DEVELOPER: Eidos Montreal
PUBLISHER: Square Enix
SYSTEM: Windows PC
PRICE: $49.99
ESRB RATING: Mature
REVIEW RATING: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
It's been over 15 years since the "Thief" franchise was started, and stealth game play has undergone major changes in that time. Fortunately, the recent reinvention of "Thief" has kept up with the times in this regard. However, the game ceases to be fun when I'm forced to delve into non-stealth game play.
It's too bad that the storyline for "Thief" is anything but riveting. Apparently, The City (as it's known) is ruled by a tyrant called the Baron, and his henchmen faithfully carry out his spirit-crushing orders. When a leader of the people emerges, Garret, the master thief, decides to help out the revolution any way he can. Sadly, not even elements of the occult can resurrect the story into anything remotely interesting.
Adding more frustration is the linear feel of the main story missions. Sure, it's fun to sneak around an active brothel or a creepy asylum, but the branching paths are severely limited. It's only when I chose to undertake optional side missions that I felt like I was truly free to forge my own path.
It's also during the side missions that I had the most fun! I really enjoy having the choice of not only how to enter a building (windows, doors, vents), but also which areas to search for various loot to steal. Garret's Focus ability highlights what loot can be stolen, and it can be upgraded in many ways, such as by making lock-picking easier.
Another cool feature is the Swoop ability that lets Garret invisibly "jump" forward. This is extremely handy for moving through areas without being seen and also for traversing ledges that are too far apart for a regular jump. Swoop is practically useless for the lame non-stealth portions of the game that include action sequences and platforming areas.
In the end, "Thief" puts too much emphasis on not being a thief.
'Rambo: The Video Game'
DEVELOPER: Teyon
PUBLISHER: Reef Entertainment
SYSTEM: Microsoft Xbox 360 (PS3, PC)
PRICE: $39.99
ESRB RATING: Mature
REVIEW RATING: 1 star (out of 5)
Much like "The Matrix" movie trilogy, the cinematic world would be a better place without any sequels to "First Blood." Nevertheless, someone thought a new installment to the Rambo video game franchise where players never have full control over their character would be a good idea. They were wrong! Dead wrong!
"Rambo: The Video Game" is an on-rails shooter (first mistake) that showcases scenes from the first three Rambo movies. Perhaps the only good thing about the game is that these locations are easily recognizable, so they invoke nostalgia when I first saw them. Sadly, I also had to play through them, which isn't so nostalgic!
Ironically, the game's version of the best movie ("First Blood") is not only extremely short, but also glazed over by long Quick-Time events where players are limited to pushing the correct buttons at the right time in order to advance the narrative. I guess the developers thought that giving players the ability to actually play the game was too challenging.
The sequence for the second movie is little more than mowing down seemingly endless waves of identical Viet Cong soldiers. Of course, all players can do is aim and shoot because on-rails shooters don't allow for freedom of movement. Only the last movie, set in Soviet-occupied Afghanistan, offers a minute amount of enjoyment, and that's only because I suffered through the previous levels.
On top of boring and uninspired game play, "Rambo: The Video Game" features inconsistent audio coupled with downright ugly and misshapen character models. My verdict is that this steaming pile of a game is more suitable to fertilize a rice paddy than insert into any console or PC.
REVIEW SCORING SYSTEM
5 stars = Must Have
4 stars = Very Good
3 stars = Above Average
2 stars = Bargain Bin
1 star = Don't Bother
RATINGS KEY
Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)
E: (Everyone)
E10+: (Everyone 10 and older)
T: Teen (13 and older)
M: Mature (17 and older)
To find out more about Jeb Haught and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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