If I could sum this game up, I would say it is the most breathtaking, thrilling thing that Assassin's Creed was supposed to be but failed (you know, the jumpy bits). You feel like an athlete, the capture motion is perfect, from the bobbing of the head, to the motion blur and postures when jumping and clambering over fences. The mechanics work, with just a jump and crouch key, you can do a whole slew of actions, and soon, you will learn to trust in Faith's skills. It never feels like she's uncontrollable or awkward. She goes everywhere you need her to go. In that regard, DICE did a phenomenal job with the mechanics.
And as I was talking about pacing in games a couple of posts earlier, I realized that this game is the epitome of that concept.
The single-player is short but is in high dosage of excitement. From chase scene to chase scene, the action is relentless. The story is that Faith's sister, a cop is framed for a murder of a politician. As an outsider, Faith has to solve this mystery and keep off the people who want her dead. Even though the game is all about the heart-pounding escapes, there are moments of calm and quiet too, as if the game knows that you need to take a breather just like Faith, ponder over a small puzzle, execute it with cool athleticism and then get back out there again amidst the gunfire and shattering glass.
And the game emphasizes the need to keep being on the run, for this fluidity of motion. Stopping to disarm a guard or shoot him in the face isn't as fun as just wall-running past them, unless you can wall-run, execute him, and keep on moving which is then infinitely cooler. Just a couple of shots or a smack to head can take out Faith which means this game is not about going toe to toe with every adversary. Although, there are bits when it becomes too much of a challenge to run past them, that you will need to disarm a bad guy and take out the rest with a gun.
The game is linear but for once, it helps in that the experience is in the run, so it doesn't matter if there are red colored objects that stand out in the stark white environment to lead you in the right direction. It helps with the function of this game. You don't want to be left stranded amongst all the tall buildings, and have to figure out the direction and path you want to take for yourself at which point, your run won't be as smooth.
The graphics are great. Simplicity, and very strong solid colors to represent the environments and mood. The interiors can be stark green or yellow, like some modern contemporary office or apartment units, whilst the exteriors are awashed in pure white. The music complements this, a mix of ambient when running in the calm, with the sound of Faith's regular breathing in the back, or upbeat techno ala Half-Life 2's shooting bits, when the cops start chasing you.
Now for some cons. For some, this game will be a source of frustration in that some sequences require meticulous timing and execution of specific actions. You might find that you just barely miss grabbing on to the next ledge, or didn't wall-run far enough or you're getting shot at too often to reach a certain point. This can lead to repeating over and over till you just want to rage-quit. But I urge you to keep trying. Of course, there are checkpoints so you never have to worry about when to save. And they conveniently come at the points where you're having the most trouble.
Other critics of the game believed that the enemies shooting at you detracted from the purest sensation of the run which is what the game is about, as bullets that hit you throw you off balance, but I believe it isn't as bad as they say. I was surprised by the how much less challenging and accessible the game is than I percieved.
All in all, a pure adventure game in first person. It definetly works, to see everything through Faith's eyes, you feel part of the action. And the addictive gameplay just works, and you just keep wanting to do one level after the other. The whole runny-jumpy thing never tires. And when the exciting single-player with a not-bad storyline is done, you can do it all again for speedrun times. Worth getting for the fresh, new experience alone.
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