"Innovative, amazing, immersive, and disappointing all at once"

The hardest thing about reviewing this game is deciding whether or not to differentiate between the first 70-80% and the last bit. I decided to, and only for this reason: the bulk of the game is more than worth playing (and not because "every decision changes something", but we'll get to that), but the last part seems like the result of creative control being turned over to a 13-year-old.

Firstly, does EVERY decision change the game? No. Not at all. I was so disappointed on my second play-though to see that, no matter what I did, the story was still progressing almost exactly the same way. The changes are, for the most part, purely aesthetic. A little dialogue change here, a little more or less stress here, and things like that. That's not to say that there aren't any decisions that change things pretty drastically. There are one or two, but no more than any other good adventure game, really. So... I'm afraid David Cage has no idea what "open-ended" means, because the story is almost totally linear.

However, that's not to say the game is bad, because it most certainly isn't. It doesn't deliver what it promises, but it delivers a damn fine game.

Summary:
Lucas Kane becomes possessed while in a diner bathroom, cuts symbols on his forearms and proceeds to murder a man who comes in the bathroom with a knife. Suddenly he snaps out of it, and he's got to find out what happened, while avoiding the police. You play as Lucas, doing everything from hiding evidence to trying to keep your cool during interrogations to dodging weird creatures and even cars. Not to mention some nice fighting too.

As an unusual twist, you'll also play the parts of Carla and Tyler, two detectives working to solve the murder.

Game-play: Anybody not used to 3D controls needs to stop complaining about bad camera angles. Seriously, if they want cool camera angles, and they give you a control scheme that makes it easy to control no matter where the camera is, it's your fault if you can't do it. Practise a little with a control scheme that's made for a cinematic feel, and grow up. The controls work well, it's easy to control Lucas for the most part. The only gripe I have is how fast the game forces you to make decisions. Sometimes there just isn't enough time to think (although you can pause).

You interact with objects with the right analog stick, doing everything from turning on the TV to having a glass of water to hiding evidence. Many sequences also demand the rhythmic pushing of both analog sticks in different directions. In such sequences, two circles appear on screen (the top of the circle is one colour, the bottom another, the left side, another, etc.), and different portions of the circles light up. When they do, you have to press the analog stick in that direction. Reminded me of Dance Dance Revolution.

One thing I particularly liked in this area was how the stick-turning didn't seem random at all. When you have to push the right analog stick up, for example, Lucas is moving the right side of his body up. Or, you press both sticks to the right just before he dives in that direction. It really makes it feel like you're a part of the sequence.

Also, during times when the character is doing something strenuous (lifting weights, dragging something, etc.), you must press L1 and R1 in very rapid succession to complete it. That, too, makes it feel like you're a part of the sequence. You will feel tired after doing them, especially on harder difficulties.

Besides interacting with objects, you also interact with people on many occasions. You choose which questions to ask (or which responses to answer with), which would have been a huge part in immersing the player, however... many times, you're forced to say everything, and it's only a matter of what order it's said in. Just as many times, however, you'll get to only ask a certain amount of questions, so multiple play-throughs will unlock more dialogue, but mostly nothing substantial.

You'll be piecing together evidence as well, and thinking on how to solve many puzzles. I won't spoil it, but sometimes it can get pretty intense, figuring out exactly how to do it right. Though it rarely seems too difficult. All in all, great game-play.

9/10

Graphics: Not too good, not too bad. Not enough to inspire awe, but also not nearly enough to take away from the game. Somewhat disappointing at first, but you won't notice it soon.

7/10

Sound: Excellent mood-setting score here, haunting when necessary (most of the time), and intense as well.

In terms of sound effects, everything sounds pretty good. Playing Lucas' guitar makes some nice tunes, in particular. Average in sound effects, excellent in score.

8/10

Replay Value: Not as good as David Cage would have you believe, but still worth playing through again, to see the different endings, the snippets of things you missed earlier, seeing how you can change things. Not as much as you'd hope, but it's enough.

6/10

Story: I saved this one for last besides it's by far the most important in a game like this. Without an immersive, well-written story in a game such as this, there would be no reason to play.

It's an odd case, to say the least. As I said above, the first 70-80% of the game is fantastic. A great, creepy mood, intriguing mystery, intense fighting/running sequences, it's got everything. You will love most of the game.

That said, the last 20-30% just becomes much too unrealistic and unfitting with the rest of the game. It's not abysmally bad, but it's a drastic drop from the rest. No spoilers, but prepare to be disappointed.

10/10 (most), 5/10 (rest)

Overall: Very worth playing. It is innovative, while not as much as it was hyped, the game-play is fun, immersive, and most of all, intelligent. It draws you into the characters easily and you'll almost definitely get lost in the events.

But be prepared for the last bit.

7/10

Give it a rent first. If you can handle, or actually like, the last bit, then buy. Either way, it's worth experiencing at least once.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 07/26/06