One of the finest games that Ubisoft has ever made, so good in fact, they’d been teasing us with promises of more… For 20 years, a lot has changed in 20 years, both Ubisoft and the gaming landscape have grown for the worse.
What used to be hope for a new game in this franchise, now is hope that whatever they do to it, isn’t painful to watch.
Before we go on to the review, let’s get on the same page.
I am playing the original version, not the 20th anniversary one, why? Here you go:
So yeah, not touching that with a 10ft pole, no I am not playing the Switch version.
Although it was quite annoying to get this game to run on a modern computer, whatever patchwork held together with swears and duct tape I managed to do, was enough to get the game to work, in my entire playthrough it only crashed once! Ubisoft can’t make a modern game with a crash count that low! Well I did have the sound give up on me, but a game restart was enough to fix it, I do not question the will of The Machine Spirit.
I was tempted to install the ENB mod, but, for the sake of the review, I opted to stay as close to how the original was at the time of its release, and I felt like I was tempting fate enough with my cobbled together fixes.
If you are interested on playing the game, don’t do what I did, get the PS2 or Gamecube version, way less headaches, I am just stubborn.
Although it was quite annoying to get this game to run on a modern computer, whatever patchwork held together with swears and duct tape I managed to do, was enough to get the game to work, in my entire playthrough it only crashed once! Ubisoft can’t make a modern game with a crash count that low! Well I did have the sound give up on me, but a game restart was enough to fix it, I do not question the will of The Machine Spirit.
I was tempted to install the ENB mod, but, for the sake of the review, I opted to stay as close to how the original was at the time of its release, and I felt like I was tempting fate enough with my cobbled together fixes.
If you are interested on playing the game, don’t do what I did, get the PS2 or Gamecube version, way less headaches, I am just stubborn.
Story and Setting
The story takes place in the planet of Hillys, a nice little planet in which humans, and all manner of anthropomorphic peoples reside, not only that, but a plethora of beautiful and magnificent flora and fauna as well.
Yet, this paradise is not untouched by the horrors of war, an alien race by the name of DomZ, has set their sights on the little planet, having some skirmishes within the planet from time to time, bidding their time for a full scale invasion.
Their objective? To capture the population, and turn them into sustenance for themselves.
Yet, this paradise is not untouched by the horrors of war, an alien race by the name of DomZ, has set their sights on the little planet, having some skirmishes within the planet from time to time, bidding their time for a full scale invasion.
Their objective? To capture the population, and turn them into sustenance for themselves.
Not all hope is lost however, as a new faction has decided to make a stand against the invaders, The Alpha Sections, they have taken effective control of all military matters and have sworn to protect the population, yet, it seems that the soldiers are never around when push comes to shove, and most of the time they appear, is after the damage has been done, quite curious, isn’t it?
Our heroes, Jade, a freelance journalist, and her uncle Pey’j, a mechanic, have taken it upon themselves to take care of the many children who have been orphaned by the conflict, but, income is always tight, forcing the two to take some odd jobs to make ends meet.
Our heroes, Jade, a freelance journalist, and her uncle Pey’j, a mechanic, have taken it upon themselves to take care of the many children who have been orphaned by the conflict, but, income is always tight, forcing the two to take some odd jobs to make ends meet.
Among them however, a new job will take their lives into a whole new direction, a job that will introduce them to the truth of what is actually going on in Hillys, a truth that the population needs to know, and a truth that requires brave and selfless heroes to be uncovered.
Will you help them break the story of a lifetime?
Will you help them break the story of a lifetime?
Presentation
This game is evidence that good art-direction is timeless, its cartoony art-style both looks good and retains its charm 20 years later, both human and anthropomorphic people look great, and their personality shines through just by looking at them.
Thanks to their designs, characters are very memorable, your companions being some of the most likable and memorable in all of gaming, even the NPCs, going from the Jamaican Rhinos who upgrade your vehicle, to randos on the street, every single character just has their own charisma.
Thanks to their designs, characters are very memorable, your companions being some of the most likable and memorable in all of gaming, even the NPCs, going from the Jamaican Rhinos who upgrade your vehicle, to randos on the street, every single character just has their own charisma.
The same can be said about the environments in the game, beautiful natural spectacles, to a beautiful mix of European, Asian and Arabic architecture, juxtaposed to the cold, dirty and oppressing factories and military bases, each area being memorable thanks to having its very own identity.
And finally, one of this game’s biggest strengths, its music, from the really iconic jingle that plays when you solve a puzzle or acquire a relevant item, to the fantastic songs that play in the bar, the races, and the mechanic shops, just like the rest of the game, they are filled with personality, and really immerses you in the culture of Hillys.
Propaganda and Something Completely Different, are so good.
And finally, one of this game’s biggest strengths, its music, from the really iconic jingle that plays when you solve a puzzle or acquire a relevant item, to the fantastic songs that play in the bar, the races, and the mechanic shops, just like the rest of the game, they are filled with personality, and really immerses you in the culture of Hillys.
Propaganda and Something Completely Different, are so good.
Mechanics
Gameplay wise, what you will be doing most, is fighting, sneaking around, and solving puzzles, so let’s cover these first.
Fighting is a quite simple affair, Jade has a simple string of combos, as well as a charged attack, early on into the game, she gets an option for ranged attacks, but its best used for puzzles (to hit buttons which are far away) or for certain fights, adding her dodge into the mix, that’s her entire kit.
Some enemies require specific strategies, and some even require for you to pay attention at the environment you are fighting in order to get an edge, nothing we haven’t seen before. There are also the instances of very obvious weakpoints on certain enemies. The penalty for dead is quite lenient, so don’t worry too much.
Fighting is a quite simple affair, Jade has a simple string of combos, as well as a charged attack, early on into the game, she gets an option for ranged attacks, but its best used for puzzles (to hit buttons which are far away) or for certain fights, adding her dodge into the mix, that’s her entire kit.
Some enemies require specific strategies, and some even require for you to pay attention at the environment you are fighting in order to get an edge, nothing we haven’t seen before. There are also the instances of very obvious weakpoints on certain enemies. The penalty for dead is quite lenient, so don’t worry too much.
Gee, I wonder where do I have to hit him for maximum damage?
For sneaking around, well its quite simple, there isn’t really a sound mechanic, so don’t worry too much about walking around, crouching is mostly to avoid direct line of sight, the game expects you to be both patient and observant, make use of the environment, and remember that your options for “takedowns” are very limited, Jade is a journalist, not Sam Fisher.
We continue with, puzzle solving, most of the puzzles are some flavor of either getting around or powering through closed off pathways in creative manners, sometimes making use of your equipment, other times making use of your companions, and sometimes both.
Now, another important mechanic, are your companions, throughout the entire game, you will only have either Pey’j or your fellow agent Double H, and both on a very short section, essentially they are the same, they help you with button puzzles, they help you get through some specific obstacles, and they have an attack which launches enemies and certain objects into the air for Jade to throw around, they can be helpful in combat, sometimes.
Then, its the vehicle handling, for the most part you will have a hovercraft, later upgraded to spaceship, which are used to get around the overworld, it doesn’t have much of a kit, all of which you unlock at the mechanic shop, so it eventually shoots, gets turbo, shoots tracking bullets, jumps, and flies, nothing else really, you will be fighting enemies and dodging mines in no time.
Then, its the vehicle handling, for the most part you will have a hovercraft, later upgraded to spaceship, which are used to get around the overworld, it doesn’t have much of a kit, all of which you unlock at the mechanic shop, so it eventually shoots, gets turbo, shoots tracking bullets, jumps, and flies, nothing else really, you will be fighting enemies and dodging mines in no time.
Another crucial mechanic, is the photo taking, at some points in the story, you will be tasked with getting photo evidence of the nefarious actions of your enemies, but not just that, one of the best sources of income, is to help get a database of species in the planet, so you will have to keep your eyes peeled for any little critter around the maps, it is a genius addition, which is an incentive for the player to explore and look around the wonderful world.
The game also has some mini-games, some of which involve the hovercraft (racing, and racing against looters), a little concentration game to earn extra cash, and Pallet (which is kinda like a puzzle version of air hockey), there is another one you can get, if you find all the pearls in the game (little collectibles that are used as currency in the mechanic shop).
Final Thoughts
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I will say it once more, this game is fantastic.
Is it my favorite Ubisoft game? No (I prefer tactical-shooters), but its a very close second, I will give it that its the best adventure game they have ever made, before they decided to leave games like this behind and go all in on the guys with hoodies in historical settings.
Memorable characters (I sometimes like to say “Carlson and Peeters!” Just to see who gets it), a very fun and engaging storyline, beautiful art-direction, a true feeling of a lived in city which changes as you progress through the story, and a magnificent soundtrack.
What negatives I can give the game are nitpicks, so here we go, there is pretty much no incentive to talk to the kids Jade is taking care of, pretty much forgetting about them until something happens to them, The Supreme Commander of The Alpha Sections is such a non-character, the only reason you remember he exists is because you see him in the propaganda, and then you just fight him and that’s that, The Pallet mini-game is bulls***, some voice-actors phoned it in (the science lady who wants the animal pictures, and the governor come to mind), and, that’s pretty much everything I could think of.
Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed the first review I write for this site.
Is it my favorite Ubisoft game? No (I prefer tactical-shooters), but its a very close second, I will give it that its the best adventure game they have ever made, before they decided to leave games like this behind and go all in on the guys with hoodies in historical settings.
Memorable characters (I sometimes like to say “Carlson and Peeters!” Just to see who gets it), a very fun and engaging storyline, beautiful art-direction, a true feeling of a lived in city which changes as you progress through the story, and a magnificent soundtrack.
What negatives I can give the game are nitpicks, so here we go, there is pretty much no incentive to talk to the kids Jade is taking care of, pretty much forgetting about them until something happens to them, The Supreme Commander of The Alpha Sections is such a non-character, the only reason you remember he exists is because you see him in the propaganda, and then you just fight him and that’s that, The Pallet mini-game is bulls***, some voice-actors phoned it in (the science lady who wants the animal pictures, and the governor come to mind), and, that’s pretty much everything I could think of.
Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed the first review I write for this site.
Pros
- + Wonderful art-design.
- + Memorable characters.
- + Lots of intertwined mechanics.
- + Fantastic music.
- + Rewards engagement with the many side-activities.
Cons
- - Underwhelming combat.
- - Plot moves a little too fast.
- - Low enemy variety.
- - Companion AI leaves a lot to be desired.
8
Gameplay
Its only weakness is the combat, which is something forgivable for a game which is predominately stealth focused.
10
Graphics
Proof that good art-direction goes a long way in future proofing a game.
8
Story
If it wasn't for how fast it goes, it would be a solid 10, its a nice commentary on the nature of media and the control of information, as well as the importance of community and family.
10
Sound
Every single piece of music is both imaginative and creative, combining not only unique mixes of instruments, but of languages as well.
4
Replayability
Unless you really want to 100% it, or just want to see the story again, there is no real incentive as each playthrough is pretty much going to be the same.
8
out of 10
Overall
It is a very solid Action-Adventure game, with a creative mix of fun mechanics which incentivize observation and exploration, the stealth sections are well thought out, brute forcing won't work 100% of the time, be patient and observant.
The wonderful and unique art-direction, together with the soundtrack, serve as an audiovisual treat for every new area you explore.
Very memorable, quirky, and funny companions, although their AI does make them a liability in some encounters, thankfully, the good overshadows the bad.
A lot of side-content and side-areas to explore between the downtime of major story beats, but the story itself has the problem of moving too fast, barely having time to actually digest some of it.
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