A weak single-player shooter that features an excellent multiplayer component. Is it enough to make this game a success?
User Rating: 6.6 | Project: Snowblind PS2
Project: Snowblind comes with a well-established pedigree. While Eidos and Crystal Dynamics vehemently deny any connection between the world of Project: Snowblind and Deus Ex, it’s amazing that they to so with a straight face. You’ve got all the staples of the Deus Ex experience: Human augmentation, cyberpunk setting, and doom facing the world. The only problem is that Project: Snowblind delivers its gaming experience with much less style and panache than Deus Ex did. Make no mistake, however. While Deus Ex was primarily an adventure game set from a first-person perspective, Project: Snowblind is a first-person shooter. The focus of the game is on intense, furious action, and it provides that from the get go. The opening scene is as frantic as you would expect, and, after a bit of a breather, drops you right into urban warfare were you quickly hone your skills… or else. In this arena, Project: Snowblind shines. The feeling of chaos on the battlefield, as you fight alongside computer-controlled allies, is accomplished quite well. In one early mission, for example, you’ll spend all of your time moving between buildings that line a single street, accomplishing objectives. The whole time, the area is being flooded with enemies that will head for those covered positions and gun emplacements that you just cleared out. It’s a nice touch, since you’re never really safe. And standing your ground might be the safe bet, but you’ll eventually get overwhelmed, cornered, run out of ammo, and see the game over screen. The game’s graphic engine clips along at a respectable pace. While the game isn’t going to break any records for graphical beauty, they have still managed to achieve a respectable amount of sheen out of the aging PS2 hardware. The game even features a bit of interaction with the environment. Want to pick up and throw that crate? Go ahead! Need to push that switch over there? Okay, but don’t be distracted by the glass exploding all around you from enemy fire as they try to stop you. While you do get the normal level of repeated enemy models, as in all FPS games, they are fairly detailed and animated. However, the AI of the game is sorely lacking, both for the enemies you face and the squad members by your side. For example, if you’re fighting off enemies that arrive in waves of three soldiers at a time, they will always run to the same three spots, regardless of how many of their brethren are lying dead there. (However, the bodies do disappear from the screen rather quickly.) While this is convenient for you as you snipe them away, it’s certainly not strong AI. The brains in your allies aren’t much better, as they’ll tend to run right into the enemy’s line of fire, stand there for a while, and then start shooting. Meanwhile, you’ve already killed 4 other guys. The game also features your requisite array of weapons from the FPS Design manual. You’ve got your weak-but-accurate pistol, your rapid-fire rifle, your plasma weapon, and your rocket launcher. The game also has a variety of grenades, which come in handy when you don’t have AI teammates to hide behind to get to a good firing position. But the unique element of the game is the bio augmentations, similar to what was found in Deus Ex. Using these augmentations, you can increase your speed, enhance your vision, shock enemies, become invisible, and deflect bullets. And while they are exceptionally implemented – the increase speed augmentation, for example, speeds reloading of weapons, but won’t increase the firing rate of that weapon – they aren’t as integral to your success as one might hope. For a game that is trying to stand out in a crowded FPS field, the lack of polish to the augs actually hurts its chances. The single-player mode features a pretty hard-boiled story about an invasion of Hong Kong, a maniacal enemy, and a superweapon that is about to go off. The missions themselves are fairly detailed and complex, with various objectives and goals popping up and vying for your attention. There is even a handy “objective beacon” that you can use to find your next destination. However, even with a weak story, the presentation could stand some improvement. The voice acting isn’t bad, but it’s nothing that will be remembered. There are times, also, when instructions or details are being presented, but the character is speaking too softly to be understood. Finally, the game switches between presenting the story from a first-person perspective to a third-person perspective. While this may work cinematically, it does break up the flow of the narration. The save system is a trifle annoying, but workable. Instead of allowing a save anywhere, you have to find a “Save Room” in order to record your progress. In many of the missions, there are Save Rooms readily available, allowing you to loop back towards the room after completing an objective. It’s not as flexible as a system, but does add a bit of challenge to the game. Limiting it to three save games per player profile is a bit too few, but helps save Memory Card space. The crippling blows to the single-player game, however, are the lack of a difficulty setting, and no meaningful collectibles. If you’re not very good at FPS games, you’re going to struggle from the get-go with this one. If you’re a good FPS player, you’re going to blow right through the game and have nothing left. Part of the fun of a game like, say, Metal Gear Solid 3 was playing through the game multiple times on the various difficulty levels. Project: Snowblind also features only two types of collectibles: Health and Bio-Energy upgrades. The project with these upgrades is that if you’re succeeding without finding them, you don’t need to go get them. As a result, the game suffers from a distinct lack of single-player replayablity. It’s a good thing, then, that Project: Snowblind features some of the best multiplayer shooter action seen on the PS2. Be warned up front, however, the game does not support split-screen multiplayer, nor does it play nice with dial-up connections. As a result, those of you with roommates or modems (or both) are out of luck. Getting online, however, is quick and easy, and Eidos has implemented a patching system for the game. This is a promising development, as hopefully they will continue to support Project: Snowblind and prevent the glitching and cheating that inevitably occur in the online experience. Multiplayer action features up to 16 players, and a wide variety of game modes ranging from Deathmatch to Hunter to Demolition. Lag isn’t too much worse from what you’d expect, though the game does stutter quite a bit when complicated maps with 16 players are being piped through your Playstation. Players adapt “class” roles, with each class granted a specific weapon, grenade type, and bio-augmentation. This is not only a nice feature, allowing gamers to play to their strengths, but helps clearly define team roles in game types such as Capture the Flag. Unlike Team Fortress before it, however, there is some flexibility in the actions of the classes. Should your sniper stay back and protect your flag? Or should he use his cloaking ability to steal the enemy’s flag, even though his weapon is not great in close combat? Overall, Project: Snowblind doesn’t quite live up to the hype surrounding its release. No one in their sane mind expected this to be another Deus Ex, as it’s a completely different style of game and challenge. Nevertheless, the single player game remains a disappointment, with enough moments to leave you breathless, but enough to disappoint you, as well. The multiplayer experience, however, exceeds expectations, providing variety and fast-paced action to anyone with a broadband connection. Check out Project: Snowblind if you’re interested in an online shooter. Just don’t expect massive evolution or replay value in the field of single-player action. 
