Playability:
There seems plenty to do once the
game gets underway and the action is certainly fast and furious. If only
it was as much fun to play. Racing around the streets in the first
mission feels nothing like driving a high powered vehicle... more like
steering an ice cube around a wet table. Very slack handling. By the
time that some sort of control has been achieved it's 'Mission Over' and
onto the next part of the game.
After a brief instruction that you must unveil the entrance to
Professor. Gangrene's laboratory Action Man sets off on foot. It is
explained that by using his metal detector a 'hidden' code will appear.
"Goodie!", I thought. "A puzzle involving scanning the
desert terrain with one of those bleeping gadgets for buried clues".
No such luck! By accessing his inventory and activating the correct
device the entire screen turns green and the six code fragments are
clearly visible lying out in the open. Nor exactly very well hidden!
This introduces us to the 'puzzle element' of the game. You see it
offers a slight twist to the normal... it's a puzzle the you don't need
to think about. Even if you are completely blind, and are incapable of
following a precise description of what you must do in order to proceed,
simply press the select button for a full map of the area. Here you will
see a flashing beacon pointing out the exact location of the next task.
What it does is actually ruin any chance of you having to think during
the game.
The action is hardly enthralling, therefore a little strategy wouldn't
have done any harm. Instead you are ushered through the game as quickly
as possible. For example, Action Man is in the basement and needs to
reach a higher level. The player isn't even allowed the time to look
around for clues on how to get out of this predicament. Instead the game
stops and a voice mentions that a moving hook is the only way out. Even
if you ignore this information the game stops again and suggests that
you try jumping onto the hook. React too slowly and the spoiler is back
checking that you know which button is used to jump. "Use the
circle! Use the circle!" There's even a cut-scene showing the damn
thing moving back and forth. Do these people not realize they are
ruining the gameplay?
For a moment I believed that Action Man Mission Xtreme could possibly
appeal to the over 7 year old's. What a fool! By switching to sniper
mode a crossbow can zoom in onto specific targets. Using this was quite
good fun until the few arrows I had been given ran out . I then had to
press a button to remove this particular weapon. Press another to enter
the inventory. Press the direction button across, then up and down to
choose a new weapon. Press another button to select, and another to arm,
and another to fire... I think the war was over by the time I had
finally re-armed.
Look! If you know of a young child that is being gradually weaned onto
the Syphon Filter's, Metal Gear Solid's and Tomb Raider's of this world,
then maybe Action Man would be an easy baptism. The rest of us best
stick with the original merchandise.
Game
Options:
This is a 1 disk game for 1 Player.
It is compatible with the standard (digital) joypad and the analog stick
controls of the dual shock joypad. Games can be saved via memory card (1
block per save). |
