Long time
readers of GameZone may have caught some of my other reviews regarding actual
historical events surrounded by all sorts of weird, supernatural happenings.
These types of games are typically favorites of mine. I don’t know why that is
but there is something about taking an actual historical event and then making
some weird side story about how a small group of people witnessed something
incredible. Return to Castle Wolfenstein comes to mind as it dabbled in the
occult (something Hitler was actually obsessed with) during World War II.
Onimusha Warlords also stands out as a real kick in the pants as the very
historical figure Nobunaga Oda (a General) did try and conquer Japan, and in
that game a fictitious Samurai was given supernatural powers in order to stop
demons from helping him realize his dastardly deeds. So it was with great
excitement that I got the game NecrovisioN. In the game, you play as a World War
I soldier battling in Europe when the Germans uncover an evil buried deep in the
Earth. This evil twists and reanimates the dead and creates all sorts of other
hell-on-earth type creatures that you, the lucky protagonist, get to deal with.
So, now you
see what you are in store for, but NecrovisioN does throw some things at you
that simply make you wonder what is going on? It’s a first-person shooter, and
it would be easy to compare this title to Wolfenstein or Ubersoldier, but the
horrors of combat in the trenches really take a hard right turn and soon you
find yourself running through hell itself as well as some other odd places.
"It
burns, it BURNS!!!!"
Now before
we get going, it’s important to tell you that this is a game that requires
patience, it truly does get better as the game gets on. It is about 13 hours or
so long, and you really need to get past the first few things before settling
into a manageable groove and the game becomes as entertaining as it’s gonna get.
And I mean that as a genuinely honest statement, repeat: First part of the game
is Ok, the second and third parts are much more interesting in a Serious Sam or
non-stop action sort of way. Truthfully, enemies come at you by the battalion in
some parts of the game and if it weren’t for a certain spiky, magically infused
gauntlet on your arm, those 12 zombies right in your face could pose a problem.
And this is one of the better elements of the game – the combat. You have an
absolutely insane selection of things in which to turn your enemies into a fine
red mist, and that’s no fooling. NecrovisioN is a very gory, bloody,
over-the-top splatterfest. Wear your galoshes while playing – the carpet in
front of the computer is gonna get stained with blood.
On that
note, the game has some hit-and-miss graphics; the zombies, for instance, can be
a bit remedial looking at some point as it appears that some of the other
monsters were given more attention. Character models are repetitive, not that
this is a horrible thing, but the big-time baddies look considerably cooler with
a more fleshed-out appearance and superior shading and look. I found the
contrast of the wildly different level designs to be imaginative and repetitive
at the same time. Early levels look completely burnt out and appropriate, like a
war zone should be, but then it seems to have the same look to it for a while.
Flying on a dragon on the other hand is inspired and really great looking. It’s
the age-old battle of bland and fantastic equaling out to a sometimes uneven
looking game.
"You know, a good
dermatologist could really help out with that complexion."
Now the
sounds found in NecrovisioN are incredibly bad. Well, incredibly is a pretty
harsh word, but there is simply some funky things going on the main character
says things in the heat of battle that not only don’t make any sense, our hero’s
voice seems to change voice actors halfway through the game. It’s all over the
place. And the heavy metal track that plays throughout does not fit the game. If
I was scoring this title then eerie, gothic music would be the top of the order.
The problem
though, is that the game can’t decide which way to go, with the attempts at
humor throughout, one would think it wanted to be funny, but than the dark,
sinister overtones the game has put you in an entirely different mood. Combined
with a really hard to follow, not entirely thought-through, plot, I was more
than confused. It is as if the game should just be appreciated at face value,
and those gamers who really enjoy the chaos and anarchy of an over-the-top
bloodfest, then, here you go. But getting past all this extra goofiness can be a
bit taxing.
"A wonderful
community and close to both shopping and schools, you should buy now!"
The game
does throw some minor puzzle elements at you, and chances are they will not
strain your brain. There is some hairy situations that prove to be quite
challenging, but it is all about the action in this one. In fact, the game has
such a high body count that this rivals some of the biggest shooters I have ever
played. Some truly massive kills are found here.
There is a
multiplayer mode for the game and it does have the standard deathmatch and
team-based games, the multiplayer surprisingly doesn’t add too much extra to the
game. I personally found the sheer amount of weapon combinations and melding of
sorcery and science a much more fascinating prospect, and again, the game
provides you with plenty of ways and combinations to throttle the evil contained
in this title. And, in an extra little bit, when wounded to the point of near
death, the game slows down as if you can pull off one final move to possibly
save yourself. The game throws an awful lot of things at you and some of it
sticks and some of it doesn’t.
Now I can’t
say that this game is horrible and I can’t say its awesome either, my problem is
the game never quite puts all the pieces together. I wanted to like it, but
there is some development issues that can be tough to get past. I wanted an
adventure with all sorts of interesting things unfolding, yet the plot is pretty
convoluted and confusing. I wanted something that the game simply isn’t. That
being said, there is some things that really did surprise me and stand on their
own as pretty good gameplay elements.
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Gameplay: 7.7
Some
interesting things going on here as you have a ton of magical- and science-based
attacks and occult things that can be found to increase your powers. Vampiric
abilities anyone?
Graphics: 7.5
Pretty good
in most parts, some degradation when it comes to come characters and repetition
in some level design.
Sound: 5.0
Yikes! The
score is completely wrong for the game and the voice acting is below par. For an
American soldier fighting alongside the British, you certainly say some
inappropriate things. Come to think of it, so do a lot of the characters you run
into.
Difficulty: Hard
Yeah, this
one can prove to be a pickle.
Concept: 6.4
A good idea,
from an interesting point of view, but much of the potential is wasted. The
combination of science and sorcery was a nice turn.
Multiplayer: 6.9
This is one
of those things where if the game didn’t have a multiplayer option, I would
complain, but the online gaming is merely average.
Overall: 6.9
So much to
hope for, and some surprises that are genuinely fun, but having to deal with the
slow beginning and really bad plot with voice acting can be a challenge. The
last half of this game is far superior to the first.
