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The Plot:  Despite being flawed in a few areas, I found myself losing track of time while playing "Kill.Switch", the quite addictive new third-person shooter from Namco. The game's one trick is to allow players to use pretty much anything in the game as cover (left trigger) - not only that, but the game allows players to fire "blindly" from around a corner or behind a crate. Given the fact that your persuers also use cover really well, you're forced to not just run into the room firing, but to use what you can in the area to protect yourself. The mechanics of the cover system really are smooth - I had only a couple of little issues once or twice in trying to get behind cover and return fire. The game's early firefights are fairly easy affairs, with a couple of bad guys popping up in the distance. Yet, as the game goes on, you'll be faced with bigger groups of persuers, who happen to be carrying much bigger firepower. The game's gun battles really start to consistently become something on the level of intensity of the lobby scene in the first "Matrix" film, only without the acrobatics. While the environments are not destructable (which would have made this game even more hectic), one can often see animations of little wall chunks flying around. Enemies can also take up position behind a stationary cannon, too. Your player will find himself with several different weapons, each with different accuracy and scope ability. There's also grenades, including sticky grenades, grenades, mini grenades and flash bags, which temporarily blind opponents, who cover their eyes and fire wildly. Again, one of the game's highlights is the enemy AI; while not genius-level, they react smartly, use cover wisely, jump out of the way of grenades and present a fine challenge. If you take too much damage, find cover and wait for your health to regenerate in a manner similar to "Halo". The way some of the firefights happen here though, getting a break isn't easy. While the game's gunfights are remarkably intense and thrilling, I have to say that there are some issues with the game. Firstly, while the enemy AI will certainly not make the experience entirely easy, the game is still rather short. Another issue is the lack of checkpoints during the game's levels - a few times I'd spent several minutes progressing on a level only to find myself back at the beginning. While I can't say this wasn't frustrating, it's a compliment to the game that I didn't throw down the controller and went back in. The game's story is an interesting tidbit - it's a mystery, offered up in parts and pieces and eventually, with a twist. While somewhat thinner than it thinks it is, the mystery was intriguing enough to add to the involvement. Multiplayer would have also been nice. Rating: 8.9/10 The DVD  Graphics: "Kill.Switch" is alright graphically. Character animations are decently rendered and crisp, while there are some nice lighting effects on occasion. The environments can be a little bland at times, but they do get a bit more interesting as the game progresses. The other issue is that you'll face a lot of enemies that pretty much look the same throughout each level, which does take away a bit from the experience. Despite getting into some pretty hellacious battles at times, the game's framerate never has any issues. Rating: 8/10 Sound: "Kill.Switch" is presented on the XBOX in Dolby Digital 5.1. The game's soundtrack is simply insane. While mostly made up of explosions and gunfire, all of the gunfire has very specific sounds and, in later levels, can be heard furiously coming out of every speaker in the room. The firefights don't turn into just loud noise, as all of the different firepower remains distinct and fierce. Those who can enable a rear back surround should absolutely do so, as it turns this game into an even more intense 360 degree experience. The game's score is pretty good, although one can turn it off and just hear the sound effects - it's pretty tense without the score, as the game can quickly go from near-silence to an unholy roar. Dialogue/voice acting is passable and the cutscenes have fine audio (although one seemed to be missing audio, although maybe that was something I did on my system) This is definitely one of those games where the 5.1 soundtrack is a big part of the experience, and if you're not listening to the game in surround, you're missing out. Rating: 9.5/10 Rating Issues: "Kill.Switch" is rated "T" (Teen), but I was a little surprised that the game didn't get an "M" (Mature), given the amount of violence. In other words, it's on the high end of "T". Final Thoughts: Despite being rather short, "Kill.Switch" still offers a lot of tense, near-exhausting gun battles and the cover system/controls work quite well. Graphics are just pretty good, but the game's 5.1 audio is thunderous. Recommended, at least for a look as a rental. |