A classic idea of Cat and Mouse. Read on to find out if it worked.
Though the concept behind the game seems very simple the learning curve turns out to be quite steep if you are not familiar with the original mod that was created using Half Life. As there is no in game tutorial to speak of, the average player might be easily put off after being murdered three times in a row with a baseball bat. Once you get past this hard (albeit short) learning experience the game turns into a highly rewarding experience. An interesting feature that appears in The Ship is the addition of needs. Quite like The Sims you will find your self needing to groom, feed, and entertain your character while in the midst of the game. While this may sound bad in concept it actually prevents the occurrence of camping and can lead to some interesting kills because of the inability to cancel an action while in the middle of performing one.
The Ship turns out to be more methodical in nature then your average first person shooter. You must take into consideration your next action and the possible chance of you being killed or killing your target because of it. In turn the winner of a round is not based on the amount of the kills, but of the originality of them. For instance while running down a hallway after your quarry shooting a Tommy Gun may sound like a good idea, you will earn less money then if you had taken a swing with a tennis racket.
To track down your target in some of the massive ships you are given a brief location of them every 30 seconds. This adds the need to keep moving around the ship at a constant pace when possible to avoid your hunter. You are also provided with a floor plan of the entire ship, which in your early days of playing you will find yourself constantly opening to check your location in relation to your Quarry’s.
You will find as you search through certain drawers and cabinets new attire that you can use to change your appearance. Veteran players will find if they have failed killing their quarry numerous times changing the clothing of your character can stop your quarry from recognizing you the next time you walk past.
Though the speed of the game is overall a well made decision it also brings a few small problems with it. Currently there are only two game modes that are worth playing if you are interested in experiencing The Ship as it was meant to be played. Hunt and Elimination, Elimination is the slower paced mode of the two. When you are killed by your hunter you respawn but no longer as a participating player, but as a passenger in which you still need to fulfill your needs but no longer play until only one last player stands and a new round begins. The way this mode is set up can create a dull experience to players who are killed out early in the game and must wait for the game to conclude which may take a significant amount of time in many cases.
The second game mode Hunt is quite the opposite of Elimination. When the first kill occurs a timer starts warning other players that they only have ninety seconds to kill their quarry before a new round starts. This causes mass panic in which you find yourself running through corridors to find your quarry before the time has run out and you are left without a kill. While this eliminates the cause of boredom between rounds, it also takes out the idea that dieing really pulls you from the experience and only makes you want to try harder and make better decisions to live. To each their own as you will most certainly choose which game you prefer and stick with it.
The Ship also comes with a single player experience where you may play against the computer instead of human players. The mode might has well been left out because of the terrible A.I. In September when the game is released to retail stores Outerlight promises a full single player experience. Due to legal obligations they will have to charge a small fee to those who have already purchased the game on Steam.
The variety of ships that you will traverse while completing your evil deed is quite large. While there are only six ships to choose from when joining a game each one is distinctly different in both appearance and size. Each ship also holds a vast amount of secrets which you will find as you play the game more often. They provide special weapons you may not normally be able to find on a regular basis.
The Ship was created with the Source Engine the same that was used to create games such as Half Life 2 and Counter Strike Source. With this in mind The Ship is not a graphical powerhouse you may come to expect from any source engine game. This may sound like a letdown though it does not have the slightest effect on game play. Instead of ultra-realistic graphics, Outerlight chose to give the game an original art style that has an almost cartoon flair to it. Ragdoll Physics do make an appearance though you end up not noticing the effects as much as you might while playing a faster paced shooter.
While sound does not make a large appearance in The Ship it is still noticeable while walking through the ship you may pass by a number of radios or even live musical bands. Many of the songs are parodies of music from the 1920s era. The music was a nice touch but otherwise the sounds of the game are fairly standard to what you might expect.
The Ship is a refreshing experience after being plagued with mediocre shooters and the like. Though some flaws are present most can be easily fixed with a patch. At the price point of 20 dollars there truly is no reason not to give this game a go.