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When you've exhausted the possibilities of the single player game, there's always split screen multiplayer to shoot your best friend in the face, or even run him over with an AI Tank. It features all the playable characters and enemies from the single player game, along with arenas scattered with weapons and assorted power ups. With the ability to modify the weapon selection and even oddities like the guard robots playable, there's some interesting matches to be found here, though having only battle royal and team modes limits its potential for mayhem.
Unlockable extras are a popular fad these days, since they generate content without the developers having to do that much more work. Normally, these are frivolous items like sketches or costumes that don't actually make the game worth replaying. While SAC does have three additional costumes for all characters, unlockable hunting will also bag you added characters and levels for multiplayer, infinite ammo, weapon selection before each mission, and two special additions to your arsenal that will make even hard mode a breeze. So it's a good thing that the best unlockables are the seven additional difficulty levels. Not only do they make enemies tougher and do more damage, but some change up their weapons, switch around their positions, and even throw more nameless thugs into the mix. Outrunning a helicopter trying to chain gun you to death isn't as challenging as it sounds, but when you have to run through two soldiers armed with grenade launchers at the same time things can get a little dicey.
While as expertly executed as any of Section 9's covert ops, SAC does fall a few rounds short of perfection. Some would cite the five hour playtime, not including story scenes or continues, that it takes to complete a single run through, but the replay value more than makes up for it. It doesn't excuse the fact that the enemy AI has all the intelligence of a puppet and sometimes will only attack if you shoot first. Though mainly the shortcomings are a matter of underused elements. The fact that the Tachikoma only get a single level that's a scant five minutes long is nearly a criminal offense. Optic camouflage, mind hacking, and the sniper rifle are interesting elements that only make a few appearances. And while the multiplayer is well done, I can't help imagining how much better it could have been for eight player online matches, especially with more game modes.
Diehard fans of anime and other media traditionally get screwed when it comes to videogames. They buy with the hope it will be roughly the same quality of something that they already enjoy, and normally have those hopes crushed five minutes past the title screen. GitS: Stand Alone Complex not only has a story that's as compelling as any from the anime, it's also backed by a satisfying gameplay experience that could stand on its own without the Ghost in the Shell license. |
