game some great depth. Otherwise, the music lacks severely.

Gameplay - 6/10

Allright. The gameplay can be fresh at times. It can be heart pounding, exhilarating, and fun. Then you realize you can only save three times a level, and some guards are LITERALLY blind as bats. This really hurts the game. A great mix of hide-and-seek would've made this game better. Instead, some levels have you shooting guards up, while some have you avoiding all guards. This can become confusing and you might not know WHAT to do. Otherwise, your given objectives to complete in an order. You have a map of the prison compound your in (as if THAT makes any sense!) and buildings are circled which hold your next objective. If you fail to complete an objective, you either have to restart, or load one of your three saves you get per level. Overall it can be kind of fun, sneaking around and stuff. Really, though, this game's gameplay downfall comes from pointless and irksome objectives. For example: I need to escape. Get me a shovel. I got stuck. Get me out. I need a cookie. Get me a cookie. The objectives aren't thought out, and quite honestly they don't ''flow'' together as much as they should. Other than sneaking around, you occasionally get to drive a vehicle. These parts of the game are shoddily done and pointless. Some of them can be fun, but most lose their appeal after a few short minutes of ''action''. Average gameplay with above average problems and quirks.

Story - 8/10

What can I say? The story is OK, but it skips between characters, making it slightly difficult to keep track of where everyone is. Also, a more intense feeling or security or something while we are trying to escape would've been better. Instead, you end up escaping several times, which becomes monotonous.

Overall - 6/10 (not an average)

Like I said, this game REALLY doesn't deserve a six. I just felt pity on the developers, because this ESSENTIALLY isn't a HORRIBLE game. It is an average stealth game with some fun elements and some bad elements thrown in. As with most stealth games, your guaranteed your curses of anger and your shouts of rage at the game.

Buy or Rent? - Rent

Rent. For an ultimate effect, however, rent WITH the movie The Great Escape. This may add SOME more fun to the game, and this game needs all the extra fun it can get.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 08/28/03