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Gaming, In My Opinion
There's only so much you can do with Star Wars. In terms of games, though delving into every genre, there are very few GOOD star wars games. True, there's rogue leader and jedi knight, not to mention various clones and sequels to each, but that's about it.
Sadly, this is not about to change. Bounty Hunter is a good game, but it fails to meet the standards set by those two landmark titles. The game starts off promisingly, and it plays well, but only if you are a fan of the new movies and Jango Fett. The starting cutscene is very impressive, worthy of the movies...almost. Then you are thrown into the thick of the action in a quick battle with a huge robot beast thing...anyway. The first level serves as an effective tutorial, but it's only in the second level that the game comes to life. in the alleyways of a semi-bustling town, you can search for secondary bounties, take on gangs of henchmen and acquire your jetpack, easily the best item in the game. However, this is where the faults come to your attention. Aside from an awful camera at times, the game is let down by its very basis: Combat. The combat sucks. No skill is required; players merely lock onto an enemy and hammer A to fire, occasionally somersaulting out of the way with B. The programming for the enemies isn't too good either. In each area, one particular spot on the ground triggers enemies, and even if you take out ALL the enemies, standing on that spot will bring them on again. Worst of all, there are too many of them. Yes, it's cool to feel surrounded by enemies, fighting for your life, but NO, we don't want to be overwhelmed by twenty to twenty-five of 'em in a confined space. The bounty hunting itself isn't incredibly impressive. Secondary bounties can be found in three places; standing idly (where's the fun in that), amongst your enemies (in which case you too busy shooting them to actually claim them) or running away from your enemies (in which case, you'll never see them again). The Jetpack too is underused. If you use it to get somewhere, it's because you HAVE to, not because you've found a new area. The 'pack is hard to control, too. It's not that the game feels unfinished. It's just that there is the feeling of unused potential. The Bounty Hunting, the Jetpack; it could have all made a fantastic Star Wars Adventure game. Instead, we are left with this; a game that is merely a case of running or flying around packed, large and gorgeous levels, firing two weedy pistols at constantly respawning guards who make a meal out of dying, only to reappear when you step back. Not the stuff of great games VISUALS: The Star Wars Episode II universe is captured perfectly. 9/10 SOUNDS: John Williams music and Star Wars sound effects. Nuff said! 8/10 PLAYABILITY: Controls take a while and the long platforming stints are a pain . 7/ 10 LIFESPAN: You'll play it once, possibly twice. . 6/10 VERDICT: Good enough, but nothing special. Stick with Rogue Leader and Jedi Knight . 75% |