Coded Arms

"Too Many Flaws"

Overview: This is the first FPS (First-Person Shooter) for the PSP. This might seem like a gift from heaven, but, in fact, this game does almost everything wrong. Konami hoped for limitless replay-value by making every level randomly generated. This is the games biggest flaw. Fortunately, it does have a huge arsenal of weapons that are upgradable, but this doesn't save the game; nothing can.

Plot: The plot is so bad and unforgettable that I even forgot it. Therefore I had to re-read the back of the case and the instruction booklet to remember. A government combat training simulator, called A.I.D.A., has malfunctioned, creating a virtual battlefield swarming with deadly enemies. If Halo had a plot like this, it just wouldn't be as high rated. It's just bad. 4

Gameplay: Since every level is randomly generated, there are no puzzles to break up the shooting; all you do is shoot. Sure, in some levels, you'll have to get to the end in a certain amount of time, and in some rooms you'll have to clear all the enemies. But it's still just mindless shooting that gets old very fast. Some enemies that you defeat will drop a weapon, or a "key" that can upgrade the power of the weapon you're holding at that time. You will need a certain amount of keys to upgrade each weapon. There is also armor, and some OKAY boss battles. 6

Sound: Boring, and forgettable, like the plot. It's so bland and boring, but some of the gun sounds sound good. Nothing that's great, though. 5

Replay Value: The randomly generated levels add no replay value, and, in my opinion, the levels aren't even fun to play. There is an Infinity mode, but I didn't even play it, I was just very tired and sick of this game. 2.25

Graphics: The only thing in this game that is good. Even though the enemies are repetitive, they still all look very good. The weapons look good, the bosses look good, and this is the only thing really good with the game. 7.75

Innovation: Nothing new in this game. Konami already tried randomly generated levels in Rengoku, but that game wasn't good either. No new types of weapons you've never seen before. This game has nothing new, or has anything that really makes it stand out. 3.75

Controls: You can configure any button to do what you want, and if you want a slight lock on, so it's easier to get into. But every control scheme has its faults, and when you play this game, then play a console FPS, and then play this game, you basically have to re-teach yourself the controls. It takes about 25 minutes to get the controls down the first time you play it, and 10 minutes any other time you play it. It's just bad. The PSP can't do this genre too well. 4.25

Difficulty: Pretty balanced, but all the game does is when you progress, each room just has more, stronger enemies, instead of increasing the AI (Artificial Intelligence) of them. Instead of making it hard, it's just frustrating. 5.5

Tilt: This game would be really easy to get into, that is if the controls weren't so bad. Thanks to the controls, it takes about 25 minutes to get into this game. Fortunately, the tutorial is good, so it's pretty easy to get into. If this was made for a console, it would be one of the most accessable shooters made, but it still doesn't make it good. 3.25

Overall Score: 5.4, F

(I haven't had a chance to try the multiplayer, so I will add an extra .75 to the score, to be fair)

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 07/27/05