AITD starts with you're characters awakening from a slumber in a mysterious room with mysterious guys who, mysteriously, are ordered to kill you. What a mystery! The whole story is somewhat mysterious, with all the questions given half-assed answers by the end. The beginning is filled with promise, and the end is so epic, that it almost makes up for the not-so-good middle and technical hiccups throughout the game. But not quite. A huge part of the game and solutions to alot of the puzzles involve COMBINING.You can make useless, retarded combinations (like an empty bottle with a glowstick); or you can make really cool, destructive ones (like a Molotov cocktail with an ammo box taped onto it). The combination system is pretty deep, and there are about 90 possible combinations you can make, but probably 50 of them are fairly useless. A lot of the game involves driving around Central Park (where the bulk of the game takes place) going to various destinations. The driving could have been WAY more enjoyable if there was more attention paid to it. The cars handle decently, but you will often get stuck in the most ridiculous places. If you have to go off of a ramp to reach your goal, you may have to try three times becuase the first two you might get stuck at the base of the ramp. Also, hitting bumps or curbs might cause absurd amounts of damage to your car. Sometimes going over a curb might tear your bumper off. Or crashing into a tree might somehow rip your roof off and turn your car into a weird convertible(?). The combat in the game is all against only two types of enemies(unless you count bosses): Humanz and Ratz. Basically zombies and little spider-thingies. The game is never actually scary, but they could've achieved that if they had more enemies, like dogs that were corrupted by the fissure(the main bad thing in the game).You can use alot of things in your environment, like baseball bats or chairs, as weapons by swinging them around with the right thumbstick. It feels pretty good, but you will sometimes end up only repositioning your weapon instead of swinging it. The only way to get rid of your enemies for good is by setting them on fire. You can do this simply by setting your weapon on fire(if its even flammable), but the flames will soon get too big and you'll have to drop your weapon. Alternatively, you can kill them by shooting fire at them with the Spray + Lighter combination, or shoot fire bullets at them with the Gun+Flammable Liquid combination. What the game lacks in combat, it excels in its puzzles. But there are only a few puzzles through the game. The game is a way too easy when it comes to achievements, becuase I was able to get all 1000 Gamerpoints in the 6 days I had the game. So, whatever you do, don't buy the game. Rent it if you're looking for a decent thrill-filled experience and some easy gamerpoints.
By SpartanMC117 | Review Date: Jun 23, 2008 | X360
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