Kill.Switch |
PS2 |
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Review by Matt Paprocki |
Namco |
Action |
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Graphics: 6 |
Sound: 8 |
Gameplay: 6 |
Overall: 6 |
![]() It doesn't take long for the game to make sure you understand its ideas. Step blindly into one area and you're dead. The game's hero cannot sustain heavy fire for more than a few seconds. Taking one or two bullets isn't a problem. This is how it makes sure you adhere to the rules. You'll need to stay down through a control scheme that uses the shoulder buttons almost exclusively. This sounds like a set up that could only lead to clunky and frustrating situations. It does, especially as the game moves on and everything is tossed at the player. Each level will take around 20 minutes, and it doesn't matter where you meet an early fate. It's always back to the beginning of the level. ![]() Stages are designed to be as linear as possible. It becomes one of those games where each time you play, the farther you'll get. Enemy AI is fairly standard in this way, and you can continually reuse the same tactics to gain an advantage in the outnumbered gunfights. The level design helps this too. With a little experience, it's not hard to figure where the stage design wants you to be. Boxes, walls, and pillars are positioned conveniently. The muddy graphics are the only thing preventing you from seeing an easy solution. More interesting is the story. The lead character's memory has been wiped, and after each stage, the same flashback plays, but each time, it plays a little longer. As it evolves, it continues to become involving with numerous unanswered questions. ![]() What Kill.Switch does though, it does right. It is a basic concept. However, it is one intense enough to create a decent gameplay experience around it. Action fans will need an adjustment period before they're convinced. After that, they'll stay awhile for superbly designed set pieces. |