(Rated M; $39.99) An Aspyr Media presentation of a game developed by Point of
View and licensed by Twentieth Century Fox for PC and Playstation 2. Reviewed
on Playstation 2.
"The
Shield" videogame doesn't do the show justice. While the groundbreaking
F/X police drama has nabbed numerous kudos and won critical praise for its
depiction of a group of corrupt detectives, publisher Aspyr Media's mediocre
actioner will appeal to neither fans of the show nor mainstream gamers.
Game has been a long time coming.
Originally skedded for 2004, it was cancelled when original publisher Sammy
merged with Sega. Aspyr signed on last year to finish things up and release it,
but failed to update much. As a result, "Shield" watchers will
immediately recognize the storyline as outdated, taking place after season
three but before Glenn Close and Forest Whitaker joined the cast in 2005.
That might be forgivable if the
game were well designed, but it fails on every level to mirror the depth and
drama of the show. Whether Detective Vic Mackey (voiced by series star Michael
Chiklis) is shooting at gang members or interrogating a suspect by stuffing his
face in a toilet, gameplay is clunky and awkward. Several levels involve
computer controlled partners -- who frustratingly have a tendency to run around
in the open waiting for the bad guys to shoot them.
Presence of real pornographic
videos on TV screens in-game add an amusing touch of realism, though they
hardly distract from how bland the graphics are.
To its credit, developer Point of
View tries in a few instances to integrate the darker elements of the show's
police anti-heroes, but they don't translate in game form. Moving a circle
around a police badge in order to illegally confiscate a suspect's drugs and
money simply doesn't capture the gritty action of "The Shield."