A game that doesn't present itself as anything classic but succeeds as a fun hack and slash adventure (in-depth review).
So ask yourself this: Do I like hack and slash games?
If your answer is no then step click back on the upper tab now. If your answer is yes then in short you will most likely enjoy Conan.
GRAPHICS 6/10
Of course I wouldn't' go as far as to say Conan has bad visuals, but after such eye popping graphics from games like Bioshock and Gears of War, Conan will sure look like a children's cartoon. But wait, when was the last time you saw a cartoon with plentiful amputation and busty boobage? Conan looks good enough to be a modern game and since graphics aren't its selling point I'm inclined to let the developers off on this one. With interesting looking characters, smooth animation and enough splattered blood to paint Mt. Everest, you will barely care about the almost painted on colours and textures. From this you can easily come to the conclusion that it doesn't take full advantage of the graphics engine the 360 has to offer, but the variety in character movement and style surely make this stand above any last generation hack and slash. As for the boobs... that REALLY depends on the gamer.
SOUND 6/10
Are you mad? Its Conan, like its going to have anything mind blowing, epic or even smart to sound off. The voice acting is pretty much as basic as it comes, while you can trust that it presents the character's own style (although Conan doesn't sound Conan enough for one thing) and drives the plot forward for it to become slightly more engaging before the you know what gameplay. Acting is flat and doesn't do justice to the cool effects when Conan flies through the air slice and dicing enemies as they come, but it rarely comes up enough to hamper the hack and slash experience. The music isn't original but then again plenty of games have unoriginal soundtracks and no one seems to care then. And lie now as I write this I never cared either and it's probable you won't to. Simple war like trumpets that fit the raging combat to come pretty much sums up what is to come. It's neither a hit nor miss. But wait, it can't sound entirely mediocre? How does it feel to hear a sword slice through fresh flesh only to hear the screams and blood splatter on the hard stone floor? Pretty good if you ask me, and on that note I can safely say the weapons and movement sound effects save to gameplay experience from being shadowed by bland background noise.
GAMEPLAY 9/10
Well of course you want to hear about the good stuff, and I won't postpone it any longer. One by one the come and two by two they get tossed, butchers, crushed, hacked, man-handled and sliced up into stir fry. That's pretty much the gist of it; you play through various levels, each with different sets of enemies that throw themselves at you at every moment that occurs. It might get repetitive if played in large doses but then again so can most games. If you're a fan of previous hack and slash games like Dynasty Warriors or action fantasy epics like God of War (notably God of War) then Conan serves up a well worth crowd combat experience. There's also a nice line up of boss battles, each ranging from dragons to krakens and have that puzzle element like God of War. However the puzzle elements in general, boss battles or not do seem presented for the simple minded. Lets see, I'm not allowed to go through the door... hmmm, well there's a huge boulder just above it, just hanging over the edge so much you wonder why the laws of physics haven't kicked in. Like God of War (again) there's no shortage of button action events but unlike God of War, these apply to nearly all the enemies you'll encounter. What sets Conan aside from the most basic of the hack and slash/action adventure is the upgrade system. And no no, this is not like God of War where you can upgrade your small choice of set weapons and magic. In Conan you get a choice of moves to fit the weapons you use and weapons you'll most likely be changing 24/7. At one point you have a short sword then a sword and axe, then a two handed sword, then a club and a sword etc etc. Upgrades are for simple new combos to dish out against the on coming horde. Each is different enough to allow a second play through possible. So in summary it's like God of War but God of War was an excellent experience so any element from that do Conan good. The combat might look rather basic to begin with but change happens and it grows on you, but of course this will only apply to genre fans.
CONTROL 8/10
There is no camera control, instead there are just fixed frames that follow Conan in the third person that change depending on location. While at times you wish you could control it yourself, most of the time you will be happy such tasks are computer controlled leaving you to put your effort into the combat. The combat itself is more like a fighting game. Remember the combos in Tekken and/or Dead or Alive? The same applies here and each different combo must be used for each different enemy. Most of the button sequences will occur ALOT and the button events do come and go a little to quick for you to pick up on, notably when you're surrounded. Overall the control scheme isn't perfect but works entirely within its genre.
VALUE 7/10
This factor will also depend on your gaming tastes. The game is rather easy but the harder modes do stretch it out slightly longer. Estimated gameplay time is within the range of 6 to 10 depending on your set difficulty on your skill. Hardcore players should be fine whereas casual players might die enough times to drag out the experience. Might not sound like enough for one to buy on release (and I agree), the range of different combo moves and 360 achievements can extends the games overall value enough for multiple play throughs. It's a shame there's no multiplayer but if expectations are still high we might get more Conan in the future. The rent or buy factor will depend on the buyer.
CONCLUSION
Pretty much as it is advertised. Like God of War, not as good but still playable and most important fun. If you are thirsty will blood lust or just want to hack p enemies then Conan should be an easy choice to look into. It has its noticeable flaws but when it comes right down to just an over the top gore fest, you want really care. As for a Conan fan, this is a must have.
Pros
- Lots of combat
- Upgrade system works
- Gore, gore and lots more gore
- Great boss fights
- Feels like Conan
Cons
- Poor acting
- Background visuals nothing special
- Shorter than expected