Advent Rising
Score: 78% ESRB: Teen Publisher: Majesco Developer: Glyphx Games Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 Genre: Action/ Adventure
Graphics & Sound: Advent Rising is a game that has gained a lot of attention since it was first announced a few years ago, most notably since the game's narrative was being penned by Orson Scott Card, best known for the “Ender” series. As is usually the case in the game industry, lots of attention means lots of pressure -- which is something Advent Rising was working under, and it shows. Though a great game, it is also technically flawed with all manner of careless errors that, were it not for the game's great story, would have sunk the game. The one thing that has always nabbed my attention about Advent Rising is the game's graphical style. Taking what looks like a cue from EA's Big series (SSX, NBA Street…), or even TimeSplitters, characters feature a look that is somewhere between realistic and cartoon. The overall effect is very nice and helps the game stand out among titles that aim for realism over style. The game's look also helps to sell its sci-fi feel by giving you worlds that are familiar, but just fanciful enough that you're not completely lost in the fact that this is indeed a story rather than trying to make you feel like you're there. It also helps that the style helps to match the cut scenes with the gameplay since there's nothing worse than watching hours of rendered story sequences only to be dropped in a gameplay environment that is significantly ratcheted down. There are, however, a number of silly graphical issues that end up putting a few dents in the experience. And the more you play, the more you'll see that this tends to be a theme throughout the entire game -- it aims for the stars without first making sure the rocket’s engines are working. The graphical glitches are minor and don't ruin the experience, they just make things look silly. The most significant of the problems is slowdown, which happens nearly any time more than three enemies show up on screen -- something that happens a lot. Collision detection is also a little "off" and leads to the sillier moments -- such as when I was climbing over piles of rubble while my character just hovered over the uneven crags. Still, these are the least of the technical issues that the game runs across. From intro to end, the musical score is a masterpiece and always fits the game's mood perfectly. You'll hear rocking beats while taking on legions of invading enemies and then strange, mystical sounds during the game's many revealing story sequences. Even some of the more mundane sequences, like your shuttle's approach to the space station, have an epic feel when set against the music. Beyond the sound effects, the entire game sounds great, making it the game's second strongest element. Each weapon has its own report and feel. Small guns sound small, while larger ones pack a punch. Voice acting is also well-done. Whether through the excellent dialogue or great voice acting, characters really have their own personalities and convey a sense of relationship between them. You may be meeting some of these characters for the first time, but it feels like they've known each other much longer.
Gameplay: Without question, the strongest aspect of Advent Rising is its story. Though it deals will lots of nagging little technical issues, the story is strong enough that you'll want to play though the entire thing and see where it goes. You are Gideon Wyeth, a hot shot pilot and minor celebrity, mostly due to the exploits of his brother. The duo's skills land them a plum spot as pilots for a diplomatic mission to a group of visiting aliens -- marking humankind's first contact with alien life. Their visit isn't under the best of terms and it’s soon revealed that the humans are about to be visited by another race of aliens, called the Seekers, who are bent on destroying everything. Time is short, perhaps too short, as the Seekers attack before the humans can mount a defense. Gideon soon learns that the attack isn't based on pure conquest; they're searching for something. Gideon manages to escape the attack, and finds himself at the center of the aliens' search and eventually the entire conflict. From the start, it is obvious that Advent Rising borrows a lot from Halo, almost to the point where it's trying to be Halo, only in third person and without the polish. Missions move in a linear fashion from story point to story point with little deviation from a set path. Levels are usually varied enough that you won't get bored, but rarely become more complicated than the typical "make it to this point" model. Though the path is usually well defined, there's little room left for exploration since the path isn't always the clearest. Still, levels are never convoluted enough that you'll get lost. Certain parts of the story will allow you to make more important decisions which will influence the outcome. Gameplay typically follows the run-and-gun stylings of other action games. Advent Rising throws you into the thick of the action right from the start and even gives you access to a large selection of guns immediately. Whereas most games make you wait for the really powerful stuff, Advent Rising gives you access to nearly all of the weapons available from the start. Better yet, most weapons can be dual-wielded, giving you even more options. You'll also take control of turrets and a jeep that looks a little too much like a certain four-wheeled vehicle named after a tusked pig... Heavy weapons are only part of Gideon's arsenal. Eventually he'll gain access to special powers, adding a new dimension to combat. Some of the more used powers include shields, telekinesis and even the ability to jump ahead in time a few seconds.
Difficulty: Advent Rising is a generally easy game that's weighted down by sloppy technical issues that make it more difficult than it needs to be. Again, mission details usually stick to the same general premise with just a little wiggle room for exploration. Most alternate pathways will simply take you to a dead end. Usually, the path with the most opposition is the correct one.
Game Mechanics: The biggest technical flaw facing Advent Rising is control. Like most other aspects, control borrows heavily from Halo with a few minor changes, namely the assignment of special powers. Everything else follows the same path though, so if you're familiar with that setup, you should be safe for the most part. Where the game differs from Halo is in handling and responsiveness. Even with tweaking, control never feels spot on and always a little loose and shaky. Running to the left isn't as easy as simply running to the left -- and usually involves a short slide before stopping. Movement becomes especially irritating while driving vehicles since, again like Halo, the developers decided on keeping the same control scheme while driving. This usually leads to lots of unintentional slams into the wall, and makes turning in tight spaces a chore, calling to mind the scene in “Austin Powers” where Austin tries to turn the golf cart in the narrow hall. You'll eventually have to start making big jumps with the jeep, making the driving mechanics even more of a problem. Another troublesome area actually comes in an area where Advent Rising is trying to NOT emulate Halo. Targeting is based on a mechanic called Flick Targeting. The idea behind the scheme is that you can quickly flick between enemies by flicking the right analog stick in their direction. A flick to the right targets the enemy on the right and so forth. The idea works in principal, but fails in practice since the right analog stick also manages camera movements. It doesn't take a genius to see the inherent problem with this setup. More times than not, you'll either find yourself moving the camera when you want to target an enemy, or targeting when you're looking for a better shot. Placing too many actions to one button isn't limited to just the right analog stick. For example, the X button is used to activate terminals, pick up weapons and use evasive moves. When used alone this isn't an issue; during combat it adds unnecessary frustration and ramps up the difficulty significantly. The little technical flaws go beyond control and camera issues and include everything from sound going out to platforms activating themselves when they shouldn't. Despite these problems, Advent Rising still manages to put out an action-packed experience that's worth playing, if only for the story. Even then the tale is one that’s worth renting.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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