The world we
know does not exist without struggle …
Clive Barker
has a degree in philosophy, so he knows a thing or two about the human psyche.
After years of working in the horror genre, he also knows a thing or two about
what scares people. He puts the latter to work in Clive Barker’s Jericho, a
PlayStation 3 game that is – at times – overly predictable.
Jericho refers
to an elite team of warrior magicians, who wage “secret wars” on battlefields
long from the view of humanity. Only Jericho stands between utter chaos, total
evil and the annihilation of the human species.
In an ancient
forgotten city (Al Khali), recently uncovered by a man (aptly named Leach) who
is somewhat blissfully unaware of the true evil he is trying to unleash (though
he is a terrorist and thus has no morality, only seeks power), the evil waits.
One team has already gone in, and vanished. The next unit, lead by Capt. Devon
Ross, heads in. There are seven members of the team and, at one time or another,
you will control each of them.
Ross is the
squad captain and the team psychic; Father Paul Rawlings is a priest and
exorcist; Sgt. Frank Delgado is a pyromancer and fire-demon wielding alchemist;
Lt. Abigail Black is a telekinetic and a sniper (she can control bullet paths in
mid flight, which is pretty nifty); Sgt. Billie Church is a blood mage that uses
her own blood to cast spells and wards; Capt. Xavier Jones can use astral
projections for scouting; and Cpl. Simone Cole is a reality hacker (meaning she
can alter time and teleport supplies and personnel).
Jericho is a
first-person shooter from Codemasters and Mercury Steam/Alchemic Productions. It
is releasing around Halloween – an appropriate time frame for a tale such as
this.
The goal of the
game is to battle through hordes of nasties to get to the dimension rift and
close it. Ok, the story arc is not that original either, but Jericho infuses
this with plenty of pop-in scares, some incredibly graphic horror and a
squad-based game mechanic. Each of the team members has his or her own abilities
and you will need those as you move throughout the game.
One of the
better elements to this squad dynamic, though, is that some of the team members
can combine abilities. As for the environment, you are working through a
multi-tiered city, which has the layers of past civilizations. Each of those
time frames tried to fight the evil that you are trying to take on and lost. As
a consequence, their undead are risen to stand between you and the evil power at
the heart of the game.
Jericho refers
to it as standing on the brink of Armageddon, but the only problem with that is
there is not a sense of urgency within the game’s structure. You tend to want to
proceed at a slower pace – which is what the game tends to show you must be done
right at the start. One of the initial game moments is also a bit of a lesson in
what you will encounter as you move forward. While reading text on an ancient
inscription, the ceiling (made of blocks of stone) starts to come apart.
Naturally, the team runs, but as you are running toward what you think is
safety, the floor caves in. A quick tap of the triangle button will help you
jump the chasm, but should you fail that, you are put in a position hanging off
the wall. You will have to use the circle, square and triangle buttons to get
out of the hole.
The missions
themselves seem to be laid out in a somewhat linear pattern. As you move through
the levels, there seems like you are being directed. The game then throws
challenges at you with traps and quasi intelligent AI. While the monsters are
not particularly smart, thankfully your squad mates are. They will use their
abilities as needed and within the context of the game.
The control
scheme is not that hard to figure out. If you have ever played a shooter before,
you will know what you need to do here. Give credit to the dev team for making
this accessible.
Graphically,
the game is very well done. The dynamic lighting and shadows will lure you in
and the particle effects are also first rate. You may have a fallen arch that is
telekinetically cleared, but rather than rush through, you should wait for the
dust to settle to see what is on the other side.
Jericho can be
creepy and scary, at times. At others, it is a repetitive and predictable title.
Having said that, though, this is still a solid shooter that has entertaining
moments, even if it does come across as a little contrived at times.
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Gameplay: 7.8
The FPS elements are
stock and the levels have a feeling of guiding you through the game because the
maze of ruins you encounter will only allow you to go in one continuous
direction. Still, the controls are easy to learn and the game does have its
share of heart-start moments. You may know that monsters are going to jump out
at you, but that doesn’t mean the old ticker doesn’t beat a little faster when
they do.
Graphics: 8.7
There is a fine line
between stunning visuals and graphics that maybe go a bit too far. The gore in
this game, and some of the visuals can cross that line. The effects are very
well done. The environments, though are not destructible, which detracts from
the immersion. Shoot a crate and it just sits there.
Sound: 7.8
Lots of combat
sounds, ominous music and dialogue punctuated by obscenities.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 7.5
Monsters that jump
out at you is old hat, not any less scary, but still old hat. The whole concept
seems to be borrowed, throw into a blender and it comes out familiar
nonetheless. The game has some good ideas, though, like the layered
environments, representing different eras. And the addition of the voices and
visions is a nice touch.
Overall: 7.8
The game brings out
the usual suspects, tosses in a few new elements, but relies on the predictable
with the FPS horror genre. It is graphically intense and the sound supports the
graphics. Some of the game’s elements are reflexive in nature, but using the
stock FPS movement dynamics (shoot to engage, then back up and unload your
magazine into the monster) tends to work. This is a game with entertainment
value, as well as some thrills and chills.
