Breakdown

"I Think I Need More Hamburgers..."

From the standpoint of many, first-person games are restricted to mowing down waves of enemies with a machine gun. With Breakdown, that barrier has been breached and a new genre has been born. That genre is the first-person fighter, or FPF. There are guns, plenty of them, but that's not what it's about. Breakdown focuses more on what you can do with your fists. Using frantic, fast-paced hand-to-hand combat, Breakdown is an amazingly unique and innovative gaming experience.

You take on the role of Derrick Cole. Derrick wakes up in a research facility, with no idea of who you are or what your doing there. The storytelling in Breakdown is amazing in every sense of the word, as it grips you from the very beginning and refuses to let go. The way the story is told in Breakdown is similar to Half-Life, as instead of using fancy CG cinemas, it uses scripted events and in-game dialogue. Some would say that Breakdown isn't nearly as revolutionary as Half-Life was, but the storyline in Breakdown will leave you breathless, with a constant sense of wanting more.

The graphics in Breakdown aren't state of the art, by any means, but they are still damn good. There's other titles on the X-Box that are far better looking, though that's not really what Breakdown is about. There are positives in the graphics, however. The lighting and shadows are done very well, and the particle effects are phenomenal. The other effects, such as when Derrick is having his hallucinations. There are beautiful effects for these sequences, especially as Derrick gains new abilities and such. The characters are designed very well, particularly the T'Lan warriors. They all give off a very menacing look.

Sound is done exceptionally well, with a wonderful score to accompany the game. The music can range from various different moods. There's the slow, ambient music, and the fast-paced action music. The score fares no different, with plenty of very well done pieces of music. Sound effects fare well, with nice gun sounds and such. Bullets will ricochet by your ears, the reloading of weapons sounds realistic, and on a side note, Derrick's foot steps are done well. Voice acting is awesome, with each of the actors giving a strong performance for their character.

But the real meat of the game is, obviously, the way it plays. It plays with a ferocity that no other game knows. By using the left analog stick in conjunction with the L and R triggers, you can strike your opponents with a flurry of punches and kicks, melee attacks and vicious combos. You are given a decent array of attacks to begin with, but your list eventually grows into a large amount of impressive attacks and abilities.

There is a bit of a learning curve, and some points are somewhat frustrating to get through. If I had one piece of advice for someone, it's don't give up. Don't quit in frustration and give up at a particularly difficult sequence.

As stated earlier, there are guns, but Breakdown is about the hand-to-hand combat. It plays incredibly well, and will never cease to amaze you with the next innovative sequence it throws at you. But if you're feeling tired from battle, rip the wrapper off of that candy bar and much away. Pop the top of that soda and drink away. But my favorite part about this innovation is the eating of hamburgers. Not much compares to picking it up, chewing away and swallowing.

Back to business, Breakdown is phenomenal, and deserves to be on the shelf of every X-Box owner. It may not be the greatest game ever made, but it is damn good, and well worth the time you spend on it.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/22/04