Take control of Earth Command Lieutenant, Aileen Harding,
as she adventures through intense sci-fi battles against hordes
of unique aliens and huge bosses. With an array of special
abilities and combat powers, you'll draw on quick reflexes
and skill plus a wide choice of weapons, armour, and items
to defeat increasingly formidable opponents...
Alien
Syndrome is the new isometric RPG for the Wii, and whilst
there are still not enough games on the Wii which are neither
twee nor sports orientated, Syndrome does little to
push the boundaries.
The
game can be played in single player mode or as a co-op with
up to four people playing, though there are no on-line player
options. The game follows the well trodden story-line of a
missing ship which has awoken something; something dark and
dangerous. Into this mystery, Earth sends Lieutenant Aileen
Harding, an unfortunate name as during some of the more frustrating
parts of the game I found myself shouting: "Come on Eileen"
much to the amusement of the family.
The
game is easy to set up with the usual chance to modify your
character and during game play there are a sufficient number
of bigger and better guns to collect. You get the options
of playing the game in normal, hard and 'I'll get me coat'
levels of difficulty. I'd suggest that you start on normal
difficulty just to get a feel of the controls and then crank
it up, because, to be honest, single player set at normal
difficulty is a dull game indeed. To help you along your way
you are provided with a mobile weapons platform, which floats
around helping to defend you. Just like your central character,
the SCARAB platform can be upgraded. Within the game there
are a number of mini games which can be used to improve your
DNA.
The
controls are nicely intuitive and it take very little time
to get up and running. The combat system works well, though
most of this appears to consist of running backwards whilst
firing like mad at the slow moving and relatively stupid aliens.
Like most Wii games shooting is one of the things that has
become immeasurably more simple with the use of the Wii remote.
One
of the things that defiantly let the game down, right from
the very opening screen, is the graphics. The opening scene
setting is told via a set of static pictures which are underwhelming
in the extreme. It makes the game look older than it is. I'm
aware that graphically the Wii lags behind the PS3 and Xbox
360, but not by this much. Even within the game the graphics
let the game down, giving it an overall chunky feeling. The
top down view makes your field of vision very restrictive,
meaning that you can let off a shot which bounces off an unseen
object and comes right back at you.
Were
the game does have strength is in the four player co-op, which
adds a whole dimension of fun. However, even here the game
gets a little samey after a while.
Overall,
although the combat system works well and, should you wish
it, the game holds about twenty hours of play time, the very
poor graphics makes Alien Syndrome a decidedly average
game.
Charles
Packer
Buy
this item online
We
compare prices online so you get the cheapest
deal!
Click on the logo of the desired store below.
|
|
£29.98
(Amazon.co.uk)
|
|
|
|
£34.99
(Play.com) |
|
|
|
£29.99
(HMV.co.uk) |
|
|
|
£39.99
(Game.co.uk) |
|
|
|
£33.99
(WHSmith.co.uk) |
|
|
|
£33.89
(Sendit.com) |
|
|
|
£32.97
(Thehut.com) |
All prices correct at time of going to press.
|
|