Amidst a backdrop of worldwide ecological and seismological chaos in the mid-2100s, the United States has been split in two by the "Great Flood." As a result of the polar ice cap melting, the Mississippi River has destroyed the central portion of the United States, causing an ill-equipped Federal Government to fail and literally cut the country in half. These two halves are left to fend for themselves in the aftermath. The East, now known as the Atlantic Alliance, symbolic of their union with Europe, puts its faith in surviving this new world in cybernetics, an established yet evolving technology now more than 150 years old. On the other side of the flooded continent, the Western states, now called the Republic of Pacifica and having allied with Asia, resort to solving their problems at the genetic level, effectively restructuring the DNA of its inhabitants - a method the Atlantic Alliance finds morally reprehensible...

Fracture is the latest first person shooter (FPS) from LucasArts. Set in 2161, cybernetically enhanced forces from the east are engaged in battle against a genetically engineered army from the west using never-before-seen terrain deforming weapons. You must use these lethal weapons to fracture, crater, freeze or elevate the earth as you follow the journey of a patriotic Atlantic Alliance soldier when an act of treason launches him into the lethal battlefield of the future.

In total there are 12 different weapons for you to find and take control of, as well as four different grenades. You can also use a weapon that allow you to raise or lower the ground - helping you reach higher ground or bury underneath gates or dig down and climb inside large pipes in the ground.

You can play the single player story mode, or hop online in one of eight different modes with up to 12 different player. Multiplayer play allows you the option of playing on the side of the genetically enhanced Pacificans or the cybernetically powerful Atlantic Alliance as you fight for the control of familiar locations and landmarks as you battle in famous locations across the United States.

To be fair the developers have tried to breathe new life into the FPS genre. But it doesn't quite hit the mark. While transforming your environment is fun at first it soon becomes a little dull, not to mention annoying, when you have to constantly raise or lower the terrain to progress. While it's fun to use it to raise enemies that are hidden in dips; give your men cover; or bury any opposition members that are hidden in large pipes, it soon becomes a little repetitive a little too fast.

While there are a few things here you won't have seen before the actual game play is not as engaging as the majority of FPS games on the market. This certainly won't appeal to everyone and I'd strongly suggest you try before you buy.

5

Pete Boomer