A classic shooter that holds its own a decade later
One of the main draws of this game is how human you feel. An enemy with a shotgun will kill you in one shot, and even pistols will pack quite the punch when hit. Therefore you must be constantly on guard, and be able to choose the right weapon for the right situation.
For example, turning a corner in a tight corridor with a pistol in hand spells out almost certain doom. However the sawed-off shotgun variant and a quick trigger finger might save you.
Tactics will come in handy in later levels, when you start to face armed guards with more than double your health, thanks to their kevlar vests. Retreating down a corridor to funnel them in and then tossing back a well placed molotov can wipe out a once unstoppable wave.
You also pack a few secrets up your sleeve. Limited amounts of 'bullet-time' can help place crucial shots when you are outnumbered (which happens often). Also, you can roll, which seemingly makes you invulnerable to bullets. However there's a cooldown in which you cannot shoot back, making this a defensive strategy for retreating to cover.
The story is told through cutscenes portrayed as a graphic novel. This unique touch is welcome, and is one of the ways the game stands out in such a popular genre.
Gameplay is solid throughout, and the story is pretty good but nothing spectacular.
One thing to note, is that it seems Steam is selling copies with the same crack pirates have been using since its release. However, they are not using the pirates' updated crack, so there is a problem in that after saving, there is a chance all keyboard functions will stop working. This is a major bummer, because quicksaving all the time is very tempting in this style of game. The only way to solve this is to exit and restart, unless you miraculously manage to get ahold of an illegal 10 year old patch.