Breakdown

"Good game, but it should have been better..."

With all the FPS's out there today this game had a lot to live up to, what with it having such a good plot & plenty of twists & turns along the way...but I can't help but feel like Namco let us down...AGAIN.
Fisrt off, the gameplay isn't up to par with the story...Derrick(you), has to examine each item he picks up for waaay too long before just putting it in his inventory, and you can't move until you have finished looking at it & actually put it into your inventory!!!
This is especially annoying when you need that extra little bit of health or ammo & there is a helicopter shooting at you while you stare at the item madly pushing the B button!!
There is a little bit of a problem with the auto targeting as well, if there are multiple enemies in front of you it will sometimes pick one that is farther away from you which will require more shots to kill while the closer enemy opens up on you...annoying...also, some of the combo moves don't seem to work out all of the time...even when you still have T'Langen power left.
Still another complaint is that for a FPS, the perspective STILL seems a little bit cramped...kinda like you have a little bit of tunnel vision.
It would have also been nice to give the game some sort of online support, it would have been cool to go online & shoot at other players with my T'Langen powers...oh well. Maybe if this game sells well enough then Namco will go back & fix these things for a sequel!(HOPE,HOPE)
Okay, now that I am done complaining about the game, time for the reasons you should play Breakdown...
#1.The plot in this game is really very interesting & it keeps you guessing as to what you are, what Alex(your partner)is & even what is going on at all!!!You get flashbacks & hallucinations from time to time & there is even one part in the game where you experience a time slip/loop.
#2.The graphics, they aren't perfect but they are very good, Namco always seems to do a good job with the graphics & Breakdown is no exception.
#3.The plot, again...I can't stress how cool the plot is...it really keeps you in the dark, there were times when my jaw dropped open!
All in all, if Namco had done a better job with the controls, this would have been an excellent game...as it is, it's just a pretty good one.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/18/04