I'll say it immediately, comparison's between Brute Force and Halo are unavoidable. Both on Xbox, and both shooter's based on distant planets, fighting a constant Alien threat. However, Brute Force is nowhere near as good as the game it is desperately trying to be, although it has enough merit to stand on it's own, and warrant your hard-earned. This is a tactical, third person squad based shooter set in deep space, where Brute Force, your squadron of four, are deployed on missions to try and stop the alien threat. Changing between characters is easy, and all four are visible and will fight alongside you as you try and take down the various enemies. No Live support is what really makes this game frustrating, as it goes against the whole team aspect of gameplay. You have 4 team members, each with their own skills and having that play out over Live would have been much more interesting than the sub standard and unfortunately forgettable campaign. You have Tex, the leader and all round hero, who is more of your grunt, and is capable of handling himself well with dual wielding. Then there is Brutus, who isn't human and a lizard like alien who has powers of seeing through undergrowth and is very fast and maneouvarable. He can also regenerate health. Then there is Flint, a cyborg who looks like a female human who is your sniper, and is not to bad with explosives either. And lastly, there is Hawk, who is your stealth based character who can go invisible, and wields a powerful energy blade. Each of these characters do give variety in how you can play the game, however most gamers will stick with Tex, as there is little in the way of how the environments have been constructed that make you think. However, each does have their merits, and work together well. However, the story is forgettable. There just doesn't seem to be anything that makes this game stand out from many other sci-fi based games, and this is further exacerbated by the characters, who are very one dimensional and shallow. You dont care for them. You can go through the game without issuing orders to your team-mates, and they will just dutifully follow you, into danger even, and this gives the feeling of the game being generic. Although the action is fun, and the game is enjoyable, it doesn't try to be anything more than what it is, a mindless blaster set in a distant galaxy. Although the AI is pretty convincing. They will duck and dodge, attack in groups, even order each other, and this is what probably makes the fights memorable, and the action just that little more enjoyable. Although there aren't a great deal of different enemies to fight, they each seem to have a brain, and will use it accordingly. One thing I found fun was the use of grenades. Not only are they great for taking out large groups (who run when they see one), they can unlock many hidden areas. They are also rather accurate, and you can throw one with the correct length and pitch easily. You can carry as many of them as you like as well, and there are always plenty lying around. Graphics are well done and look good. There isn't a great deal of variety in the levels, but they feel natural and suit the game well. There is a problem with slowdown in co-op and even system link play, but for the most part, the graphics hold up well. Sound is well implemented, but there is little in the way of ambience and background noise. You aren't drawn into the game as much as you should be, and this is usually okay, as you are most likely to busy blasting baddies to notice. Sound effects are well done and speech, while minimal, is competent. A quick mention must go out to the gorgeous FMV. This is the one part where the game really shines. It is truly amazing and exciting. Overall, if you are looking for some mindless blasting fun, then I suggest this. It isn't everything you would want in a shooter, but it plays very well and you will have fun with this. A competent, exciting, yet generic sci-fi shooter.
The analog responded similar to Halo, which was nice. Other than that, this game fails pretty everywhere in trying to beat Halo. You can join in at anytime in a co-op game, this is pretty nice. You can use 3 guys dur... Read Full Review
3 of 3 users found the following review helpful
Rating:9.4
By radialheadfx | Review Date: May 28, 2003 | XBOX
Right at the first cut you know the graphics are going to be great, and the sound will be promising. But it’s the multiplay that makes this game rate so high. No there is not online play like many hoped for. But that’s n... Read Full Review
