While I'm on the subject of inconsistency, it would be a good time to mention
the game's graphics. The environments do a good job of conveying the look
and feel of the Nakatomi Plaza. On the other hand, the characters
inhabiting the building tend to exhibit jerky movements, and the terrorists
apparently all buy their clothes from only two or three different stores with
limited inventory. The engine also exhibits some issues with collision
detection, as the player will sometimes get stuck to corners or objects, and
there is a strange tendency to bounce back off of objects at times as if they
were made of soft foam rubber.
The game itself is played as a series of 30 missions, each of which is
roughly tied to a floor of the building. Completing the objectives for a
mission will result in an exit being made available. Exiting a level will
take the player to the next level, usually after a cinematic is played to
advance the storyline. There's no way to move between the levels of the
building on your own, or to select where to go next.
Die Hard: Nakatomi Plaza uses an innovative system to track your health.
In addition to the standard health meter that reflects your relative damage,
there are stamina and morale meters as well. The stamina meter drains as
you run and jump, and once depleted, you'll need to rest before you can run or
jump again. The morale meter reflects your state of mind, and tends to
drain when you come under heavy fire. The manual states that enemy AI is
affected by your morale level, but in practice it is difficult to tell how much
of an effect it does have. Low morale does seem to make your fire less
accurate, though.
Overall, Die Hard: Nakatomi Plaza does have some enjoyable missions, but
suffers from consistency issues that affect the game's overall enjoyment.
In trying to please fans of the film and action gamers alike, it might have lost
its way.
In The End, This Game Hath Been Rated:
60%. It can be fun at times for fans of the movie, but it is too
inconsistent to recommend to the casual action gamer.
System Requirements: 400 MHz Pentium II CPU; 64 MB RAM; 16 MB
Video RAM; 4x CD-ROM; 660 MB Hard Drive Space; Mouse.
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