No Glitch in the System
User Rating: 9.5 | Metal Arms: Glitch in the System PS2
Third Person Shooters have always been seen as a more of a slow approach to the actual shooting part of the game. A very good example of this game turned into a different genre is Metal Gear Solid. It seemed more stealth based as apposed to shooting based, creating another genre on it's own. There are few who want to retain the actual shooting part of a TPS because they want it to be more stealth based. Then came Jet Force Gemini for the Nintendo 64. Talk about a game that rocked! It was a third person with the thrills of GoldenEye (props to Rare on that as well). I instantly fell in love. Then with the coming of the next generation consoles third person shooters still ceased to exist. After waiting a good 2 years a golden game emerged, Metal Arms: Glitch in the System. I was reluctant to purchase at first, but after seeing the golden $29.99 price tag I couldn't resist. PRESENTATION When looking at the box art a little robot holding another droids head with a sparking gun doesn't seem very appealing. The main character looks like a little Lego character for crying out loud. Then you boot up the game. The awakening of Glitch is a nice little scene, with loads of cursing to bleep out included. After you complete the first mission the captain even joyful says, "Don't bust out the joy lube just yet". Not even that, but there are over 14 deadly weapons to use for your bidding. GRAPHICS The textures could use some work here and there, but nothing noticeable at first glance. Particles are everywhere in this game, as they should be in a shooter game. But this one has robots that spark whenever you shot them. Real time lighting is also present no matter what. Your shadow is cast when a grenade detonates neat by. Granted as with any game that involves grenades, you don't wanna be close for that. SOUND Sound is very rich in this game. The thing that stands out the most is that the tunes are actually fitting to the mood and the tone of the game. The sound actually sets up foreshadowing here and there, making you a little more aware of an on coming attack. All the guns actually sound realistic, except for maybe the toaster. Hehehe GAMEPLAY Here is the bulk of what a game should be based on. Gameplay. Graphics help represent the game, but the gameplay is where it is. When you start the game all you have is a little mining laser. The gun is weak in its own, but it can be upgraded, giving added depth to the already tried and true style of a shooter. Most other guns can be upgraded, but not all of them. Then you can wield a tether gun. Using this tether gun you can target a specific location on an enemy and attach a cord there. A few seconds later and Glitch is a sitting duck. Only thing is now he has a badass bodyguard. Early in the game other bots can be jacked into by means of a terminal, usually in another room, giving you free reign to destroy all the other enemies at your leisure. This is a new idea that is welcomed into the genre. When you hijack into an enemy you gain control of him. He shares the same controls as Glitch, which means that the AI can only do what you can do, giving the game a since of balance. The world is equal to itself. In one scenario I started to gun down a Titan from the distance. While I was distracted a Grunt hopped into a turret and opened fire. All of the characters are based on the same rules, giving you a feeling of warm accomplishment when you clear a room full of baddies. Vehicles are also present, and you have the ability to drive them as well. Just capped a Grunt in the turret and are still out numbered? Get inside the turret and gun down the rest. Other vehicles include a mining hovercraft with a machine gun (Why a mining craft needs a machine gun is beyond me, but it works) and a claw to pick up enemies, a military tank, and my personal favorite, the RAT, Metal Arms¿ answer to the warthog, only difference is it has six-wheel drive and more horsepower. This comes at a sl ight disadvantage because the controls on the RAT is very loose. Not sure if it was intended but it does present some problems in the later missions. Allies can even be recruited in mid battle. They also share the same rules as you. Meaning they can die if you don¿t protect them. That also means that they can give you guns. Allies are also an important factor in multiplayer. REPLAY VALUE Multiplayer is the base of the replay of this game. However for us who want to clear out all of the game there are four difficulty levels, including the ever so hard ¿Nuts of Steel¿ mode. 40 missions keep you going into the wee hours of the morning, hoping to reach the finale, but multiplayer is when it really lies. A drawback for the PS2 users is only 2 players are allowed to play, but that can hardly be a factor considering you can recruit NPC¿s in multiplayer. Multiplayer wouldn¿t be complete without the Vehicles either. Not only that but you also have the teather gun and recruit gernades so you can have an army type feel when you rush up on your opponent. Only disadvantage is that NPC's cannot man vechiles.
