A force to be reckoned with?

Brute Force is based on a squad of the same name, consisting of highly trained military operatives that the player controls throughout the game. Sadly, there's really nothing memorable or engaging about the cast of heroes (they could learn a thing or two from Hannibal and his A-Team). What we have is your typical big, all-around tough guy, a feral alien who for some reason runs like a dog (go figure), and two vixen femme fatales.

Those who place story and character development in high regard will be disappointed to find that both elements are marginal and lacking. Whereas one would expect to find a relative degree of depth and personality amongst the entire cast, the story does little to get the player involved or interested as to what Brute Force is all about. Usually there's a significant reward offered to players through the story's progression, or when certain elements are revealed. None of that is present here.

I remember when I first sat down to play Halo (in fact, I returned to it recently to reflect and compare the two titles); I recall how captivated I was with the story, Master Chief (the lead character), and the significance behind Halo and its importance to the Covenant. Throughout the entire game, I felt motivated to keep playing. However, the story scripted for Brute Force left me to conclude that the developers must have been intentionally going out of their way to create an over-the-top corny theme which sours the appeal, fun factor, and the solid voice talents that grace the game. Such typical, contrived nonsense has no place in a potentially entertaining title. In the end, it does little more than compel an intrigued gamer to look elsewhere (which I am sure we've all done from time to time).

Deadly alone; dangerous together

While we're on the subject of the unit itself - players can only assume control of one soldier at a time. In the beginning, you'll start out with Tex (the tough guy) and receive new additions to your team as you progress throughout the game. As your team gradually expands, you can optionally take control of any member during any given time using the d-pad. Basic commands such as "Cover me" or "Hold this position" can be assigned to specific members or the entire unit as a whole simply by highlighting the appropriate icon(s). Initially, this may seem a bit awkward for some players, especially if they're not used to regularly taking the leadership role (or just playing games of this type). Fortunately, the team's AI code was programmed very well, so there's little concern that you'll have to babysit your team every step of the way.

Unfortunately, the enemy AI leaves a lot to be desired. On the whole, the ambience is practically non-existent and their behaviors are downright cowardly (most of the enemies simply hide behind rocks and duck in and out to hide and return fire). This isn't the type of action that I signed up for and if Brute Force were a real unit, the opposition would be dispatched in seconds.

Moreover, the enemies also lack personality. Taking another look at Halo (yes, I know by now this seems unfair), the Grunts and the Elites, for example, have enough personality and sophistication to spare. The voice samples, of course, give them an added dimension, but their distinct attack styles and the relative degree of interaction they demonstrate is what I am getting at. You don't see any of that here and it's a major disappointment. I won't even get into the NPC marine characters which periodically aid you in the game. Let's just say they're your usual run-of-the mill types and leave it at that.

In all its splendor (or lack thereof)

Brute Force doesn't really demonstrate the Xbox's graphics potential - or rather, the developers must have looked the other way when they conceived the level design. Much of the levels look rehashed, with the exception of rock designs and flora thrown here and about. They're also very linear, though the gameplay gives the impression that you are able to move about as you please. But it's all an illusion and, more or less, each campaign feels like a routine exercise of search-and-destroy, recon and/or escort missions. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

Brute Force's biggest draw lies in its multiplayer feature. Only it's not quite as you would expect it to be. Players can obtain new maps, expanding upon the default number of missions featured in the game (akin to Splinter Cell's Kola Cell level). There's nothing wrong with that, but where's the online multiplayer? Oddly enough, it's not here, so you're left with the system link option or playing on the same machine. I love co-op play, but it doesn't compare to online play, period. Many players would certainly have a bone to pick with Microsoft about this. This begs to be further discussed on our boards but - does every Xbox title (first-/third-person shooters in particular) need to have Xbox Live support? I'd be curious as to what you all have to say about that, especially since Microsoft has pledged to deliver more Xbox Live titles.

Despite a few minor gameplay issues, Brute Force still holds a relative degree of entertainment value which you and your friends can enjoy (as a rental). This marks the first exceptionally bland product ever to be put out by Digital Anvil, which recently produced Freelancer for the PC. The roots of the game present a lot of potential, but it was unfortunately killed by poor execution. Hopefully, this won't be the last time we see Brute Force set foot on the battlefield. Bad gameplay elements should be indiscriminately gunned down on sight.

· · · Bahn