"True to 24, not so much as a game"

24: The Game, takes place in the world of the popular Fox show of the same name, in between Season 2 and Season 3. In the show Jack Bauer and the rest of the Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) must figure out and stop acts of terrorism. And in the game they do the same. Though the game does tie into the story of the show, it can still be appreciated by those who have never watched it.

Gameplay – 6/10

Despite being called 24: The Game, the gameplay is not all it truly could be. While the game does offer a variety of things to do, the majority of them are done much better in other games. The basic game objective is simple: Kill your enemies and complete your mission(s). Unfortunately the enemy AI is as dumb as they come. With the exception of boss characters, the enemy could not hit the broad side of a barn. And the aiming in the game is so easy you can pull off head shots all the time. While this might sound good, it does not make it at all realistic. Despite how well trained the main agents are it is nearly impossible to believe anyone could kill hundreds of people with such ease within a 24 hour period as they do in the game. Though, there are some levels where you must sneak by people, cameras, etc (similar to Metal Gear Solid or Splinter Cell games), which can be quite fun. Also, the various boss characters offer a realistic challenge in that they only take a handful of shots to kill like a normal human should, unlike other shooting games where several dozen bullets must hit an opponent before they die. This adds some nice realism, though they are few and far apart. You also get to play as several different characters throughout the game, though they mostly handle exactly the same, so there is little difference there.

There are also driving levels in which you must get from point A to point B in a limited amount of time, while evading the enemy who tries to stop you as well as civilian traffic. But your cars handle so horribly while the enemies seem to work so well, it is very hard to be able to drive where you need to be and evade the enemies as you must. In reality it felt tacked on and would have been better to be limited or completely eliminated.

The other major part of the gameplay are the variety of minigames offered throughout. Regrettably, with one minor exception, most of the minigames can be very drab and uninteresting. They truly seem like an interruption to the main aspect of the game. Some example include, hitting the correct button when a certain color is lit up on screen or a character saying a password, then you having to enter it. The one exception to the boring minigames is the interrogation game. You get to try to extract info from other characters by manipulating their stress levels to get them to trust you. But if you mess up they could end up losing it and dying, making you fail. It can be very fun, especially for fans of the show, though is limited in the games.

Story - 10/10

Here is where the game truly shines. The story is equal to or better than most of what is in the show, and with the lackluster gameplay probably would have been better used for a plot on the show, instead of in here. Though the story does have a few connections to the first two seasons of the show, the major terrorist plot is independent enough for non-fans to be able to enjoy the story. The characters are just as great as they are on the show, and the new characters of the game are equally great. The terrorist themselves are also very interesting, and not just a normal cliche type bad guy.

Graphics/Sound – 10/10

The game looks very realistic. All the characters look like their human counterparts do. And with such an amazing voice cast (including major stars of the show Kiefer Sutherland, Carlos Bernard and Dennis Haysbert among others) the voice acting is perfect. Guns, explosions, cars, etc sound just like they do on the show and in real life.

Play Time/Replayability – 5/10

Despite being called 24, the game can be beaten by even the most un-experienced of players in about 16 hours, less for those who play shooters frequently. Every mission also has a percent score you receive at the end based on how well you did. By getting 90% or above you unlock some additional feature which might get you to want to replay some levels. Chances are, unless you love the show and story or are a perfectionist, you will not care too much to play threw again, with the exception of a few of the better levels (any of which you can replay as soon as you beat it).

Rent or Buy – Rent most likely

If you are a major fan of the show, then by all means buy this game. But, if you are just a casual fan or have never even seen it, a rental is the way to go. Rent it, have fun, and most likely forget it after a while like most other games you have probably played. And if you can not find it at your local renting place, it is truly not worth going out of your way to look for. Though if you do end up liking it you might try the shows out as well as it only gets better.

Final Score – 7/10

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 08/14/06