Conker: Live & Reloaded

"The squirrel's back, live and reloaded"

Introduction:
Conker was first created in 2001 for the nintendo 64. It was legendary and gained a huge following even though this was really the end of it's era. Now Conker is back, live and reloaded on the xbox.

Graphics: 10/10
Phenomenal attention to detail combined with weird and wonderful characters make this an absolute joy to look at. If you have played the original it is still worth checking out this remake just to see what can be done by the masters at Rare. An artwork for sure.

Sound: 10/10
The sounds are perfect and the dialogue is incredibly humorous. This game does not take itself seriously and it is quite obvious that this is the case when you first start it up. Most of the sound development was made by a small team and a lot of the time a single guy with a wide range of voices. There are great one liners combined with gritty and crude english humor that I just love.

Gameplay: 8/10
The game is really a mixed bag when it comes to gameplay. The single player starts off as pure story and platforming and ends up as a mad shoot 'em up at the end. But it's fun all the way. The pace can slow down too much sometimes creating a drag but this is soon fixed with humor. Overall the gameplay is great however the strange structure and annoying glitches (camera mainly) may deter you at some stages.

The multiplayer is a completely different story providing some very complex and surprisingly tactical gaming. It can be overwhelming at first but once you learn it you won't regret buying it. The multiplayer is good if you have enough friends and xboxes, xbox live or don't mind playing solely with bots. But having no bots supported with system link is a big downer.

Long Term: 7/10
This is probably the one area where the game staggers a bit. With live expect endless fun as you enjoy the fruits of your labour and skill. Without live you may be disappointed with the 10 hour single player and the rather short lived Chapter X which attempts to fill the gap with bots. It works well but once that's done you are really out of luck. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Overall: 8/10
Pros:
+ Fantastic looking game
+ Interesting and original
+ Great Live multiplayer
Cons:
- Single player a bit too short
- If you haven't got live, less replay value
- Single player can be a bit slow...

Conkers is a great game and should be experienced by all. Original, funny and just plain weird. Enjoy yourself on this magnificent title.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/27/05