An inconsistent effort that becomes uninspired halfway through, but tries to revive itself at the end!
The gameplay is very straightforward, point and shoot! There are a few weapons to choose from, such as Revolvers and a Shotgun, but nothing that really stands out from other action games! The action can get interesting with the inclusion of the "monster" feature, turning you into a rampaging monster that rushes throughout the areas whipping it's long paws at the enemies! But the feature becomes useless, as he doesn't stay alive long enough to be worth it!
The sound is done very well, you can hear the scraping of Slayer's claws as they move along the wall and drop down on top of you! The creepy music keeps the mood going, using a mix of high and low-tension music depending on the situation!
The graphics are pretty average when released, but that may be due to the somber setting of the prison and surrounding areas! Past the enemies and Torque himself, everything else is bland!
The level design is extremely linear at times, mixing in some alternate paths that lead to the same place within seconds! Some clever little things are sprinkled in to keep it from becoming incredibly boring, such as closing vents and covering grates to redirect water or avoid poison!
The story is all over the place, but kind of in an orderly fashion! Chapters 1 thru 10 are incredibly well done, making the story worthwhile and interesting! Chapters 11-18 are so short that they just seem to rush the story and you eventually lose interest (or forget) the story altogether! This is countered with the surprising quality of the last two chapters (19 and 20)! The entire story comes back around to the prison and wraps up everything! And on a side note, this game has one of the coolest final bosses, too bad he's a softy!
The game has three alternate endings that those who actually stayed interested could be inspired to complete! One is the "good" ending, one is the "bad" ending, and the other is the "monster" ending, depending on if you helped or killed various people you met throughout the game, and if you used the monster ability a certain number of times!
This game is definitely a rental! The inconsistent story and repetitious action makes this a game that had a lot of promise, but didn't fulfill many of the expectations!