Urban Chaos: Riot Response
Nov 7, 2006 2:57:44 GMT -5
Post by kal on Nov 7, 2006 2:57:44 GMT -5
Anyone ever get a chance to play this, I've just started playing it and am really really glad I did, it's one of the best FPSs I've played recently and ever. I mean I've played your mainstream usually overrated games (Halo, Halflife and games of that ilk) but I'm surprised that this game seems to have done a good job of slipping underneath the radar despite it actually having an advertisment budget.
I guess the main reason I could think why is unlike the aformentioned games it doesn't look great in screenshots but the game itself is just such a joy.
When I was looking at it I thought *Damn that riot shield seems like such a gimmick* (you know like the Crisis Zone riot shield) but it's just done really nicely, they went for playability rather then realism as it takes about 0.5 seconds to go from gun to shield and it feels great to throw your shield up at the last moment to block a meat cleaver (which sticks temporarily on the shield and leaves a nice scar on the shield) and then blast the enemy away. The game also appears to (atleast in single player) use 1-hit kill headshots, always a nice bonus.
All the weapons are sufficently meaty, your guns have distinct advantages over the burners (gang enemies) in general but this is more a feature (I'd hate it if underequiped gang members had tech as nice as my million dollar armaments). You also earn medals for forefilling set objectives, in general that being a certain number of headshots, non-lethal takedowns, finding evidence (my least favourite), not dying and non-lethal takedown of gang memeber. On the subject of non-lethal take downs the game offers you two choices either a stun gun (taser) which is like the Deus EX stun gun on steriods with range and knockout gas grenades. Stunning people is actually not a hassle as it totally incapacitates them and has a decent range. Also there's a huge amount of varation between close range shotgun and long range shotgun damages for enemies not just you which is just great. Your shield blocks almost everything and retains massive amounts of bullet holes throughout any given level (some burners throw molotovs at your feet to prevent you from turtleing excessively). There's also hostage situations which taste your patients and timing (you have to shoot a gang members head when he's reloading but he can fake you out and shoot/throw stuff at you).
As you unlock medals you unlock upgrades for weapons, which is great and very welcome you also retain these through difficulties and past levels can be redone with them, though completing an objective on medium only earns a medium medal where as finish it on elite unlocks both (I believe). The ultimate reward is a minigun which is used during chopper segements (that's right, on-rail segments as well, spectacular). The downside to all the unlockables is simple...you can use cheats to get them, of course you don't have to but it always seems to cheapen rewards when another player can enter a 10 button cheat and get what you spent a week earning.
You also are accompinied at various times by emergency personal (Medics, Firemen and Police officers) who perform context actions like putting out fires, helping civies or providing you backup. You have some measure of control over them with seek cover or follow commands. Fortunately unlike I initially though, the levels make use of many personal at once but only certain ones will accompany you (police are for example present in many levels but they hold areas etc). Medics are the only way for you to gain health back, each medic carries 3 medipacks they may heal you with after that no more healing for you (the medics are well spaced through the level usually preventing you from getting too many heals) this works well as it helps make healing tactical (heal now a little or later risk death but heal a lot).
Objectives do vary, they aren't always go here and kill gangmen, sometimes your escorting civies or rescuing people, also fires play a resonable role in this game, early on you get a thermalmask/breather that allows you to breath in dangerous situations (like when you throw smoke grenades everywhere) but it also is used to see in areas of intense fire with thermal vision which is quite a different experince, fighting off gang members as you follow the sound of someones coughing through a burning inferno is really quite different. Also some doors can have a build up of air causing a massive flaming explosion when opened (can be unrealistically blocked with your shield though which is fine) which is a nice touch, the first time you open a door and are instantly incinerated it's unique. Enemies also do enter the level using a variety of means that we've come to expect breaking through windows, jumping over fences and they also like to hide behind boxes and surprise you with a meat cleaver to the face.
Surprisingly the game doesn't just use the generic layout of most console FPSs, rather the game use the face buttons O,[],/\ etc to change weapons based on class, [] for instance is your long ranged weaponary, triangle being your short range and O being quick switch to stungun. To help with balance the game (unfortunately this would have been cool though) you can't use guns behind the shield, you can reload and you can knock enemies with the shield that's a nice comprimise which is also quite damaging and can kill in 1 or 2 swings in general.
A couple of downsides real quick, your character does seem to have buckets of health compared to everyone else and careful use of the riot shield can mean you almost never get hurt very much, later game this is less apparent but early on you're very much a super tank. The stage setting cutscenes are done using real-actors in FMV, this gets a bit grating (especially since like almost all FMVs in games the actors just seem entirely dispassionate and disinterested), also after the novelty wears off these scenes really ruin any suspension of disbelief. As stated Burner weaponary is pretty horrible which while it's nice to pick up its really own there for the interested or the bored. Fortunately the game itself is very solid and more then makes up for the small gripes.
In any event, the game doesn't deviate too much from the FPS format to freak out people but is does avoid any sort of major cliche like WWII game, heck it stradles the line between realism and arcadism with almost perfect perscition and they're aren't too many FPSs that are set in slightlymodern/present day that play like this. Hugely playable with plenty of nice little distractions to make this title well worth a playthrough or 10, trust me on this don't listen to the naysayers because the game doesn't have aliens or miltary shootouts, it deserves more respect then its gotten though most certainly.
All these screenshots were pilfered online because taking my own would take wayyy to much time.
I guess the main reason I could think why is unlike the aformentioned games it doesn't look great in screenshots but the game itself is just such a joy.
When I was looking at it I thought *Damn that riot shield seems like such a gimmick* (you know like the Crisis Zone riot shield) but it's just done really nicely, they went for playability rather then realism as it takes about 0.5 seconds to go from gun to shield and it feels great to throw your shield up at the last moment to block a meat cleaver (which sticks temporarily on the shield and leaves a nice scar on the shield) and then blast the enemy away. The game also appears to (atleast in single player) use 1-hit kill headshots, always a nice bonus.
All the weapons are sufficently meaty, your guns have distinct advantages over the burners (gang enemies) in general but this is more a feature (I'd hate it if underequiped gang members had tech as nice as my million dollar armaments). You also earn medals for forefilling set objectives, in general that being a certain number of headshots, non-lethal takedowns, finding evidence (my least favourite), not dying and non-lethal takedown of gang memeber. On the subject of non-lethal take downs the game offers you two choices either a stun gun (taser) which is like the Deus EX stun gun on steriods with range and knockout gas grenades. Stunning people is actually not a hassle as it totally incapacitates them and has a decent range. Also there's a huge amount of varation between close range shotgun and long range shotgun damages for enemies not just you which is just great. Your shield blocks almost everything and retains massive amounts of bullet holes throughout any given level (some burners throw molotovs at your feet to prevent you from turtleing excessively). There's also hostage situations which taste your patients and timing (you have to shoot a gang members head when he's reloading but he can fake you out and shoot/throw stuff at you).
As you unlock medals you unlock upgrades for weapons, which is great and very welcome you also retain these through difficulties and past levels can be redone with them, though completing an objective on medium only earns a medium medal where as finish it on elite unlocks both (I believe). The ultimate reward is a minigun which is used during chopper segements (that's right, on-rail segments as well, spectacular). The downside to all the unlockables is simple...you can use cheats to get them, of course you don't have to but it always seems to cheapen rewards when another player can enter a 10 button cheat and get what you spent a week earning.
You also are accompinied at various times by emergency personal (Medics, Firemen and Police officers) who perform context actions like putting out fires, helping civies or providing you backup. You have some measure of control over them with seek cover or follow commands. Fortunately unlike I initially though, the levels make use of many personal at once but only certain ones will accompany you (police are for example present in many levels but they hold areas etc). Medics are the only way for you to gain health back, each medic carries 3 medipacks they may heal you with after that no more healing for you (the medics are well spaced through the level usually preventing you from getting too many heals) this works well as it helps make healing tactical (heal now a little or later risk death but heal a lot).
Objectives do vary, they aren't always go here and kill gangmen, sometimes your escorting civies or rescuing people, also fires play a resonable role in this game, early on you get a thermalmask/breather that allows you to breath in dangerous situations (like when you throw smoke grenades everywhere) but it also is used to see in areas of intense fire with thermal vision which is quite a different experince, fighting off gang members as you follow the sound of someones coughing through a burning inferno is really quite different. Also some doors can have a build up of air causing a massive flaming explosion when opened (can be unrealistically blocked with your shield though which is fine) which is a nice touch, the first time you open a door and are instantly incinerated it's unique. Enemies also do enter the level using a variety of means that we've come to expect breaking through windows, jumping over fences and they also like to hide behind boxes and surprise you with a meat cleaver to the face.
Surprisingly the game doesn't just use the generic layout of most console FPSs, rather the game use the face buttons O,[],/\ etc to change weapons based on class, [] for instance is your long ranged weaponary, triangle being your short range and O being quick switch to stungun. To help with balance the game (unfortunately this would have been cool though) you can't use guns behind the shield, you can reload and you can knock enemies with the shield that's a nice comprimise which is also quite damaging and can kill in 1 or 2 swings in general.
A couple of downsides real quick, your character does seem to have buckets of health compared to everyone else and careful use of the riot shield can mean you almost never get hurt very much, later game this is less apparent but early on you're very much a super tank. The stage setting cutscenes are done using real-actors in FMV, this gets a bit grating (especially since like almost all FMVs in games the actors just seem entirely dispassionate and disinterested), also after the novelty wears off these scenes really ruin any suspension of disbelief. As stated Burner weaponary is pretty horrible which while it's nice to pick up its really own there for the interested or the bored. Fortunately the game itself is very solid and more then makes up for the small gripes.
In any event, the game doesn't deviate too much from the FPS format to freak out people but is does avoid any sort of major cliche like WWII game, heck it stradles the line between realism and arcadism with almost perfect perscition and they're aren't too many FPSs that are set in slightlymodern/present day that play like this. Hugely playable with plenty of nice little distractions to make this title well worth a playthrough or 10, trust me on this don't listen to the naysayers because the game doesn't have aliens or miltary shootouts, it deserves more respect then its gotten though most certainly.
All these screenshots were pilfered online because taking my own would take wayyy to much time.