I’m not familiar with the older version of this game at all. So when I came to preview this game I came on a clean slate. There were a few people in the same room as me that was gassed up to see this, but I wasn’t convinced this game would be hot. Maybe by the end I would have a change of heart?
The game takes place in the 1950’s, and we were started in a top secret aircraft base. We played a Secret agent who deals with the highly sensitive and dangerous missions dealing with strange shit, to put it simply. The game kind of takes us through a tour of the base until we get to the center war room part which has a huge map of the United States on the wall. On the map is marked the latest reported incidents that you have been assigned to investigate. The secretary at the desk under the map plays a 911 call from one of the locations marked in California. A woman screaming help is all I could make out.
At this point the story line is on point. I like the way the narrative is flowing, and like I mentioned I’m not familiar with the older version. Also, the rep made sure to tell us they started our preview well into the game, not the beginning. Because the next part of the base we went to were the scientist. They develop weapons for us to fight whats out in the field based on the research we bring back to them. So we were given some special grenades based on an artifact the rep gathered before our preview started.
Now that I have my gun ready to clap some weird shit I go out to my car where I was accompanied by two field agents. These guys to my understanding will be with us on every mission. Don’t know if there will be any real driving in the final version of the game, but we just kinda pop up in a California neighborhood instantly. Graphically the game isn’t up to snuff. And with the theme of the game being an alien invasion, whether this is classic 1950’s or not I don’t feel like anything is wrong yet. Maybe that’s the feeling they wanted wanted the user to experience?
A woman screams help loudly and the rep is standing still while explaining what we have to do next. So the feeling of urgency is a flop in that aspect. I mean, if someone is screaming help and you just stand there without pausing the game means there is no consequence for the lack of response. So he finally starts moving after saying a woman needs help, Duh. Before we can get to the house we see a dozen black blob enemies crawl there way into the home we are headed to. So I’m ready to see how combat is going to be at this point.
Soon as we get to the door a guy runs out crying as this black ooze drains his life away slowly. Not sure if that happened because of our lack of response or if that was a part of the scene. We go in and immediately start shooting up the black blobs. The special grenades were only used when it seemed like we were surrounded. We made our way up the stairs and saved the woman screaming from being consumed. That pissed the blob aliens off. The gameplay seems really simple, its a average FPS, with average graphics, the narrative I think will carry this game at this point.
The blobs called for backup and this weird noise started happening and a diamond like object was in the sky outside the house. We take a picture o it so that the scientist can research and create weapons for us to deal with it. But at this point we just have to run. The diamond object turns into a ball with rings around it and it expands. We ran as as that big circle kept shooting beams at us. And that’s where the preview ends.
From what I saw this game needs a ton of work on the graphic and gameplay side of things. The research aspect is cool and adds a bit of depth, so hopefully there’s more like that. Game is being published by 2K so it’s interesting to see them take on a title like this. I Think they are looking for another Bioshock effect.
