Surprisingly good whit some flaws, nevertheless it is a playable action FPS with innovation.
I would like to say, that the review of Gamespot was really brutal and harsh, this game does not deserve it. 6.5 is like giving Half Life 2 points of 7 or under... :)
The story line is very well-thought-out, you can see the signature of Clive Barker on every single detail of the game. The monsters, the story, the feeling of being haunted, followed, watched make the game not unique, but a terrifying one, of course not in the sense like Silent Hill or Resident Evil, but in a way like no other FPS has done before (only maybe in Doom).
The game start is very rapid, you get down from the helicopter, take some steps, go into the city and the action starts. Enemies are crawling from almost every corner of the map, and try to kill you at the moment they appear. Of course, it was a bit boring, that enemies always crawl out or materialize at the same spot. Bit boring, until those walking, two-legged suicide bombs started to appear, which made a hell of a time for every squad member. They started falling like flys from an insecticid spray. It would have been a disaster without the healing technique of the squad leader and the priest guy (sorry, bad at remembering names :D ).
The action started, you get used to it, fight for you and your teammates life, and, than get killed by a monster. It is horrifying to see how you die, and then get locked into the body of one of your comrades. Of course, it was first a bit frustrating, that like in school, you couldn't just jump into everybody, you had to learn every skill one-by-one....
Nevertheless, jumping from one character to the other is fun, and makes the game-play very innovative. By using different skills, you can handle almost every situation in the game, except the walking bombs of course. They are the hardest enemy in the game, non of my teammates have fallen so many times, as they have attacked us. This is of course a bit tiresome and nerve-recking, because you only have time to revive, but very little, to have fun in the shooting action. Although, if you are good at shooting down the yellow balls from they skin, then you have fun until they stop coming. The only thing that could have made the game more realistic at this part, was an the blowing up effect, which could have at least scratched, or injured their own flesh hungry sword masters.
The boss fights were the best in the game, you had to use a lot of skills to kill them and not only that of one team mate. The best of them was in the arena, which had a unique atmosphere.
The graphic is splendid, carefully designed characters and levels all over. Although some of the enemies could have been more detailed, but that is not a negative part of the game.
Now down to the bad part.
1, I know, it is hard to make long games nowadays, but... I played only 6 hours, and the game was over... Maybe I'm too fast, to good at FPS, but this is a too short game for me.
2, The graphic design of the levels are good, but this one way tunnel system could have been done a bit better. More space for cover, more space for strafing left or right, more space to get away from the suicide bombs. All-in-all, just more space.
3, The commands that you can give your team, are useless at some point. I say stay, but the moment I get attacked, they are at the scene, and start getting into trouble by the suicide bombs. The first thing they do, is to go into the front line, and start dying. They sometimes down't even try to get away from those damn things. Although the AI is one of the best in the game I have seen, except this.
4, The enemies appear from 1 or 2 spaces at a scene, which makes it easy to kill them except the bombs. And it is funny to see my teammates standing on the materialization space, where they get blown up by the bombs at the second they appear.
5, The final scene... Ohh the final scene.... I don't think (or cannot believe), that Clive Barker had to do anything whit that. First, two teammates die at the instance the firstborn appears... Ok... they are not useful for the fighting sequence at the end... but blowing them into pieces is not a solution, except, when it makes you more angrier at the opponent you have to face. When it makes you. After that, the firstborn is such an easy enemy... Ok, he was easy for me I think, because I've read a lot of forums, where everybody was screaming, "What the f*** should I do? Nothing is working on him". I defeated him in less then 10 mins.... Only by using my head and skills of the team. And after that comes the stupid part... Your prime enemy the firstborn gets carried away from prime enemy number two... and then cut... nothing.... just the ocean.... I shook my head and almost vomited at this part.... To end a story like this, is like killing the whole with one shoot. It makes you feel, like you have slaughtered so many zombies and flesh hungry beasts for nothing, but to see the firstborn fly away into the nothing... Like nothing happened... I even waited and watched the credits, that maybe I get something after that... but no, not even a hinch... so unsatisfying.
6, The game could have explained more of the story. We only get information from the bosses, some in game NP characters and the from the typings between two scenes loading. Although, I could not read all of them because my computer was way faster, then the guy typing, and I preferred shooting to waiting and reading :D:D:D
All-in-all it is a good game, worth to be played by FPS fans, and I think it is unique in his way of the game-play. It has some flaws, which could make the game boring or even worthless in somebody's eyes, but not in mine :) Well done Clive Barker, just continue like this :)