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Saturday 9 February, 2008
GAMEPLAY
One aspect of the game I should mention is the crime scene investigations. Being a forensics agent chasing down a serial killer, you can use different tools when you encounter a crime scene to gather evidence. It's a nice concept that adds more to the game and story but it isn't something that the player directly controls. You're only able to use your forensic tools when prompted to at pre-scripted events which is unfortunate.
Playing through the second hour of this game, I noticed that the enemy AI is quite advanced. Enemies run away to grab weapons and hide behind corners and pillars to ambush you. They use feint attacks on you just to lure you into to blocking which surprised me the first time it happened. They even run away, only to pop up unexpectedly later on. I also noticed that as you progress further into the game, the psychotics you fight get more and more twisted. It's almost as if you're journeying deeper and deeper into the madness that is Metro City.
DESIGN
The mood and atmosphere of this game is done very well which really brings out the fear and tension from the player. You're always playing in almost pitch black darkness and enemies can come from anywhere. The levels are all very dark, gritty and decrepit to reflect the twisted nature of the crazies that you fight against. Sound is also exceptionally great. Every swing and thunk from your weapons sound satisfying and you can always hear where things are coming from when you're about to be attacked. Everything the developers did to set the tone and atmosphere is excellent. Even though its just a game, it really gives you an intense feeling of fear and panic which I haven't really experienced in other survival horrors, other than Fatal Frame on the PS2.
There are some issues that this game has which could be fixed in the coming sequel. The first thing is the lack of a map. Some of the levels have very similar looking hallways and rooms which could leave you a little disoriented at times when you're trying to find your way. The lack of any amount of item management also bugs me. You're only allowed to hold one weapon at a time which means you end up having to throw away guns at times to get a fire axe or shovel which is needed for passage through the next door. And, for a game that emphasizes on melee combat, there isn't a combo system at all. All of your attacks are just one big swing. Executions get old after a while, considering that there are only four of them that you can do. The forensics concept, though very interesting, shouldn't be pre-scripted events. I want to be able to figure out how to assess the crime scene myself without someone holding my hand through it. However, these are just small nagging issues which don't get in the way of an otherwise awesome and highly scary game.
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