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| Title |
Breakdown |
6 |
| Publisher |
Namco |
| Developer |
Namco |
| Genre |
First Person Adventure |
| Players |
1 |
| Version |
US NTSC |
Strong but flawed
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Japanese games have often followed a tradition: never do anything that is popular in the West. OK, this may not be strictly true, but it is very rare to see a Japanese games company, let alone a large one such as Namco, produce a game in a genre that is predominantly occupied by Western made games. Which is why it is surprising to see a game such as Breakdown, a first person shooter, come from the shores of Nippon. The influences are clear, but how does a Japanese take on the tried and true formula feel?
It is important to realise, however, that Breakdown, despite being an FPS, does bend the mould somewhat in its execution. Namco have looked at the basic premises behind first person shooters and taken a somewhat more logical approach. The usual attributes are all there, moving, jumping, shooting etc, but now you are actually looking through the eyes of the protagonist and what comes with that is everything that it implies; looking down you will see your feet, being knocked over will cause you to shake your head with concussion and, what is somewhat important to the execution of the game, you are able to punch and kick your way to freedom.
Indeed, the general movement and overall gameplay involved in Breakdown is very sound. You are able to pick up ration bars and cans of soda and you actually eat and drink them, rather than having them jst simply replenish your health. Picking up ammo clips and guns will see your hand reach out and actually take it. Consequently, Namco have also addressed the issue that comes with most console first person shooters and that is of aiming. It?s clear the developers didn?t want shooting to be the main focus of the gameplay so an auto-target mode is incorporated into the game. Hitting the A button will target the nearest enemy with consequent presses cycling through the troops in front of you. This isn?t to say that taking down enemies is without problems. It seems that aiming anywhere further away than 10 feet is relatively useless so it will take some skill in positioning in order to get down those enemies that require gunfire to kill.
I say this because only about half the combat in the game utilises guns, with the other half forcing you to take control of the left and right triggers in order to fight your enemies from the first person. Usually, first person fighting can be quite a chore, but luckily Namco have worked hard in this area and taking down an enemy with your fists can be quite satisfying. However, the problem comes when you come face to face with more than one enemy where guns are not an option. Defeating said enemies can be extremely frustrating as, if one of their blows hits you, you become dazed allowing them to go hell for leather on your ass without allowing you to come back. Subsequently, attacking any single enemy leaves you open to attack from other directions. Thankfully there are only a couple of situations where this is even an issue and it is possible to avoid these all together by using the tried and true method of hitting the bricks and curtailing it out of there.
The story itself is the main drive of the game though. It follows a very linear pattern, one seen pulled off very well in games such as Half-Life. Indeed, Breakdown features many elements previously seen in Valve?s wonder. There are scripted sequences, government troops trying to take you down and a mutant race hell bent on your destruction. There?s even a multitude of scientists being killed throughout and a female helper known as Alex. Even though the idea behind the story isn?t particularly original, it is enthralling enough to keep you coming back for more. Indeed, at certain points throughout the game you encounter hallucinations that are certainly the high point of the narrative and expertly done in their execution.
Despite these interesting breaks, what lets the game down mostly is its lack of imagination and variety. There are only two guns available throughout the game and the number of enemies you encounter can be counted on one hand. The graphics follow this trend also with extremely drab textures plastered over corridor after corridor. You find yourself running down corridors that look the same with only one unlocked door, nine times out of ten the last you come to, for around 80% of the game.
When all is said and done though, there isn?t much to keep you coming back to Breakdown once you have finished it. The only rewards received are harder difficulty levels and an art gallery, and make no mistake about it; Breakdown is no walk in the park. You will find yourself dying quite often indeed, and there is around 15 hours of solid gameplay to be found here.
It is unlikely this game will be finished quickly, even by hardened first person shooters, so you will most likely get your moneys worth, however it is a good idea to rent it and try and get through it like that as there is very little replay value to be found here. Namco have done a good job of taking the basic formula a step further, but their level and character design need some attention. The sequel, should one come, will most likely (or should I say hopefully) fix these problems, problems which hold this overall mediocre title from being great. Nevertheless, it is worthy of one play through by anyone who enjoys the genre.
Visit the Breakdown website here.
Seth Powell |
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