Old graphics engine, poor level design, disappointing game mechanics
The beginning is 'cinematic' or at least that was the intention. As it was just a long scene of helicopter flying over the Somali coast I could have skipped it but I would have missed the first 'weird fact': when the helicopter lands, dust goes up BUT the palm trees a few meters away are UNdisturbed. Great - no PhysX (OK, no problem) but one could have 'simulated' a little 'wind through the trees'.
After this 'cinematic scene' (the creator must have hoped to create something similar to the last James Bond game - he/she failed miserably) you are driven to the starting place of your mission. While 'admiring' how easy it is to hide a weak graphics engine by using a blur/strong light source (the excuse must be the strong African sunlight in Somalia...), you get the outline of your mission. Nothing memorable or that gets you interested - even the usual 'save the world' would have been better... No explanation whatsoever as to WHY you are going in alone in broad daylight...
So far just a weak graphics engine and an even weaker story... but the 'fun' is not over!
You get your gear (I won't comment on WHY you didn't come with all the weapons as you just flew in a helicopter...) and get pointers on how the system works - you have the option of 'aiming'. The people that played Mass Effect 2 know what I'm referring to - sort of a 'medium zoom' and cross-hairs. I mention this as it is important to another 'what the ...???' moment later on.
OK, you're fully equipped and get down to business. Or so you think...
You get out on a street and the mission indicator points to somewhere on your left. But you CAN'T go left as there is a barbed-wire fence and a overturned car... Yes, you are a 'special ops guy' but climbing over a car or cutting some wire is WAAAAAAAY out of your league... so you go right to the 'inevitable' enemy ambush.
At this point you would think (and be terribly wrong) that the 'aiming' mentioned earlier actually does something. Yes, it annoys you and gets your character wounded. There is no 'head-shot' system in the game and you just have to pump 'em full of lead the old fashioned way... (The 'what the ...???' moment I mentioned earlier.)
Also, the 'cover' system is useless from what I tested. I am (as mentioned before) used to the implementation in Mass Effect 2: you get to cover, press aim, lean just a bit over/beside your cover and start shooting. No chance of that here: you must choose between taking cover and taking out the enemy. So your life bar goes even lower...
I almost forgot: you don't pick-up the ammo automatically - must point the mouse and press 'use'. Very 'useful' in a shooter... specially one designed to get your character (killed, of course) as 'close as possible' to the starting point.
I went forward, got into another ambush a few meters before another way point, killed the enemy, got to the way point, killed another wave of 'pirates'... and I finally got to the point that annoyed so much I gave up on this game: I couldn't see any way to move forward toward my goal.
Yes, I admit I was a little to annoyed to look for more than a couple of times around the place for a way forward but given the amount of 'work' put into making the entire level as 'linear' as possible it was too much for me.
The only 'benefit' of this game was that it made me write my first GameSpot review in almost 4 years. The 'actual' play was a total let down.
Pros:
N/A
Cons:
- poor graphics (the graphics engine seems either old or weak)
- uninteresting story
- linear/unimaginative level design
- useless/'out-dated' game mechanics (or 'lack there of' I could say in some cases)
If you think this game 'might be interesting', I suggest you first get the demo.