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Platform
Xbox
Genre
Action
Publisher
Rockstar
Developer
VIS
ESRB
M (Mature)
Released
Q1 2003
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- Drop in and tune out
- Constant motion and activity
- Multiplayer a good way to spend some party hours
- A tribute to old school punch ‘em ups
- 100+ missions…
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- … but only four levels
- Camera flings around sometimes
- Not much variation from the violence
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Review: State of Emergency (PS2)
Review: X-Com - Enforcer (PC)
Review: Grand Theft Auto III (PS2)
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State
of Emergency
Score: 6.6 / 10
Everyone has those tough days. Days you’d
like to forget but can’t because it’s left a savage imprint of stress
three kilometers wide across your body and soul. Any day that ends with,
“I can’t wait to have a cold one when I get home,” counts as one of
those days. This is exactly what State of Emergency (SOE) was made for
and at $20US is cheaper, in the long run, than any beverage.
SOE appeared first on the Playstation 2 almost one year ago and the Xbox
version isn’t drastically different. The frame rate seems to be better
but the essentials are practically identical.
SOE’s story mode, Revolution, in a time not so far away when a
totalitarian regime reigns supreme, pits you against a veritable army of
Corporation goons and gang
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members. As an operative of Freedom it’s
your task to carry out multiple missions to further Freedom’s cause and
bring down the evil Corporation. The missions are doled out by other
Freedom operatives and range from search and destroy, escort duty,
stopping public executions, recovering specific items to taking out gang
members but the overriding theme is mayhem, with a capital |
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“M”.
The missions can feel a bit repetitive because, although there are 100+
missions, they take place over a mere 4 levels.
Multiplayer and Chaos modes is likely where you'll spend much of your
time.
Chaos mode sports a number of sub-modes but the goals are largely the
same: collect points by causing as much carnage as possible. And with a
pick-up arsenal that includes shotguns, flamethrowers, grenades, rocket
launchers, machine guns and garbage cans, creating pandemonium is not
difficult. Just see what kind of mayhem you can create by standing at
the end of a street and heating up a mini-gun. (Don’t worry about
civilians though, they’ll keep coming no matter what). There is, of
course, the old stand-by of your fists and feet that can do a good
amount of damage too. Chaos is the mode you'll most want to play after a
rough day -- the weapons are copious and the targets numerous. Blast and
blow up everything! This motto wavers little with the multiplayer games.
SOE’s greatest claim to fame is the number of on-screen non-player
characters (NPCs) at any given moment. Rockstar claims up to 250 (!)
NPCs can be on-screen. Although there is no practical way to verify this
claim since I can’t count that fast, I’ll accept it as fact. Regardless
of this, the environments absolutely seethe with NPCs – an unrelenting
horde of looters, civilians and Corporation “peace” keepers. Some
reviews of the Playstation 2 version pointed an angry finger at the
detail level of the NPCs, which is low. (Just an aside, these are people
who have never been part of a mob – when faces become blurred and who
you’re stepping over to get to the exit or off the street is
insignificant. Besides the low-detail of the NPCs helps keep the
framerates up.) Some missions are complicated by this very fact. If you
have to run down a Corporation target, spotting him in a crowd can be
very difficult (even though they’re highlighted). It’s at these times
you’ll feel the need to “thin” the crowd.
If you haven’t picked up on the fact that SOE is a violent game, maybe
the idea of a power-up that lets you decapitate enemies with one punch
will. There aren’t any missions I can think of that require tact – the
most tact involved is who to blast first.
Targeting and laying waste to Corporation enforcers is hit and miss.
Depending on how they attack you’ll be scrambling to stay alive. The
camera gets blocked at times, especially when you travel around corners.
The right stick controls the camera but because you have to use your
thumb to perform the main functions you’ll likely use the right trigger
to just center the camera and leave it at that. The view feels loose
most of the time even if it does move smoothly. Sometimes you’ll hit a
sweet spot where you’re in the perfect position (and view) when a major
attack occurs but this doesn’t happen often. Admittedly, the ability to
strafe can alleviate some of this and the quick controls help SOE from
being a write-off. (There’s no lock-on capability, but with so many
targets, it would be impractical anyway.)
Like most beers, State of Emergency is empty calories (but with really
loud explosions) and far more fun with friends. That doesn’t make it any
less of a way to vent your feelings of frustrations at the world (and
saves on therapy bills) but it does bring down the score since it’s too
one dimensional – violence being the answer to all the Revolution
missions without a stealth objection or changing environments to
consider. Multiplayer is a great addition for when friends are over but
ultimately, SOE can’t muster the staying power of a must-own title if it
was a "full price" game. However, at $20US it may be a viable game to
spend your money on.
- Omni
(April 12, 2003) |
