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Armed and Dangerous
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Graphics & Sound:
Armed and Dangerous looks good, but isn't one of the Xbox's crowning achievements. Overall, the game is very blurry, and feels like it is done at one of the lowest possible resolutions on the Xbox. Cut scenes seem to take the brunt of this low-res punishment. The movie quality is about a notch or two above the resolution of a PlayStation game. They're dirty, they're blurry -- but at least they're entertaining. In-game graphics are a little better, but not by much. Character models are sparsely textured and feature very little in the way of variety. Goon A looks a lot like Goon B, only with a different gun. Your team of characters, the Lionhearts, looks a little better, but not by much. Animations are on the same level as the graphics. There are, however, a few high points -- most of which come in the form of really big robots and level designs. Environments are destructive and feature some nifty ways of taking out enemy positions, such as shooting loose rocks and starting rockslides. Most buildings and other architecture can also be destroyed, which, of course, come with some really nifty explosions. The sound is great and proves to be one of the better parts of the game. The voice work goes along with the mood of the game wonderfully. Each character has its own unique personality that really shows through in the voices. Jokes and one-liners are delivered with excellent timing, even during the in-game action sequences. Although a few lines are played a little too much, some of the mini-skits that play out between your group members are fun to listen to multiple times. After stopping at pubs in order to heal and rearm, make sure to stick around for a little while since some of the game's best lines are delivered there. Much of the game's soundtrack is influenced by Scottish bagpipe music. Normally I wouldn't praise any sound that emanated from the bagpipes, but the dynamic music system (which kicks up only when the action does) keeps the annoyance factor in check -- thus, making the wailing and screaming of the pipes enjoyable.
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Gameplay:
The story told in Armed and Dangerous isn't all that new or original. You are Roman, leader of a group of dissidents named the Lionhearts. Jonesy, a Scottish mole man and demolitions expert; Rexus, a blind, gnome-looking psychic; and Q, a tea swilling British robot, round out your four-man group. After saving Rexus from the King, your rag tag group sets out to find the Book of Rule and overthrow the King (and his vegetable of a son). Over the course of your mission, you'll not only have a chance to trade bullets with the King's army, but also make his life miserable. As you progress through each mission, you will have to chance to take out the King's military bases, oil derricks and other holdings. The more stuff you take out, the higher the reward on your head. While a big bounty doesn't play much of a part in-game as far as I can tell, it's still fun to see how much chaos you can create. There is a drawback to the wanton destruction though - you can't take out everything you see. Shooting sheep, penguins and destroying peasant houses (or peasants) isn't a good idea and will deduct from your bounty. They've suffered enough under the King already. It is the way that the story is delivered that makes the entire game entertaining. Overall, the game's story has a very Monty Python feel. In fact, many of the jokes that are delivered are British in tone - meaning you're not going to get everything. Think about it -- how many people are really going to get the meaning behind the Guy Fawkes Traitor Bomb? There are, however, jokes that everyone will get (such as the obligatory Star Wars references), ranging from slapstick comedy to some political satire (mostly aimed at the French). Getting back to the Star Wars references, Armed and Dangerous features probably one of the best Star Wars references in recent memory. I won't blow it for you, but it's a nice take on the whole Taun-Taun incident on Hoth. Beyond the story elements, Armed and Dangerous is a fairly straightforward shooter. The in-game action isn't all that compelling either. For one, it would have been nice to have a little more control over your team, similar to the system used in Freedom Fighters, instead of allowing them to wander around guided by their own AI. Personally, I didn't find them all that helpful to begin with, which made them feel thrown in. The game follows the typical shooter layout. You have a gun and you take out a couple of hundred troops. Armed and Dangerous does throw a few wrinkles into the action, such as an odd assortment of weapons and some missions which require you to get behind a mounted cannon. Other missions strap a jetpack on your back. |
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Difficulty:
Armed and Dangerous isn't all that hard of a game, provided you think through a couple of things. Charging into battle without taking note of which weapons you have (or how much ammo you have) isn't smart. It also pays to take notice of your surroundings and use them to your advantage. If you come to a street with a wall that just looks like it is placed there, then there's a very good chance you're supposed to use it for one reason or another. Once you complete the story mode, you can try to go back and unlock bonus missions and other goodies.
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Game Mechanics:
Aside from the humor, the real star of Armed and Dangerous is the arsenal. You begin each mission with a select assortment of guns and bombs at your disposal. These include the usual suspects like a machine gun, rifle, rocket launcher and sniper rifle. You are also given an assortment of secondary weapons, like the ever so useful Sticky Bombs and Tick-Tocks (time bombs). Once you visit the mid-level pub, your arsenal gets a whole lot more interesting. Here you get access to some really unique weapons like the Land Shark Cannon, a one-shot rocket launcher (although new ammo can be acquired by killing enemies) that launches a live shark into the ground. After burying itself, the shark then proceeds to circle the area and eat anyone in its path. Other weapons include a bomb that causes the entire world to flip upside down (and all enemies to fall 'off' the ground), a black hole and the Guy Fawkes Traitor Bomb, which causes enemies to turn on each other. The weapons system is great, but turns out to also be one of the game's failings. Some of the standard weapons, in particular the Sticky Bomb and machine gun, are a little too useful -- often times negating the usefulness of other weapons. The machine gun is way too accurate, making using the low fire rate sniper rifle useless. There is a way to turn off the auto-aim, but then the game becomes way too hard -- causing a real lack of balance in this department. All in all, Armed and Dangerous is a fun game, but is more notable for its humor than its gameplay. A fun rental for sure, but a buy for only more hardcore of shooter fans. |
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-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker |
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