Breakdown

"Breakdown"

BreakDown is a new First Person Shoo.....First Person Fight....First Person Game by Namco. BreakDown is a little bit of every genre all rolled into one awesome game. In BreakDown, you assume the role of Derrick Cole. Cole is a man who was tested on with T'langen when he was younger. T'langen is a mixture of chemicals that give him different powers through a process called "Acceleration"(Hence the glowing fist in the picture) Now Derrick wakes up in the future with Amnesia, he does not even know his name.

When you awaken, you soon discover that evil soldiers are trying to kill you. You do not have much strength in the beginning of the game, so you will need a gun to defend yourself. You also have a partner, who comes through an invisible portal and tells you what your mission is in the beginning. She will be helping you fight throughout the entire game. There are some parts where you will be separated, but it will all work out in the end.

You also soon discover that the world is being taken over by a breed of super beings called "T'lan Warriors". The T'lan is a breed that normal humans will never be able to take out with any weapons. But your not normal. You are able to take them out with your bare hands further in the game. You acquire many unique powers in the game. I will tell you a couple. Towards the end of the game, you get a "super-jump" ability, which, you guessed it, makes you jump very high. You also get a power that lets you slow down time, which lets you take out your enemies quickly and effortlessly.

Now for the review,

Sound

The sound in BreakDown is awesome. Namco made great choices when choosing music to put in the game. BreakDown supports in-game Dolby Digital, so you can hear enemies that are behind you, even if you can not see them on the screen. The music adds an awesome atmosphere when playing the game. The sounds of guns a'blazing and fists and feet flying makes you feel like you are actually in the game.

Graphics

The graphics in the game are awesome. There are no cut-scenes in BreakDown, so everything is in game. It is amazing to watch enemies go flying after punching them with a really powerful attack in beautiful 480p High Definition. Even without a High Definition tv, the game still looks amazing. There are some graphical screw-ups, like guns going through your hand, but you hardly ever notice.

Replay Value

With all the amazing things BreakDown has, Replay Value is the only things it lacks in. After playing through BreakDown, there is little reason to play through it again, besides the expert mode. You might want to play through it again, just to watch your enemies fly across the screen.

Over All

Over All, I would say BreakDown is a good solid buy. It has Action, Adventure, and First Person Shooting and Fighting. What it lacks in replays, it more than makes up for it in fun and addictiveness. BreakDown will keep you amazed until you beat it.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/23/04