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...continued
Ritual
(who developed this game, as well as the
disappointing SiN) has done a hell of a job of
balancing combat and exploration, and things
lighten up at times, giving you room to wander and
relax. The game throws a lot of action at you, and
the puzzles are clever enough that you won't be
cursing as you throw switches, pull levers, and
push buttons. Plus, you can breathe a sigh of
relief: moving boxes is minimal. You will want to
be extra careful in lining up jumps and judging the
angle of some of the game's darker walls; one of
the few gripes we have about the game is that
grabbing a ledge or object can be a bit cumbersome
at times. For the most part, everything is laid out
at the beginning for you with a training scenario,
which is one of the best ever included in a game.
It teaches you everything you're going to need to
know and makes you enjoy it. How's that for a
special effect?
Of
course, you will notice all of these things while
playing the game. One thing you won't notice,
however, is the camera. Generally, in third-person
action games, there are little camera problems:
walls get in the way; it's hard to see what's going
on; or it can be tricky to gauge a jump. This is
almost never a problem in F.A.K.K.2, and for that
alone Ritual deserves a standing ovation. Aside
from static face maps on each character (that show
little if any emotion during cut scenes), there are
minimal complaints to be made about the game's
graphical presentation (but why does everyone have
an awkwardly defined jaw?).
F.A.K.K.2
rocks as a single-player game, but the game's eye
candy and firepower scream for multiplayer. The
game has solid weapons, a robust combat engine and
giant maps that almost rival those in Tribes, so we
can only hope that Ritual will release a
multiplayer add-on or include it in an expansion
pack. Or else we can hope that the sequel is
already underway, because even though the game's
ending is satisfying (especially if you've seen the
movie), it also includes a little epilogue movie
that makes you think there's still more to do. Much
like the endings of Back to the Future and The
Empire Strikes Back, the game's ending is a big
tease.
So
here we are, itching and waiting for more. And
that's the biggest problem with F.A.K.K.2. Despite
having lived and slept with this game for days on
end, I can honestly say I haven't had this pleasant
a gaming experience this year thus far. F.A.K.K.2
blends all the best aspects of Nintendo's Legend of
Zelda, LucasArts' Jedi Knight, and Eidos
Interactive's Tomb Raider, and avoids almost all
the missteps of those games. I found myself asking,
"Lara who?"
Quite
frankly, you shouldn't still be reading this
review--you should already be halfway to your car,
keys in one hand, cash in the other, on your way to
pick up your copy. What are you F.A.K.K.ing waiting
for? Go on, go!
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