User Reviews

Yes, this game is a bit of a mix of aforementioned revolutionary Sierra product and the classic The Invasion of the Body-Snatchers. This is pretty obvious; fortunately, it's also rather successful, in spite of being nowhere near as fresh and original as either. What makes it work is that it gives you the sense of an attempt by aliens to gradually take over the US, and it does so better than any other VG that I've tried. I am reviewing the Special Edition, which comes with a 20 page Hints and Tips guide with concept art, as well as extra skins(mainly for multi-player... I haven't played that, but I understand that it offers modes similar to FFA, CTF, last man standing, co-op missions and one called Bounty Hunter, where you have to hunt a specific other player; it's described as one of the best online experiences for the console). The cover calls this "the most fluid and intuitive shooter on the Wii"(that this is exclusive to), and while I have not been exposed to its competition for that title, I believe it deserves it. I would compare the camera control to that of Splinter Cell: Double Agent; you point the Wii-Mote at the sides, top or bottom of the screen to turn, and you aim(steady hand required) with it, too. You can do a mêlée attack(anytime, regardless of what you've got in your hands, and if you're in the process of reloading... and you don't have to fill up the shot-gun with shells before you can use it again) by moving it forward(like you're delivering a right-hand punch), and throw grenades(frag, radiation or flash-bang) by doing that same motion with the Nun-chuk(as if you are tossing the explosive; careful you don't do this by accident). The controls all feel this natural, and you can get into this in a matter of moments, as there is little you need to know to do so. In general, this is quite straight-forward. Usually, all you have to do is fire. Yes, you get something called the All-Seeing Eye, and it can "bring things to this plane of reality", if I got it right. However, it's criminally underused, limited to being pulled out every now and then and have the B button held down for a few seconds(the puzzle for opening secret doors is nifty, though) without you moving out of reach of whatever you're activating. And the hacker named Prometheus... yes, I get it, I do, and it's sad to see such potential go largely to waste. Don't get me started on the Orwell quote... it over-hypes the (admittedly unexpected and cool) twist(one of only two great ones, the rest are unsurprising) near the end. The levels(and designs overall) are good, if repetitive. If you are stuck at any point in this(it seldom occurs), it's likely to be on account of having gotten lost, because the appearance of so many rooms and areas are incredibly alike. There are no real unforgettable locations or such. The settings are marvelous, including the streets(and to an extent, ruins) of Washington, the White House and even the Pentagon. As far as the arsenal goes, there are 16(or 18 according to other sources, I may not have found them all) weapons, and they kick a moderate amount of ass(except for a handful that pwn). Several can be charged up, discharging additional times simultaneously, and effective range, projectile, damage done help make them stand out from one another, and there are military, futuristic and "Drudge"(the extraterrestrial forces) ones, so they aren't "see one, you've seen 'em all". You can only carry 2 at a time, so you have to choose wisely. Enemies are reasonably varied, and I didn't tire of fighting them for the duration of this. Then again, maybe that has to do with how short this is. An hour or less for any of the 9(all of them available for re-playing in the menu) missions(with first and last being maybe half of that). That's it. If your hands, fingers and wrists can take it, you can complete this the day you get it. Yes, consider settling for rental. Well, they did put in unlockables to keep you coming back. The plot is clichéd and predictable, and the bit of ego stroking and going through the motions of "well, can I trust *you*?", while minuscule in quantity, are annoying. Characters have no personality and are defined entirely by the one trait they were granted. The voice acting *is* great, as is the music(stylistically reminiscent of the Bourne trilogy, perhaps with a touch of X-Files, spies, that sort of thing) and sound. From a technical standpoint, this is fantastic. The graphics look amazing, and if they didn't(I'd say they did) reach their goal of giving a visual experience comparable to the X-Box and PS3, they came immensely close. FX, lighting, reflections, all of it astounding. The story-telling isn't bad, and the briefings deliver exposition in an engaging enough way. While this is a fairly typical FPS outing, it is an entertaining and enjoyable one. The target lock is helpful(my suggestion for the next one? Make one that automatically goes for the pesky small foes, or some system that lets you focus either on the bothersome or the tough ones), providing a health bar and being instantly responsive. Saving is checkpoint-based. The AI isn't poor, if there is an occasional tendency for them to forget you're their opponent, and either stand still or run right past you. Since the conclusion makes it clear there will be a sequel(and don't get me wrong, I'll strongly consider getting it) and it has now been announced that they're making it, here are my ideas for what to improve: More mythology, flesh out the concept, the people, etc., make it less black and white, and take bigger chances. Make gaming history, not just headlines. There is no offensive content in this, other than taking out humans("puppets"). I recommend this to fans of the genre/conspiracies. 7/10