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A.P.I Review: | Small Soldiers | ||
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Developer: | Dreamworks Int. | OPTIONS: | SCREENSHOTS: No.1 No.2 No.3 |
Distributor: | EA | 1-2 Player | |
Game Type: | 3D Action | Memory Card | |
Review Date: | November 1998 | Dual Shock/Analog Compatible |
Let The Battle Begin
Led by Chip Hazard, the soulless, militaristic Commando Elite has
launched a full-scale assault on the realms of Gorgon. Archer, noble
leader of the monstrous Gorgonites, has fallen back with the defeat of
each of the Gorgonite worlds, and now his most desperate hour has arrived.
Archer must repel the invasion, liberate each of the captured realms, and
take the battle into Commando space, driving their elite military forces
to their war-torn homeworld, where he has to face and defeat Hazard once
and for all.
The battle begins on Gorgon, where Hazards lieutenants have secured
the mysterious Gorgonite capital and captured Insaniac, one of Archers
most powerful allies. Yet none of the commandos are prepared for the
savage Archer to turn the tide.
Let the battle begin!
Genre
Small Soldiers is a third person action shooter set in a polygon 3D world.
Graphics
What do Deathtrap Dungeon, Lifeforce Tenka, Apocalypse, Assault,...
in fact most modern 3D action shooters, all have in common? Polygon
tunnels! Small Soldiers takes place in a network of passageways that are
constructed entirely of neatly linked polygon slabs. To be fair these
corridors have been tastefully designed with a firm line of middle-age
architecture in mind. This means that intricately designed cornices and
mouldings surround the perimeters of the smoothly textured walls, rather
than being enclosed by boring blank sheets of plain material which have
been riveted together to form a maze, as is so often the case.
The characters have been extremely well animated and could never be
mistaken as anything but replicas of the heroes and villains from the hit
movie. The player controls the warrior Archer, who is viewed from a third
person perspective. The camera tracks his every move from a set position
(up and behind) and is positioned perfectly for any shoot-out at ground
level. The only time that this system fails is when attacked by the
occasional airborne enemy who is often higher than the view line. To
compensate this problem there is a joypad button configured to override
the standard camera angle and slip into sniper mode. This view is barely
manageable and so difficult to target anything accurately that I often
found myself backing off until the enemy appeared within the third person
view before firing.
The game moves along at a fairly healthy pace with little sign of any
slowdown or glitching. Of course game speed and colorful polygons are
usually penalized somewhere down the line and with Small Soldiers you must
endure a very limited viewing distance. Enemies are constantly
disappearing and then reappearing from the dark shadows making targeting,
once again, a frustrating accident rather than a rewarding skill.
Sounds and Effects
The excellent musical score comes directly from the movie offering a truly cinematic experience while the game also featuring the voice of Tommy Lee Jones as Chip Hazard, the take-no-prisoners leader of the Commando Elite. Perfect!
Playability
First a little about the games characters. Contrary to expectations
the Commandoes are the bad guys who are the best-trained, best-equipped
militia in the universe and insist on looting Gorgon of it's resources.
Chip Hazard is their leader and packs a nifty plasma pistol. Other
recruits include Butch Meathook the Master of Arms. A brave soldier who
carries a rocket-launching Gatling gun. Kip Killigan is an all-purpose
fighting man. His laser-sighted gun gives him killer aim, and, if that
doesn't take down his target he's got his flame thrower handy to fry any
foe. And he's been trained in the ninja arts, so he can dodge almost
anything those dim-witted Gorgonites can toss at him. Finally Nick Nitro
knows how to handle the Gorgonite landscape... blast it to bits with his
high explosive grenade launcher!
On the home side we have the Gorgonites lead by Archer the loyal and
savage warrior. Friends and allies include Punch It who has a tasty left
hook, Insaniac may be a little nutty but he's one tough cookie to have on
your side, rock hard Slamfist, hyper-spaz weasel Scratch It, Nibble the
flying freak, Ocula the evil eye and stinky Stench.
What do Doom, Duke Nukem, Quake and Disruptor all have in common? Red key,
yellow key... etc. The gameplay follows the tried and trusted pattern
where progress through the level is barred by a series of color coded
doors of which the key must be discovered. It's all fairly straightforward
and nothing too brain taxing therefore the kids should enjoy the
'challenge'. Most accesses to the keys are revealed by destroying the
enemy commando who holds the sacred tablet. This is then returned to
Chanters who holds the keys to the Gorgonite realms.
There are two modes of play. Single Player involves guiding Archer
through fourteen levels collecting weapons and pick-ups as all in his path
are gradually destroyed. To complete the level a predetermined mission
must be completed which range from; commandoes are defying the realm...
destroy the wicked war machines... use spirit wells to traverse the
realm... rescue your captured brothers... Get the idea?
There are fourteen weapons of destruction to gather on your travels -
some by stealth and some by sheer explosive power. Archers weaponry
includes crossbows, homing stars, energy charge and special rebound arrows
that ricochet off walls. Specials include shock waves, floating mines and
a timed orb bomb. Commando forces are armed with guns, rockets, grenades,
bazookas and ninja stars.
Controlling Archer is fairly simple with face buttons used to select
weapons, jump and fire. The shoulder buttons allow your characters to
strafe left and right to dodge incoming fire.
The Two Player mode offers short, sharp frantic entertainment as yourself
an a mate go head to head for a session of split-screen madness. Choose
between Frags or Flags and then fierce Gorgonite or treacherous Commando
as you hunt each other down in a selection of eight fairly large enclosed
arenas. Remember that your characters can leap up in the air and grab onto
suspended hooks as you attempt to gain the most advantageous position to
fire upon your foe.
Value for Money
Overall Small Soldiers has that certain magical ingredient that keeps you coming back for more. Just what that is... I don't know. I suppose if I did I would probably be a millionaire.
Opinion | ||
MARTIN | ||
GRAPHICS: | 15/20 | There
are very few movie tie-ins which make the grade. Small Soldiers does not
escape that trend but is certainly one of the better efforts. It's
mostly blast without the need for brains and could almost fall into the
platform category. With the competition so fierce this Christmas it will be interesting to see how Small Soldiers fares against the big guns. My bet is that it will be fairly well received but will probably end up in a few of Santa's stockings due to the movie connection rather than for gripping gameplay. |
SOUND: | 9/10 | |
PLAYABILITY: | 44/50 | |
VALUE: | 15/20 | |
OVERALL | 83% |