Contrary to
popular belief, the presentation of a game is not something that should be taken
lightly. It can set the tone for the adventure, reinforce the magic, and create
an experience that goes beyond game and player interactivity.
The History
Channel: Battle for the Pacific is one of the few games whose license helps the
overall product from the moment the disc enters your console. Before any
gameplay is encountered, retro war footage is displayed. It comes direct from
The History Channel vault and contains the same high-quality commentary found in
their TV specials. History buffs will be thoroughly amused.
With the
presentation off to a stellar beginning, Battle for the Pacific was in position
for greatness. Allow me to walk you through my initial experience with the
gameplay, which sets up the rest of this battle.
The first 30
seconds went something like…
Wow, look at
the lighting. That’s not the best I’ve seen, but it sure looks pretty. The
texture work is very well done. This is one attractive game.
The next
minute…
These
controls are pretty smooth. The game is making great use of its level space.
This is going to be a great shooter!
The minute
after that…
(Fires
weapon) Yeah! Enemy down! Woohoo! Bam! Another goes…down? What, there’s no
blood? But this is a war game… (Checks the rating) Alright, I get it. They
wanted the game to be as mainstream as possible. But why are soldiers dropping
to the floor like dead weights? Where are the great ragdoll physics commonly
found in Xbox 360 shooters?
The shadow work is great.
Battle
for the Pacific has its share of problems, but before diving into those, let’s
examine one of the game’s finer points: shadows. Not since Metal Gear Solid has
a game used them effectively. In this game the advantage is with the enemies,
who use their surroundings to blend in with the environment. You won’t see it
coming, not the first time at least. Every sunlight-drenched enemy is visible
and taken out immediately (so long as you know how to aim). But that one
standing close to the trees, the one who uses cover like a trained spy – he is
the one that will surprise you.
From a
graphical standpoint, the lighting and shadow effects are incredibly cool. Light
shines brightly (and realistically) through every crack the sun can penetrate,
while shadows are cast below every tree’s leaves, which there are hundreds of.
These effects change dramatically and dynamically as you walk around in the
game. There are some noticeable flaws, like the way the background blurs when
you reload, or the way certain (and usually small) graphic elements pop up out
of nowhere.
The rest of the
game is standard content plus a several inexcusable problems, starting with the
collision detection. Many of the missions require you to follow your leader. In
some cases, the game doesn’t think that’s good enough. Upon finding my ally, I
stood close behind him and waited for him to make a move, but he didn’t move a
muscle. I walked in front of him and still nothing happened. Finally after
waiting a long while for him to take action, I ran away until the game reminded
me that I am "not following the mission." I ran back. Now he responds, moving
forward again. I follow and, after defeating more enemies, encounter this
problem a second time. And a third, fourth, fifth, etc…
"Chase that plane! Don’t let it get away!"
Next thing I
knew, the game was telling me to use a mounted gun to take out a stream of enemy
soldiers. "Press Y to use," it says. I press Y. It doesn’t work. I move closer
to the weapon and press it again – no go. I step back a few inches and wait for
the "Press Y to use" notice to appear again. Eureka! I press the Y button. It
still doesn’t work. After 20 seconds of frustration – and after taking one too
many bullets from enemies I was supposed to have taken out – I button-mashed
until it reacted.
The same thing
happens with weapons that are dropped by dead soldiers. You have to walk over
the weapon just right, or be standing over it in exactly the right position in
order to grab it. Regardless of how much better the new weapon might be than
what I am currently carrying, there is little chance that it will end up in my
possession. If my superior is running ahead (which he always is except when you
want him to), I must keep up to prevent the mission from failing. There isn’t
much time to waste – you’d have to grab the weapon immediately and run to
prevent the worst from happening. That’d be fine in any normal FPS. But in this
game I have to spend a good 15 – 30 seconds trying to grab each weapon. It’s a
hit-or-miss nightmare that leaves no room for failure, but is so imprecise that
anything but failure is hard to achieve.
Battle
for the Pacific’s AI isn’t worth writing home about either. I saw my ally – who
I was supposed to follow under "orders" – run in front of three enemy soldiers,
stand off to the side and aim in the opposite direction. The enemy, presumably
having no military education past "This is your gun and this is the gun’s
trigger," are oblivious to my ally’s actions. They don’t even look his way.
Instead, they point their weapons at me and open fire. I do the same and take
them out in less than three seconds.
It turns out there is blood in this game, but there’s so
little of it, you’ll barely notice.
The graphics,
while beautiful in so many ways, are all but ravaged by one of the most
inconsistent frame rates I’ve seen all year. Any time the action heats up (close
combat with three or more soldiers), the game slows down – way down. The camera
is purposely jerked around during combat, playing on the intensity of the camera
tricks used in TV and movies. But when coupled with a fluctuating frame rate,
it’s practically a roller coaster ride – one you’ll need to look away from to
prevent from getting nauseous.
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Gameplay: 5.5
The controls are
smooth, but the thrills – that exhilarating, blood-pumping essence that pushes a
first-person shooter to its limits – are nowhere to be found.
Graphics:
6.9
Gorgeous visuals
can’t take a game’s graphic set to victory if the frame rate can’t keep its head
above water. Battle for the Pacific’s frame rate can’t even swim.
Sound: 8.0
The in-game voice
acting isn’t too good, but the pre-game commentary and eerie score are really
impressive. The music has qualities of a sci-fi property, drawing on the sounds
of things that are most creepy. It’s the perfect complement to the battlefield –
the only scary place on Earth that has no equal.
Difficulty: Easy
I hate following
orders. Not because they’re a challenge, but because they’re annoying. The game
doesn’t know when to give you a breather – or any amount of freedom – in
choosing what to do and how to do it. You move in a box down one rat hole
that leads toward one exit.
Concept: 7.9
The History Channel
implementation, level setup and graphic selections (excluding the frame rate)
are A+ choices. It’s the execution of the game itself that tanks the experience.
Multiplayer: 4.9
Generic first-person
shooting for 2 – 12 players. Consistent frame rate not included.
Overall: 5.5
Great exterior,
cumbersome interior, The History Channel: Battle for the Pacific is more
deserving of its license than most licensed products. The war films and
historical information are delivered quickly and efficiently, getting straight
to the point as a catalyst for the game. The first-person shooting, however,
doesn’t have any historical value. By the end of next year, players might
remember the presentation, but they’ll have long forgotten the gameplay content.
