Keeping in mind it's just a run-of-the-mill shooter (with some grievances along the way).
Graphics: 6
Sounds: 4
Value: 4
Tilt: 7
Actual score 5.7
There are times that I'm in a mood for a quick fix – nothing too complicate; just shoot and kill stuff and move on to the next objective, which happens to be shooting more stuff. Scored with a variety of guns like a sniper, sub machine and so forth with melee as an added feature, I spotted this game 'Chernobyl Terrorist Attack'. It looks like it's got all the features that I required as the game sets in Chernobyl, I guess you cannot go wrong with that. Well when finishing this game, it actually met my expectations, regardless of its flaws.
So what's this game all about is that a bunch of terrorists took over Chernobyl. They were planning to explode Chernobyl (yet again) unless a ransom of some 24 billion euros is paid up within 24 hours. Not only that, any frontal assault will only aggravate the terrorists. So guess the European government decides to do; sends in a single man – the best spec ops to sneak in and destroy the installation. That one man is you.
So it's a simple plot with a simple goal – just shoot your way through until the game ends. So naturally it plays as a first person shooter (FPS) and you get the use the typical garden variety of weapons like a sniper rifle, pistol, assault machine gun and so forth. Yet there's one weapon I didn't expect was that weird grenade launcher (?) – I think it shoots large calibres and explodes upon contact yet has a short range. That weapon was cool though.
Of course the game sets in Chernobyl, Prypiat actually and it claims the environment is 'carefully recreated'. Well I never been in Pripyat yet however I don't think it was 'carefully recreated' as for instance, the famous Ferris wheel to my knowledge, wasn't surrounded by buildings. But the environments do somewhat looks authentic in some ways as it's got that rustic, overgrown feel to it like the abandoned hotel and even has the 'Welcome to Pripyat' sign.
The missions are also stock standard as besides that 'nuke everything' (excuse the pun), there are some sniper levels, disarm bombs or simply install bombs. Yet all the missions are linear and when I say linear, I mean it. So if you stray away from the 'combat zone' (as your lovely female informant will say), eventually the game will restart at the last checkpoint so exploring is not allowed. This also goes to areas that you just left as once you trigger the next wave of chumps, you're stuck in that 'zone' – other words, running back to the 'last wave zone' forces your informant warning you to go closer to the current 'combat zone'.
There are other annoyances like the entire area is extremely windy. Yes it can add immersion however it gets very annoying when hearing that sound over and over and over again throughout the entire game. Also there are some areas where jumping is extremely difficult, like around the railway tracks. And if you happen to be in the middle of a fire fight, good luck jumping over those tracks and no, you cannot run over them either. And before you go on, there are plenty of railway tracks.
Thankfully and ironically so, the self healing system can be your saviour. Personally I detest this as it makes any game so much easier. Heck, all you have to do is run for cover and all is good; so naturally I started this game on hardest (as there are three difficulty levels to start off with). Yet I think the game knows how simple it would be so there are times where you are literally outnumbered by a factor of one hundred and because of that stupid 'combat zone', it can save you from time to time.
All the AI have super aim at the hardest level and yes some can even shoot through steel. For instance – there's a part where you need to catch a train to the Chernobyl plant. So I manage to find a locomotive and every so often you need to hop off, release the boom gates and move on. Now as you can imagine, it's a pretty damn hard mission as 1) there are tonnes of enemies about 2) you cannot leave the locomotive unattended for too long otherwise that 'combat zone' alert will pop up 3) the enemies can shoot through steel and 4) it's got railway tracks.
Graphically it's a decent looking game as it's got some nice bloom affects and even witness leaves rustle among that never ending windy weather. The game does cycle from day to evening as this reflects to the main plot however there are some horrific clipping issues likes enemies joining together or some have their guns peering through walls and naturally killing you in the process. The main character, you, have arms that look like a zombie – that is all pale like and oddly enough, when a helicopter arrives, the frame rates will drop to single digit even though the helicopter is only going around in circles, literally. There are others however I feel you get the idea.
Sound wise are the same as the voice acting is horrible – that is they are all monotone and the main character, you, has absolutely no emotion attached to it. Yet looking in hindsight, so do your female informant and practically everyone else have monotone voices. Yet the weapons do sound a little authentic with muzzle flash to boot (yet I think it only blinds me and no one else) and that wind…enough of that.
The game is quite short considering as I knocked it off around the seven hours mark. There are eleven missions in total with three levels of difficulty and the forth one 'realistic', will be unlocked once completed the main campaign. I think this is just stupid as even though the game states this mode measures 'realistic' ballistics, I highly doubt anyone will want to complete this game second time round. Yet it did meet my expectations though as being the run-of-the-mill shooter made by budget developers City Interactive.