All in all, Project: Snowblind delivers where it matters most.
User Rating: 8.6 | Project: Snowblind PS2
I am in no way an aficionado of first person shooters. Therefore, I can’t tell you how this game ranks among all the other titles out there. But I liked TimeSplitters 2 a lot and since I’m waiting patiently for the next installment to come out, I picked up Project: Snowblind as a fix to get me through the wait. Honestly, at first I didn’t think this game was all that great. However, I’ve come to realize that it was because of my approach. I blasted head-on into my enemy, firing off as many rounds as possible and trying to create as much chaos as I could. It wasn’t until I slowed things down and allowed myself to really get into the game that it began gelling for me. Therefore, if you mainly stick to your carbine assault rifle or rocket launcher and run straight into your enemy’s sights, you’ll probably end up dying a lot. I sure did. However, if you keep an eye on your radar and read the enemy AI well, then you’ll get a lot of strategic hits on them from nooks and crannies hidden throughout the levels (sniper fans rejoice, there’s a lot of sniping to be done here). When I did this, the experience was far more rewarding. All in all this game is well designed. The graphics are richly detailed and the artwork is aesthetically pleasing, if not interesting at times. And, the “Snowblind” effect you’ll run into from time to time is, how shall I say…very cool. The control is as smooth as you’d want it to be. The sound is good too…explosions resonate well and the voice acting is nicely executed. However, as for the story, I can’t really say that it stands out in my mind. It may not be the fault of the game, though. I’m really mostly interested in blowing stuff up more than anything, so I haven’t attempted to pay too much attention to it. But, at the very least, it’s not so bad that it’s ever annoying or long winded. The cutscenes are mercifully not very lengthy. The various weapons, though not incredibly revolutionary, are well balanced and execute very well. Cycling through them in the heat of battle is only a slight chore, but since time stops as you do, it allows you to take your time if you haven’t memorized them all. The unique abilities the character has (bio-augmentations) are all pretty interesting, however, I really found myself only gravitating to one – the ability to see all enemies clearly. In some instances I had difficulty making out some of the bad guys (and especially small monitoring cameras on the walls), and since I only had a limited amount of power to use, I’d pop it up to get my bearings, then turn it back off again and start shooting. On a strong note, though, I found the enemy AI to be pretty darn good. Often times when I thought I was hunkered down, effectively avoiding detection, they’d find a hole to target me – or better yet, on one level they ambushed me from a doorway and an open window I hadn’t even noticed. This added a nice level of strategy. And once I figured out their tactics, I readjusted and was able to pick them off from various perspectives before they got a stronghold on me. One of the drawbacks to the game though, is for those who don’t get online. Unless you hook up to a LAN connection, you only have a single player option. Therefore, if you’re looking to plug a couple of controllers into the deck and pick up a game with a friend – you’re out of luck. In summary, if you’re a diehard fan of FPS games, I can’t even remotely tell you how this game stacks up to all the others out there. However, if like me, you’re a casual fan and enjoy a well executed FPS with really tight action and flawless control, Project: Snowblind delivers enough to keep you satisfied until TimeSplitters: Future Perfect comes out. PS – If TimeSplitters ends up stinking, I promise I’ll eat my words… 
