A flawed yet fun game that manages to entertain despite its downsides.
So, now that those 2 years have passed, it seems the game was released just as it was at that stage.
Very well, since Im reviewing the PC version, I have to start with all the glitches that plagued the installation. Not only the game doesn't create the folder in which it saves the game (meaning you must create it manually if you want your progress to be remembered) but also the launcher is non-functional in many PCs (for a fix, go to www.artificialstudios.com/monsterlauncher.zip). After you fix up this glaring omissions you find that the instructions have remained intact from the X360. Yes, we find ON PC VERSION, that we need to push "A" to continue and "B" to go back. Even the voiced game instructions talk about game sticks and triggers, with a written instruction that states the real controls for the game.
However, once those things are accounted for, you find a nice, fun game. Maybe the Unreal Engine 3 wasn't the best choice for a game where detail is very, very far away from the view, but the lighting and shadows, as well as post processing and most textures are rightfully done, and are pleasant to the eye. Major kudos go to the Art Direction team, who managed to give all the monsters and characters a charming comic feel, as well as making a very cool comic form cinematics.
But thats the first impression. When you start playing, you find yourself trapped in a terribly limiting camera. There is no zoom other than the zoom the game wants to apply, and if you change to the "other" camera, youll find yourself lost in a matter of seconds. You can drive vehicles too, and they are fun to drive... if the camera wouldnt ruin it. You see, most vehicles are introduced in a "special sequence" and the camera is so awkward in those sequences that there will be moments youll be yelling at the screen "NOT THAT WAY IDIOT!". But then youll get over it and everything will be fine.
Because the core of the game (wasting zombies and other creepy crawlies) is blasting fun, with Nx PhysX so that everything blows up as it should. There are guns a plenty and the hunt for pieces to build them, while a bit tedious at times, never becomes a chore.
Which lead us to the platforming part. Good thing you can remap key bindings because otherwise those parts would be impossible. However, there is no sensitivity slider, so, unless you got a Logitech G5 or a Razer Copperhead, you are trapped with the game's sensitivity. However, it isnt that wild. The jumping sections arent as common as they could have been, though, and I thank the designers for that.
What I don't thank are the terribly difficult settings. In other than the lowest difficulty, the game is indeed a monster madness. Youll get overwhelmed in seconds, and because there are monsters fast and slow at the screen, your skillz will be put to test. But if you feel up to the task, then it can be good fun.
One last quirk: The game wont save your progress mid-game. Not only are you restricted to checkpoints during the game, but if you need to stop playing for a while, you are going to have to restart the level.Wouldnt be a problem if the levels werent so large, but they are and sometimes can be a pain.
As bottomline, I woulndt recommend this game to buy right now. When is on the bargain bin, maybe. Until then, you can skip it off. However, if you enjoy turn-your-head-off zombie blasting fun, this game MIGHT do it for you.