Everything's Gettin' Dark! More!
A Review of Fade to Black
by Mark Frantz
Few games come along that captivate my interest until I finally complete
it. Fade to Black from EA. is one of these games. From the moment I loaded
it on my machine to the minute I took the final shot to win the game, I
simply could not put it down. It provides a perfect combination of
adventure and action to make one believe they are really in a movie.
Let's
get down to brass tacks, shall we?
First off, the one true failing of the game is it's steep requirements for play. A 486/DX2 66 is the minimum requirement, although I'd say at least a Pentium 90 is needed to get any decent frame rate. This game, although coming on CD, still eats up a good chunk of your hard drive (40 MB). These are significant obstacles, but those with the computing muscle will really appreciate this game.
Now, to the heart of the game. You play the role of Conrad, a man who
spent the previous 50 years in cryogenic sleep. Captured by a domineering
race known as the Morphs who have taken control of Earth and much of the
galaxy, Conrad escapes from a prison and joins with the Mandragore, who form
the resistance to the Morph control. Naturally, Conrad helps the Mandragore
in their struggles with the Morphs.
The storyline lends itself very well to the game, and each mission leads
logically to the next. There is a definite goal to each mission, whether it
is to rescue a man or to escape from prison. Each offers its own unique
setting and challenges, as well as different enemies.
And the game is not all just a gunfight. To be sure, you have to shoot and kill a lot in the game. (It's essential) But within each mission, there are many different puzzles you have to overcome. For instance, in the first mission you must get by a laser field. To do so requires that you lead an enemy onto an access pad. These kinds of puzzles give FTB a uniqueness not found in other shoot em ups.
To foster the puzzle ideas, you view Conrad through a multitude of different camera angles. Most of the time, the camera will be behind him at a 45-degree angle, which allow you to see most of what's ahead. In combat mode, the view switches to right over his shoulder. This lends itself well to targeting.
Another feature of the game is the ability to manipulate an inventory. In
games of this sort, inventory usually consists of keys and ammunition. In
this game you can have a wide variety of objects, from heat seeking bullets,
to energy recharges, to mysterious gems who purpose is unknown. These items
must be used at various times in the game, giving the puzzles a lot more
depth than the usual find the key to open the door puzzles.
FTB is best played with the keyboard, and in fact some commands can only be
done with a keyboard. One of the tiny little annoying things is that you
must go into combat mode before you can shoot, and if you take a solitary
step, you immediately return to normal mode. This leads to many accidents
where you end up dead. Fortunately, there is a simple save feature which
allows you to view the scene whence you saved. This comes in more handy
than you think.
The standard moves are all contained within the keypad. You can move
forward, peek around corners, back up, duck, and jump all with the pad.
Once you get used to it, it becomes easy and you'll be ducking and firing
like a pro.
The video clips that tie the storyline and the game together are
wonderfully done. I really felt as though I were part of a movie. The
clips showing the various ways you can die (and there are many) are
fascinating to watch. These clips add to the experience, and do not detract
in any way from the game like some other games do. And you can review all
of these video clips at any time with the playback feature.
Great storyline, better than average play and some wonderful video clips
provide a fantastic experience in gaming. I hope that Electronic Arts
continues with this idea of gaming, for it would surely benefit the industry.
Gamer's Zone Scorecard
| Product: |
Fade to Black |
| Company: |
Electronic Arts
|
| Cost: |
$54.99 |
System Requirements:
486/DX 66 or better, 8 MB RAM, 2X CD-ROM, 17 MB hard
drive space, (40 recommended)
Breakdown:
Fun Factor 4
Interface 3
Replayability 3
Graphics 4
Sound 4
Overall Score:
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