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Kill Switch PS2 Namco/SCEE  To
put it simple, 'Kill Switch' is a fairly standard military based third
person action/adventure shooter. The player is thrust into six war-themed
scenarios, which are composed of eighteen individual levels. A bizarre
running plot complements the action, featuring occasional cinematic
cut scenes with poorly-rendered and scantily-clad female love interests.
From what I could gather, the main character has somehow lost his
memory, and has been transformed into a finely tuned killing machine,
you know, the old Robocop/Darth Vader syndrome: character is brought
back from the dead with at least one robotic appendage and a badly
vocodered voice. Fans of the genre will know what to expect, with
a fair amount of patience required as opposed to balls-out mindless
killing. There is not a great deal of variety in gameplay, however,
with the routine of hiding and occasional shooting interspersed with
locating checkpoints of interest (place explosive, kill enemy general,
find stolen documents etc).There are specific aspects of 'Kill Switch''s gameplay that lift the game somewhat above the pack of similarly themed shooters. Firstly, the techniques available for stealth attacks are quite interesting and easy to get your head around quickly, such as the Blindfire system that allows the player to effectively and dynamically target enemies whilst still being completely unseen to enemy eyes. Additionally there is the ability to use any scenery objects as cover (Offensive Cover System), which always comes in handy when someone is intent on shooting yo' ass. The artificial intelligence of all enemies is implemented very well, thankfully making it quite difficult to just linger in any one position for too long or to use the enemy AI flaws to progress prematurely through the game. Graphically though, 'Kill Switch' is decidedly bland, with poor textures all round, and an overall feel that is very reminiscent of 'Metal Gear Solid 2.' However, the 3D models and textures of the main character and enemies are a marked improvement upon the game worlds. The soundtrack is pedestrian at best, voice acting is passable, and the incidental sound effects are at best mildly atmospheric. 'Kill Switch' is by no means an unenjoyable experience, and it is almost refreshing to encounter a game that has been constructed with gameplay in mind above graphic excellence; however the whole experience is just so damn average.  |
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