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Platform
Xbox
Genre
Action
Publisher
Majesco
Developer
Rage Software
ESRB
T (Teen)
Released
August 2002
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- Arcade feel
- Loads of action
- Solid soundtrack
- 25 levels offer enough challenge
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- Lots of sloooooooow dowwwwwn
resulting in an increased difficulty
- Some iffy control
- Where are the cutscenes
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Review: MechAssault (XBox)
Review: MechCommander 2 (PC)
Review: X-COM
Enforcer (PC)
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Gun
Metal
Score: 6.6 / 10
Taking control of a big transforming robot
sounds cool – even cooler when said robot is equipped with an assortment
of high-explosive projectiles and energy weapons. This is why it’s so
sad to see Gun Metal (GM) fall short even though it's still fun in short
controlled bursts.
The premise and backstory are as straightforward as they come: blow up
the bad guys in the far-flung future. There’s no political intrigue, no
plot twists and a near-total lack of cutscnenes. GM is all about the
action, whether you’re running escort, defending a base, or obliterating
the opposition. In true form, you have token back-up but it’s all for
naught – you are a one-robot army. Like almost every game Rage has
developed (that I can think of), there’s a distinct emphasis on bright
lights, big
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explosions and neat-o lighting effects, and
mostly fun gameplay.
Controlling your big ‘bot is also straightforward, in either robot or
jet mode. But there’s a problem switching between the two. Hitting the
Y-button results in a second or two of no visible response. Then it
leaps into the air and hits the afterburners. It’s as if the ‘bot is
mustering up the courage to soar with the eagles. Or like a |
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weightlifter attempting a truly gargantuan
clean-and-jerk. Hesitation, then “UUMPHH!” all the blood vessels in his
neck pop. There’s a good selection of weapons to be accessed in both
‘bot and jet form, and most of them have their own pros and cons. My
favorite, a torpedo that hugs the ground, means you can sit behind a
hill for cover and destroy enemy tanks on the other side.
What nearly kills GM are the horrendous drops in framerate. Imagine
playing all the way through Halo under the same framerate found in the
climatic escape in the Warthog. (For those of you that don’t know,
everything slowed right down – not stuttering like PC gamers get used to
as their rigs age, just slow.) That speed is cut nearly in half with GM.
Face off against more than a half-dozen on-screen enemies and suddenly
it feels like you’re fighting through the effects of a black hole
covered in molasses after consuming half a mickey of rum. There’s an
optimistic part of me that thinks this would make it easier to dodge
incoming fire. No, it doesn’t. You simply get to watch your ‘bot die
slower as the enemy has this nasty tendency to pinpoint you with deadly
accuracy. All this while your button presses don’t seem to register.
It’s in these situations – your shield gone, taking heavy damage, and
fighting the effects of the molasses – that a quick exit is entirely
necessary. Unfortunately, shifting to jet mode leaves you open to quite
a few shots and because you’re in molasses and it takes a couple of
seconds for the ‘bot to jump into the air, you’ll die before you can
make it to a recharge station to restore your health and shield.
Difficulty is uneven. I often breezed through four or five missions on
the first try then got totally stuck on the sixth for a few days. Some
of this was owed to the molasses effect, but more often it was the
result of overwhelming numbers. Other times it was the result of the
targeting system, which can be switched from auto to manual at the press
of a button. Auto targeting doesn’t target well enough – enemies flying
in over you don’t even get a second glance while they pound you with
missiles – and manual targeting is rendered even tougher to handle
during the periods of molasses. Being able to switch between them so
easily does take away some of the frustration but each seem to go only
half way. (I suppose, combined, they go all the way.)
Graphically, GM is pretty nice to look at – believe me, you have time to
notice the smalls things like smoke trails, human infantry being
squashed, small explosions, dirt being kicked up from “small arms” fire,
etc. Most of this graphical splendor happens while in robot mode. When
whooshing around as the jet the world just zooms by, almost too fast,
but the sense of speed is achieved. (More so when you’ve just blasted
out of molasses.) GM looks great most of the time, but the speed
trade-off just isn’t worth it. (I think Rage set out to choke the Xbox:
"Let's see if it can handle this and this and THIS!")
This might be a nit more than anything but I found it kind of
off-putting that there were no cutscenes. The opening movie is nice to
watch but whatever happened to in-between mission flicks? Even the
briefings are pretty lifeless, with some angry disembodied voice
shouting orders. (The voice booms throughout each mission, mostly
shouting, “Use your missiles!”) The music is actually decent though.
Gun Metal could have been so much more with a bit more time. The arcade
action is a nice diversion (and fun) for half hour stretches but any
long-term involvement is not likely – it’s just not deep enough. And the
speed issues… rent it and see for yourself.
- Omni
(September 9, 2002) |
