Not even a great show can shield this from total mediocrity

User Rating: 2.8 | The Shield: The Game PS2
I have to admit I'm not a fan of the show but when I knew that they are turning it into a game, I had to check it out and it's a total disappointment. I think the developers are teasing my intelligence with such a crappy game.

Gameplay - They try hard to make the game intuitive but failed miserably. Boring gun fights, stupid in - game interactions etc. This game do have some stealth elements that is so primitive basically all you have to do is crouch or stand behind a cover, wait for an opportunity then continue. Gun fights are stupid, somehow you can shoot the enemies five or six times and they won't die but instead they can kill you in like three shots. You might think that this could be a good challenge but how about the clumsy stand out from cover and fire. The AI will always fire at you first before you can even have a shot(that's only the number you can fire anyway). It's like they have x - ray vision or something. Most of the time during gameplay involves searching for 'clues' but don't think it's gonna be hard, all you have to do is move your thumb stick around until the circle shrinks down to size and that's it. Alright, maybe there is something nice like grabbing an enemy and slamming them into things. It's good only when they are useful but somehow no matter how many times you pounce them, they just won't get hurt because apparently you have to react to certain points for advancements e.g. stove, toilet bowls etc. Almost forgot about the melee fighting, they are the slowest I have ever seen. You can mash the buttons like mad without any response. Visual - Nothing to boast about except for Vic because only his model is worth mentioning while other supporting casts overall just look like crap. Even the environment looks cheap, everything is just so pixelated. How about the NPCs you ask? They are a joke altogether. Despite all of that this game does deliver some nice lighting effects here and there.

Audio - Good voice acting from the main characters but not any near great. Soundtracks from the show is in this game too but basically you wouldn't care less since you can hear all that from the show anyway. Other sound effects are just below par, they sound bland and funny. The AI's repetitive speeches will drive you crazy. Repetitive speeches like " I didn't do nothing " will make you want to smash your TV.

Value - Almost none. Sure you can unlock some extras which are pointless by the way and after all the frustrations you've gone through these extras are all you've got.

Overall - This game is one good way to waste some hard earned money(yours truly did just that). Unless you are a super fan of the show and just want to be Vic Mackey so much, stay away from this one.