Conker: Live & Reloaded

"Conkering the competition."

Let me start by saying this: Conker Live and Reloaded is not a direct port of Conkers Bad Fur Day. In fact, other than the single player mode, it's completely different. Now don't get me wrong, this is definitely not a bad thing in any sense of the way. With a refreshing new multi-player game, and updated graphics, Conker Live and Reloaded is a great game all around.

GRAPHICS - 10
When they "...reloaded with stunning graphics", they mean it. The graphics in this game are definitely the best I've seen on the Xbox since Doom 3. From Conkers furry little body to the astounding environments, this whole game is eye candy at its best. Everything you liked from Conkers Bad Fur Day is still here, from heads blowing in half, to the hilariously animated character models. Using a flamethrower causes the air to become heated and wavy. Cloaking as a sneeker causes your unit to brilliantly flash, and then become invisible, only to be spotted by a trained eye. When you kill something, they explode into a rewarding mess of blood that splatters on your screen and dribbles down. The moment I started playing this game, I was taken back by the level of detail in every bit of this adventure. In other words, the graphics are nothing short of breathtaking.

SOUND - 9
Remember the hissing voices of the Tediz, and the splat of a big ball of poo being dropped on someones head? It's all back. Every sound effect, music score and voice in this game is perfect. Conker still chomps when you pick up a chocolate, footsteps still squish into the mud, and the voices are still as outrageous and funny as ever. The reason I only gave it a 9, however, is it does get a bit off at times. A few times throughout the story mode, the sound skips for a few seconds, and is not quite lined up with whats happening on screen. It quickly fixes itself, but it's not perfect.

GAME PLAY - 10
Ah the game play, the best part of this game. Let me start with single player. The single player is your basic platformer, complete with running, jumping, aimlessly wandering enemies and simple goals. In fact, it's pretty much the exact same thing as before, with a few adjustments. To start off, the camera is much better. You now have a lot more control over it, and it does a good job at being right where you want it, especially when swimming. Also, you don't just push B to hit someone with your weapon. You now have to equip it, and from there you can execute a 3 hit combo. A few more enemies were added, and a short segment was taken out, but overall it's the same game you played back on the 64. Now I've got some good news and some bad news about the multi-player. The bad news is, everything from Conkers Bad Fur Day is gone. No more jet board races, or caveman battling dinosaurs. It's all gone, including the ability to have 4 players on one system. But the good news is, the new multi-player game is one of the best, most original games I've ever played. It's a team based game, Tediz vs. Squirrels, that combines bits of Star Wars: Battlefront, Tribes: Aerial Assault, and Conkers Bad Fur Day. You no longer have to run around and find a good weapon, or run from the guy who has the best weapon. Then how do you get weapons, you ask? Well you pick a class that has one you like. There are 6 different classes to choose from, Thermophile, Demolisher, Sneeker, Grunt, Air Jockey and Long Ranger. What you do is you pick your class (each specializing in a different area), then you pick a base for him to spawn from. You then proceed to join the 16 player chaos until you're killed, in which case you simply pick another base to spawn from and head back into the fray. The game types vary from death match, capture the flag, even hold the bases. The madness that ensues on the battlefield is incredibly fun and realistic. Now I know that evil teddy bears fighting man size squirrels isn't exactly how World War II was fought, but aside from that, this game feels as if you're really in a battle. Explosions send you flying, bullets whiz past your head as you duck for cover, and grenades hurl from both sides of the battle. Flying in a vehicle actually feels like flying ina vehicle, with every bump and explosion rattling the cockpit and effecting your vehicle just as it should. It's not a pick up and play game, that's for sure. It takes some getting used to at first, but once you do, the fun never ends.

LASTING APPEAL - 10
I'll never get tired of this game. With all the different multi-player maps, and being able to play through single player again with unlock ables, this game has a lot of replay value. It's always fun to turn on the game, set up a quick bot match the way you like it, and kill some helpless little squirrels.

RENT OR BUY?
I would say if you're a fan of games like Star Wars Battlefront and you don't mind a bit of a learning curve, then it's a for sure buy. However if shooters aren't your cup of tea, then you might want to give it a rent first.

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