Jericho (PC)

A finger-blistering -- but far from bloodcurdling -- waltz into the world of first-person shock (or is that schlock?) horror...
1/31/2008 12:00 AM | 0 Comments | Page 2 of 3

It's a shame, to be certain -- with swords, fire spirits and semiautomatic shotguns at one's disposal, the chance to splatter corpses clad in bondage gear with blades for hands, parchment-winged devils, and ghostly bosses proves eminently satisfying. Sheer intensity, of course, being one of the game's chief strengths, with wave after wave of baddies assaulting in rapid succession, makes the quest more satisfyingly thumb-numbing than shocking, despite its featured celebrity endorsement. But between the stop-and-start nature of play (go here; listen to this script interlude; repel that wave of invaders; run to next area; clear out difficult obstacle; move along; repeat), general cookie-cutter level design (sweet, another ill-lit corridor), and some truly laughable one-liners ('You just got your ass kicked by a girl'), this is clearly a game of both glorious highs and crushing lows.

Certainly, as a run-n-gun blaster fan, you'll find more than your fair share of frenzied combat here, with speedily moving or flying foes largely relying on sheer numbers to overwhelm. Highlighted visuals are pretty darn impressive too, with crackling flames, gloomy passages awash in shadows and fog, gooey blood spurts that splatter the screen, light-trailing bullet traces, and woozy blurring effects all part of the frantic danse macabre that combat quickly becomes (and hey, computer geeks do get to experience the title at the maximum possible resolution).

What's more, there's even a slight strategic element to the proceedings, with players granted the ability to order allies about (teams can be told to hold, retreat or advance) via a simple command system. (Though, honestly, whether individual groupings or your entire crew hunker down, assume defensive positions, or just come rushing along seldom seems to make a major difference on a skirmish's outcome.) In short, the game's designed to throw so much at you -- tapping the A button lets you resurrect fallen buddies on command (a favor they'll return when you croak, too) -- that it's hard not to be at least mildly amused by the button-mashing proceedings.

Then again, speaking as an experienced fan of horror movies/novels, the title simply lacks the literary depth and/or sheer catchiness of competing properties, i.e. BioShock or Quake IV. It doesn't help that the military-meets-paranormal plotline's been done to death, either. Nor does the featured cast of characters (including the Doc Holliday-voiced, vice-prone preacher; mile-a-minute-talking female 'reality hacker;' and Sumerian-speaking token ethnic stereotype) exactly heighten suspension of disbelief. And seriously, if you've seen the first few handfuls of enemies here, you've seen just about all the title's going to throw at you. (Extreme linearity, frequent scenario rehashes, and showdowns with too-similarly-designed foes number among the offering's most egregious sins.)

Leaping between themed historical eras -- for example, World War II and the Crusades -- and being subjected to occasional clever storytelling devices (killings viewed through the eyes of the slain, doomed encounters with former allies and loved ones) that help flesh out the plot does add impact. But really, what you get here is basically just an in-your-face -- but still mostly clich&eacure;d -- splat-'em-up with solid handling, a wide selection of weapons, a large gross-out factor and an interesting supporting gimmick. To put it in terms that even casual ambulance chasers can understand, it's more the interactive equivalent of author Dean Koontz's mildly amusing page-turner Phantoms than, say, a truly groundbreaking work like Stephen King's It.