Posted 15 June 2009 - 12:23 AM
I picked this up a few days ago so I thought to weigh in here. I'll write a review/overview below without spoiling anything. I've been following this for about 2 years, so I was very excited to finally get it.
The basic premise is this. You (Alex Mercer) wake up in a morgue with no idea how you got there, and what happened to you. As you go on you realize you have various super powers. (which you have due to a type of virus in you) The game's plot revolves around finding out who did this to you. The story is presented in both future/past form. By that I mean both what has happened, and what did happen is slowly unfolded through cool videos (memories.) So its more or less revenge and mystery. Its slickly presented, and the voice acting is pretty good.
Setting:
Its set in NYC while an infection is running rampant in the city. The military is fighting the 'infected' and both are fighting you and each other, so there's often 3 way battles. Its gets worse as you progress over an 18 day period. The city is done well enough to be believable. There's enough cars and pedestrians (and obviously buildings. NYC is recreated on a smaller scale) to make it feel alive, but its nowhere close to say, GTA 4's rendition of LIberty city which I thought to be amazing. Still, as I said it good enough so its not so noticeable once you get into it.
Animations are very good however, especially for Alex, the main character. I'm quite impressed. Graphics are not next gen by any means, but they are good. I've got the game maxed on my MBP. (2.53 core duo 4GB RAM, Nvidia 9600 512) Resolution, graphics, shadows and AA are the only settings. I have it all cranked, except AA which I left at 2x. It runs smooth, and stutters on rare occasions for a moment or two when the screen is going crazy with action. So its well optimized.
Controls
To note it is 3rd person. Someone said something about an FPS, but its not. On that note I found the camera holds up well even during the most frantic action.
Alex has a lot of powers, and a lot of moves. Performing all of these is not difficult, in fact its quite easy. But it is a lot to manage. I only mention this if you aren't good at managing a complex character. Any experienced player will have no trouble. If forget anything the Upgrade screen explains how to perform any actions. (standard controls aside.)
You have a lot of powers, and you can either use hotkeys, or use a convenient radial menu that you can access which slows down time while you do. I've been using this so far as I find it quicker than the hotkeys. Even so there are "last used power" keys for your different power category types. Most powers are a combination of the mouse buttons, and the more advanced one's, another key on the board.
Gameplay
The game is free roaming, or 'sand box.' The main story progresses by "missions" which you choose when to start. Otherwise you are free to run around and cause as much havoc as you like. There are a number of optional varied "events" you can do to gain extra Evolution Points which are used to upgrade your powers. (Recommended. There's a ton of upgrades, and they cost you.) Missions also give you EP when you complete them. Any enemy killed also gives you a small amount of EP.
The main substance of this game is the combat and the insane amount of destruction you can cause. Only key buildings can be destroyed, but you can tear up the streets pretty good. Vehicles and people are all free game for any rampage. Most missions require some form of combat. There are minor stealth elements, and they work, but they are not the focus. The focus is outrageous action. Since you can run super fast, jump very high, scale buildings with ease, toss trucks like they were rocks, and transform your arms into a nasty variety of weapons, this is easy with just yourself. You can also assume disguises, and this is done by "consuming" a person. Consuming also gives you health. You can use any weapon dropped by the military, and the shooting mechanics are simple but effective. Military vehicles also can be hijacked once you learn how.
The game makes you more or less feel like some type of god. Its totally badass. Even from the start you are powerful and only get exponentially more so as you progress.
Enemies (both human and infected) are not that varied, but sufficiently done. I don't have any issue with them.
Game is saved via checkpoints. You can save manually, but it doesn't seem to save right where you are. If you save and reload it puts you on top of a building usually near a misson start. I haven't found this an issue so far even though I normally dislike checkpoint systems.
Final Thoughts
I've only put a few hours in, but its great fun, and is not repetitive. Missions are varied enough so far, and the combat or just screwing around is endless entertainment. I would suggest anyone who likes the genre, or is interested in the concept. I don't think you'll regret it. I'm recommending it to all my friends to pick up.
No idea about a demo, but it really is awesome.
*edit*
Reviews are up on any major gaming site. Gamespot, IGN, C&VG and such. Check it out for more thorough review. I was just summarizing.
"Pain is inevitable, but misery is a choice"
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