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Giants: Citizen Kabuto

If you would like to buy a game where you would get the most "bang for your buck," I would highly recommend Giants: Citizen Kabuto (GCK). Not only is this game take on the characteristics of three or four genres, it literally plays like three separate games. 

Giants was originally released on the PC a little over a year ago. The graphics were jaw dropping, but the game boasted a myriad of bugs. The game was obviously released too early and the PS2 version was scheduled to hopefully fix those problems.

It's hard to classify this game. You could call it a shooter game, an adventure game, an action game, whatever. I prefer to think of GCK as a game in the "other" category. That's not a bad thing however. The gameplay variation manages to keep the game refreshing.

In GCK you play as two different species trying to save the world from Kabuto, a creation from the Sea Reapers. (You'll also play as Kabuto.) Sound weird? The game hails from our Great British brethren, the same folk who brought us Telletubbies and Hugh Grant. That is not a bad thing as the British humor and style integrates itself nicely into the game's storyline.

 

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The three types of species are the Meccs, a Sea Reaper princess named Delphi, and the big hunk of mass Kabuto. Each species has its own unique style. The Meccs remind me a lot of the old Super Metroid game. You are equipped with a spacesuit, a jetpack, and a gun. Need I say more?

Controlling Delphi is unique. You can have free roam in the water, but your firepower is very weak. You have to stealth around a bit. Kabuto is like a bulldozer. You just see the enemies then demolish them. My only 

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gripe with this aspect of the game is that you have to wait so long to play with the different species -- you have to complete a certain number of missions before you get the opportunity. I wish that the game would just give you the option to play the game as any of the three species.

The graphics in GCK are average. I never played the PC version of Giants, but I read a lot of reviews from the game and the graphics were the best thing about the game. Not the case in the PS2 version. The graphics aren't bad, but they aren't as eye popping as I thought they would be. This is the biggest disappointment in the game for me. 

I went into some detail about how bold the differences were from character to character, but all across the board I think the character movement is a little mediocre. GCK takes full advantage of the PS2's analog sticks. You use one to look around and the other to move. I would like to think that I am fairly efficient with the analog sticks, but I was just having troubles getting comfortable with moving around and shooting. (Although I think movement would be much easier with the mouse and keyboard as on the PC.)  I know that the game is restricted to its controller and the analog sticks are the only way to go, but I had trouble aiming at times. It's a minor gripe in the grand scheme of things, but it was a sore spot for me.

Where GCK shines is the sound -- it's crisp and altogether memorable. The cut scenes between missions showcase the British humor at its best. I don't want to give anything away, but you'll get a lot of "bathroom humor" and a lot of oddities. It's not Dennis Miller funny, it's Adam Sandler funny.

One of the nice features that the PS2 version has that the PC did not was the ability to save at any point in the game.

The replay value for this game is pretty solid if you enjoy the single-player experience. There are three difficulty levels to choose from and there are quite a number of missions to go through. There is no multi-player mode, which was something that the PC version really had going for it. 

Overall, GCK is one of those games that can say they are a "jack of all trades". The storyline is funny and the gameplay is solid. The game is a quirky weird and the graphics aren't great, but if you are looking for a challenging game to hold you over until the spring, Giants: Citizen Kabuto would be a wise choice.

- Tim Martin

(February 20, 2002)

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