Iron Storm Review
Enemy snipers are an entirely different matter. There are a lot of them in the game, and they have an unnatural ability to kill you with one shot. Even though you may know that there is a sniper ahead, you’ll have a very hard time locating him. He’ll have no trouble seeing you though, no matter what approach you take, and killing you with one shot. Be prepared for a lot of save/reloads – only luck and trial and error will get you past each sniper. The snipers are an artificial way to increase the game’s difficulty level, but the player loses out when that difficulty is gained through frustration.
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Another sniper hunt. |
The game features some puzzles, but their presentation is inconsistent. Like the sniper element, trial and error is required to solve them rather than brainpower. In one case mines are used to destroy a tank, while in the next the mines have no effect on another tank. At another point in the game you need to drop all your weapons and surrender to the enemy. How are players supposed to figure that one out any other way than blind luck?
In the graphics department, the game's outdoor environments look interesting although the palette used is heavy on shades of tan. Indoor graphics don't fare as well as the outdoor levels. The textures used for interiors are on the blurry side. The game falls far short when it comes to character animations, as movement is clunky and unnatural. When enemies are shot, they seem to all have the same death animation which involves the enemy stiffening like a board and falling straight down. At least explosions result in more animated deaths which literally tear the limbs from the unfortunate victims.
Another point of disappointment is that the weapons are rather generic. It really doesn't make that much of a difference as to which weapon you use. After fifty years of warfare you'd think that the military would be able to come up with something more interesting than shoguns, sub machine guns, and sniper rifles.
The game really starts on a strong note, and will have you hooked at the beginning. However, the terrible AI and the trial and error gameplay will quickly sap your enthusiasm for the game. The game’s later levels can’t match the excitement of the first and are ultimately disappointing. Perhaps if the game just kept you in no man’s land, leading a squad in a series of assaults while facing artillery barrages and attack choppers, the game might have been recommendable.
In The End, This Game Hath Been Rated: 55%. An interesting premise, but dismal AI and frustrating trial and error gameplay ultimately weigh this title down.
System Requirements: Pentium III 500; 128 MB RAM; 32 MB
Video RAM; 8x CD-ROM; 700 MB Hard Drive
Space; Mouse.
