While the action itself is lacking, Shellshock 2 has atmosphere good enough to intrigue fans of the horror genre.
The game throws you into the shoes of Nate Walker, a member of a special ops team that vanished after being sent into the jungles of Cambodia to retrieve cargo known as WhiteKnight. Needless to say, this so-called cargo turns out to be some sort of virus, turning anyone who comes in contact with it into a blood crazed zombie. Luckily for Walker, he was not infected and now has to chase after his infected brother Cal through towns, jungles and old temples. All of this, of course, while mowing down VC troops and hordes of zombies. Yes, this story has been told many times before, and in much better games, but amazingly it doesn't seem to be an issue here. The story is not what drives you forward; actually, nothing really drives the game forward. It is slightly intriguing to find out what happens next, since every mission ends up abruptly, like a bad novel, but it is never about the plot. Nowadays, any reason to gun down zombies, however redundant, is a good reason.
Since Shellshock 2 is a first person shooter, one would expect the action to take a major part in the gameplay. Oddly enough, it never does. Sure, you get your fair share of firefights and even quick-time events (forcing you to press a sequence of buttons to push off an enemy or avoid traps) but it seems that the developers never though of trying something new. After the first two missions, the action losses its edge and becomes more of an annoyance. As Walker navigates through each level he encounters both friendly and hostile A.I., and while the hostiles can sometimes prove a challenge by their sheer numbers, the friendlies are worthless husks. Each time Walker fights along side a squad of GIs, they tend not to survive the first wave. Even those who somehow manage to survive an attack will refuse to fallow Walker farther into the level, leaving him to pretty much defeat wave after wave of zombies all by himself. This can result in some really frustrating moments, like being cornered by the legion of the undead, with no one to back you up. Add that to the unresponsive aiming controls and the action plummets below the mediocre.
But all is not bad in Shellshock 2. While this action-horror hybrid isn't going to please any hardcore shooter fans, it does manage to create enough creepy atmosphere to appease the more forgiving fans of the horror genre. No, you won't find any over the top gore or even a well hidden zombie, waiting to jump out of the shadows; instead there are empty, quiet rooms, with the remains of your fellow soldiers to serve as a monument to the horrors waiting ahead, or far off cries of babies or dogs been slaughtered in the buildings around you. Shellshock 2 takes its tagline "War is hell" and squeezes every last drop of blood out of it right into the game, making the lackluster action tolerable for a little longer. You are never afraid of what is in front of you, but of what isn't, and that is exactly right for this kind of game.
Speaking of what's in front of you, the game's graphics, unfortunately, leave a lot of be desired. Admittedly, most characters look pretty decent up close and personal, and when fending off an enemy in a quick-time event, it is nice to see the attention to details. However, from afar a lot of them look the same. There are about three versions of VC or GI troops, and a few more versions of zombies (VC and GI, plus some civilian models). So by the time you face off against the first zombie horde, you've seen most of the character models the game has to offer. As for the environments, they are the weak point of Shellshock 2's visuals. Spending most of the game in the deep jungles, it can get a bit dull minding your surroundings (and sometimes you have to, in order to avoid traps). More diverse levels, like the one taking place in a small zombie infested village or a VC camp, can get a little disorienting since everything around you look the same. I don't know if it is intended, but navigating around the less linear levels is confusing at time, and down right annoying when losing your way spells certain death by zombies. There are a few more nice touches, like the blood spatter you get when finishing an enemy up close, which impairs your vision for a short time, but since there isn't much to look at, it isn't such a nuisance.
The audio is the Shellshock 2 is another example of the game's uneven nature. Voice acting is down right horrible, with a lot of the characters sounding the same, meaning emotionless and bored. It is especially true for Walker, whose tone never seems to change, even when finally facing his twisted and sick bother. He always seems detached and unaffected by the horror around him, and it is almost impossible to relate, or even care about him. There isn't any in-game soundtrack to speak of, except the screams and explosions that accompany each level, of course, and it's difficult to decide if that's a bad thing. The lack of music emphasizes the background noises and helps pull you into the game's grim reality. Unfortunately, Walker makes such loud noises when walking around, that it is at time impossible to hear anything else. Half the times it sounds like something is following you, and it's hard to shake off this paranoia. You are never sure it the sounds of Walker's steps aren't masking the sounds a zombie rushing you from behind, so turning around and making sure nothing chases you becomes a routine. So the audio does contribute to the overall atmosphere and horror elements, even if unintentionally.
"Shellshock 2: Blood Trails" isn't a very good game, nor is it a total failure. It is a less than mediocre shooter with some nice horror elements weaved into its gameplay. Unfortunately, there are quite a few action-horror first person shooters out there, and most of them are better than Shellshock 2. So if you already played all those other games, and are really craving for another, give it a try; you may actually have some fun. But I want be shocked if you decided to play F.E.A.R one more time afterwards, just to remained yourself that action and horror can go hand in hand without sacrificing one or the other.