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Thread: kill.switch

  1. kill.switch

    Gave the Xbox version a rent this weekend, and was glad I did instead of buy it (at least at $50).

    The duck & cover gameplay itself is pretty cool, but there's little to the game beyond that. The fact that you're constantly only a couple bullets from getting killed gives the levels a nice intensity, and the environments are nicely scattered with objects to hide behind.

    The control and camera can be a bit problematic. L trigger is used for ducking, but it's also used to press your back to the wall, so many times I pressed when I wanted to duck. It was also tricky to get the camera to zoom out when I wanted it to - vital when I'm cowering under heavy fire. I also couldn't figure out how to switch weapons or grenades - my rental didn't come with a manual, and there was no control configuration in the game.

    Probably the best thing about the game is the A.I. They use many of the same tactics you do, and will cover each other, toss grenades, and try to flank you. They're also very good shots. Some of my favorite moments came from being pinned down, but sneaking my way to a new position and wasting the enemy by surprise. I found myself constantly scanning for hiding places, watching for the flight of bullets, and taking note of where extra ammo and health were stashed. The A.I. will also conduct some absolutely hilarious conversations with each other before they see you - well worth paying attention to.

    The vaunted story is kinda tacky and ignorable, and the linear mission structures don't ask you to do much beyond kill everyone and reach the end. Still, the gunfights were fun enough to keep me interested. It looked OK visually - the rag-doll kill animations were sweet, and there was some very nice lighting in certain parts - but nothing spectacular overall.

    I read a review somewhere that stated kill.switch felt like half a game, and I'm inclined to agree. It needed something else - more boss battles, varying missions, multiplayer (co-op would have been awesome), score-based bonuses, whatever. But the gameplay itself (I think it's officially called the Offensive Cover System or something close to it) was fun - but more like $20 fun instead of $50 fun.

    In some ways, kill.switch reminded me of The Mark of Kri, but without the inspired art design. I felt at times like I was in one huge training mission that was going to lead up to something amazing, but never did. But there's a nice gameplay mechanic at work here - I just hope it's expanded upon in a sequel (I'm still grumbling over the two cancelled Kri sequels!).

    Seems to me kill.switch is the very definition of a rental or a "wait till price drop" game. I think it's definitely worth playing, but it ain't worth full price.

    Satoshi Kon: 1963-2010

  2. Not to mention that it's Super Short (TM). Good players will get through it in about 6 hours.

    The AI, however, is worth experiencing at least once.

  3. #3
    I liked the PS2 demo. It's generic-looking but the action is good. I can't stand the PS2 controller for these type of games so I would like to check out the Xbox version.

  4. Ah, finallly impressions on the game.
    I'm buying when it hits $20, for sure
    Thanks guys.

  5. I liked PS2 demo of this, and looking forward playing full version(doesnt matter PS2 or Xbox) sometimes, when I can actually afford it

    I thought that cover/shooting elements were nicely done, and so was enemy AI. Sure it doesnt offer much more in the line of gameplay, but what I had experienced so far, was enjoyeable enough.

  6. I also rented it the past weekend and tend to agree. Six hours is about how long it took me to complete it. The one end boss is kind of a jip, you should have at least been able to destroy one of those helicopters. The story was interesting in a "Momento" kinda way where you don't really know anything at the beginning and it's slowly revealed to you. I even like the fact that in the ending they basically acknowledge that there's a sequel in development.

  7. I felt at times like I was in one huge training mission that was going to lead up to something amazing, but never did.
    I think that sums up my thoughts on it. The reason for that is probably because the team tactics were really lacking overall. The first mission was really easy, and then in the second level the enemies started working as a team, drawing me towards certain areas while others snuck up behind or tossed grenades at my back... and then they stopped. All of a sudden the game went back to not really using team tactics again and the difficulty ramped back down. If there had been better AI (not that it was bad, but since there's a third-person camera you can "cheat" with looking around corners) and the controls had been tightened a bit (the stick senstivity couldn't get as loose as I wanted it and my guy kept unsticking from walls if I wasn't shoving the shoulder trigger in) it would've been awesome. As is, it's pretty good.

    Also, for some reason I kept feeling like I was in a non-crappy version of Syphon Filter. I'm not entirely sure why I felt like I was comparing the two, probably something about the feel of it.

  8. I was hoping to get this when it hit $20. Glad to see that I was right in not jumping at it right away. Thanks for the impressions.

  9. Ah, finallly impressions on the game.
    I'm buying when it hits $20, for sure.

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