The Basics
I had actually planned on getting this game for a while, but everytime I thought about it, I either didn't have
the cash on me, or was addicted to something else (Perfect Dark, Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VII). I was
out music shopping the other day, however, and I saw a used copy for $20. So, after the weekend, when
I had a little more cash on me, I ran back to EB and picked this little bugger up.
The game may be a 3-D shooter, but it certainly doesn't fit in the vein of Perfect Dark, Quake, Doom, or even
Jedi Knight. First of all, there's no deathmatch mode. In the case of most other 3-D shooters would be
heretical, but due to the nature of this one, this is not a problem. Instead of being a straight
"run around with a BFG and frag some guy named QUAKELORD666" style game, this one requires more
strategy. Each mission is carefully planned out beforehand, with special teams (size varying depending on mission
and player preference) following waypoints and carrying out specific tasks (e.g. Kill that guy). Oftentimes, the
planning takes longer than the mission. Also, the usual "I can take three clips before I die" feature found in most
3-D shooters (*cough*Goldeneye*cough*) is noticably missing, instead giving pretty much everybody one or
two hits before they find themselves on the floor in a pool of blood (Unless you turned that option off, in which case
it becomes just "on the floor"). In some ways this is nice (Adds to realism, makes it easier to take down a nearby threat),
in some ways it isn't ("What the-ACK!" *thump*).
Quite possibly the most refreshing aspect of this game is the strategy element. You get a clear view of what you're
supposed to do before you even begin the level, which is a nice change from, say, Perfect Dark. The flipside of
this is that if you screw up the plans, or if something unexpected happens that doesn't jive with what you're trying
to do, you will probably have to restart the mission, if not go back and replan the whole thing altogether.
And now the technical commentary...
The graphics are generally alright. Textures are a little blurry up close, and the levels don't have the same lushness
that they do in Perfect Dark, but it came out before PD and levels tend to be both more detailed and more realistic
than Goldeneye, so I can't complain. The sound is generally good. The gun sound effects are a bit quiet, but that's
mainly because they're usually silenced.
The music itself is unimpressive (sounds like it's straight out of some TV movie based on a Tom Clancy novel), however they did add a nice touch by having random events trigger particular
musical samples. For instance, the music will build up, adding suspense, and than you step into a room, and it stops abruptly.
Sometimes when you open a door and bust into a room, you hear an orchestra hit.
The controls are the most annoying part. Instead of walking around using the control stick, you use the C Buttons.
C-Up moves forward, C-Down moves back, and C-Left and right sidestep. The control stick aims and looks around.
It makes sense, given how much accuracy and timing matter in this one, but it's annoying nonetheless.
In general, this is a good game that I recommend to people interested in a more realistic, strategy-based
action game. I wouldn't call it the best N64 game I've played (I've heard the PC version is better), but it is very much worth the money.
