Pariah
Score: 77% ESRB: Mature Publisher: Groove Games Developer: Digital Extremes Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 - 8 Genre: First Person Shooter/ Online
Graphics & Sound: Pariah is at best a formulaic shooter and at worst a Halo clone gone terribly wrong. Set in a war-torn future, Pariah combines a convoluted, slow-paced story with equally slow-paced gameplay. Visually, Pariah is a solid title that really shows off what the Xbox is capable of in the hands of talented developers. It doesn’t rank amongst the system’s finest, but still does a fantastic job of standing up to most games on the system. Character models are detailed and look great up close, especially in the facial details, which is nice during cut-scenes. The game places you in a mix of outdoor and indoor environments. Outdoor areas are expansive and at the same time do a nice job of not being too big – so you won’t find yourself becoming bored during levels. While indoors, you’ll find yourself moving though cramped, claustrophobic corridors. All areas are teeming with life, giving the game a nice ambiance. This ambiance comes at a price though, since the game contends with frame-rate problems that can really ruin parts of the experience. Sound is under-powered and offers little to get excited over. In particular, gunfire and explosions lack that aural “punch” you’d expect to hear from them. This also makes the already under-powered weapons feel even weaker. Voice work isn’t much better. It’s not bad enough to make you wish that the voice-actor strike actually happens, but get ready for some cringe-worthy deliveries. The absolute worst part of the entire package is the soundtrack, which is forgettable. Nothing about it gets your attention and it certainly doesn’t make you want to continue playing.
Gameplay: You are Dr. Jack Mason. While on a routine transport over a war-torn Earth, your ship is shot down by a group of rebels. The ship plummets to the ground, allowing the ship’s cargo, a woman infected with a mysterious disease, free. To make matters worse, Jack also becomes infected with the virus – adding a sense of haste to Jack’s mission to retrieve the woman. What starts off as a great setup quickly becomes a confusing and forgettable plot. Plot points are never explained well, leaving you to wonder just what the hell you’re doing most of the time and why it’s important that you shoot your way though all these look-alike enemies. Beyond the weapons system, which I’ll get to later, Pariah is your standard sci-fi FPS. Gameplay is decent and certainly playable, but never really does anything to push itself to the next level. It’s as if the game is always on the verge of breaking out to the next level, but can never muster that last burst of strength to push through. One element that sets Pariah in a different area than most console FPSs is the inclusion of a map editor – a unique feature in any console game. Map making is very easy to do and lets you build nearly any type of map you want. You can also share created maps with friends, which should open up some sort of Mod community – another unique element to find in a console game. However, the “lacking” gameplay may end up hurting community growth. After all, you’re still playing with the game’s lackluster mechanics. In multiplayer action, Pariah offers a standard set of options that are playable in 4-player split screen and over Xbox Live. These include solo and team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, and other options. Multiplayer is a little different in that upon entering any of the modes, you’ll have to choose from a collection of weapon load-outs, each designed with different play-styles in mind. Slain enemies drop weapon cores, which you can use to upgrade your weapons.
Difficulty: Enemies in Pariah are governed by some of the stupidest, “smart” A.I. I’ve ever experienced. They go from showing off some very intelligent tactics like strafing and dodging for cover to running up and shooting you with a missile launcher at point blank range. On top of that, they showcase survival instincts like running when they know they’re outmatched, only to come charging back at you when you stop giving chase. On that same token, the idiots are armed with weapons that are either more powerful than your own or they’re incredible shots. I was never able to pin it down; all I know is that there were areas where I was dead upon entry. Maybe my shots weren’t as accurate as I thought, but I swear enemies could take me out in a few hits while I unloaded a clip into them.
Game Mechanics: Pariah’s weapon system is the one key element that sets it apart from other FPSs. All weapons, including your medical tool, can be upgraded through the use of cores. Upgrading weapons increases both the power of the weapon and the amount of ammo it can hold, an ability that becomes very useful once you realize how awkward reloading can become. Upgrades also add new functions to your weapons like heat-seeking missiles, longer sniper range, or a remote detonator. These give the otherwise wimpy weapons some real punch, but at the cost of ammo. Most guns are ammunition hogs at higher levels. When you grow tired of gunning down hordes of clones, you can jump into one of the many vehicles available. I will always be a fan of games that let me run down enemies, pitting a metal frame against their armored bodies, but it’s nice to be able to steer in order to get to them. Handling isn’t the worst I’ve experienced; it’s just not the best either. Controls are very slippery, making it hard to even drive in a straight line. Throw in uneven terrain and... well, better practice your driving skills. Despite this review’s negative tone, Pariah isn’t a terrible game – it just isn’t a very good one. Had it been released about a year ago, it may have fared much better. However, this isn’t the case, leaving it a victim of comparison. Pariah makes for a good rental, even if you just want to tool around with the map maker. Otherwise, wait for a price drop before adding it to your collection.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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