Hard to call this a 'good' game, but it's certainly interesting. It has a pretty novel structure for a QUAKE II/HALF-LIFE-type shooter with large free-roam hub areas, an emphasis on NPC interactions/side-quests, and at least in the early game, a difficult but engaging focus on survival and resource management as you scavenge for guns and money to buy upgrades so you can survive your first few combat encounters. Definitely a different direction than you might expect at first glance.
It's a good thing, too, that there's more going on than just the shooting, because if it was a straight level-based thing, it probably wouldn't hold up at all. The levels are actually pretty fun and well-constructed, and there's a nice escalation to the campaign, but the shooting itself is so janky and repetitive. Even with the fun unconventional stuff laid on top, the ho-hum foundation will have you getting bored way before the end, especially as the rhythm of the hub world/quest design gets repetitive.
But there's a lot of good and pretty weird stuff in the intangibles that might hold your attention, if you can stomach the whole, uh, vibe that they're going for. Levels are way more alive with detail than most contemporaries, albeit in this particular run-down, scuzzy style. Those visuals, the absolutely insane-looking character models, immersive touches like blood trails and enemies deforming with damage, and the hypnotic, maddening soundtrack (consisting of like, literally two or three Cypress Hill songs repeated THE WHOLE GAME) just fully transport you into this goofy-ass urban hell that you feel trapped in but maybe you kinda like it? And actually want to kill your way to the top of this absurdly profane and childish criminal organization? And there's also these weirdly unexplained steampunk elements lending an uncanny air. I don't know, you play this for a couple hours and it'll do something to your brain. If you don't immediately shut it off for being overwhelmingly stupid, lol.
Kind of a 'you gotta hand it to em' sort of thing. Weird and maybe bad, but they really went for it.
It's a good thing, too, that there's more going on than just the shooting, because if it was a straight level-based thing, it probably wouldn't hold up at all. The levels are actually pretty fun and well-constructed, and there's a nice escalation to the campaign, but the shooting itself is so janky and repetitive. Even with the fun unconventional stuff laid on top, the ho-hum foundation will have you getting bored way before the end, especially as the rhythm of the hub world/quest design gets repetitive.
But there's a lot of good and pretty weird stuff in the intangibles that might hold your attention, if you can stomach the whole, uh, vibe that they're going for. Levels are way more alive with detail than most contemporaries, albeit in this particular run-down, scuzzy style. Those visuals, the absolutely insane-looking character models, immersive touches like blood trails and enemies deforming with damage, and the hypnotic, maddening soundtrack (consisting of like, literally two or three Cypress Hill songs repeated THE WHOLE GAME) just fully transport you into this goofy-ass urban hell that you feel trapped in but maybe you kinda like it? And actually want to kill your way to the top of this absurdly profane and childish criminal organization? And there's also these weirdly unexplained steampunk elements lending an uncanny air. I don't know, you play this for a couple hours and it'll do something to your brain. If you don't immediately shut it off for being overwhelmingly stupid, lol.
Kind of a 'you gotta hand it to em' sort of thing. Weird and maybe bad, but they really went for it.
2 Comments
@paqgamer_ yeah, going into it with that mindset, you're probably gonna have a weird good time
paq250_
6 months ago