WETLANDS ALL WET
A Review of Wetlands
by Mark W. Frantz
Some games are very solid, innovative ideas that lend themselves to much replay and many new experiences each time they are played. Others, when you boil away all the glitz and multimedia effects, are truly simplistic games trying to hide behind a barrage of glitter and gold. Wetlands is such a game.
The graphics are wonderful. The cut scenes are well rendered in an
animated, Full Throttle type method; they flow smoothly, and help
to keep the storyline moving. The sound effects are solid as well, with
good voice acting and appropriate sounds during the action sequences.
Control can be handled by the mouse or the joystick, although I recommend
using both for different action sequences.
The storyline, although only just something to tie the sequences together, is well thought out. To summarize it: you are a bounty hunter out to hunt down an escaped fugitive that has the technology to turn any world into a water world, as he had demonstrated on Earth. Earth is now under water, and is a haven for intergalactic fugitives and other trash.
But the truth of any game is its game play, and this is where Wetlands falters. If you take away the storyline and the cut scenes, you're left with a pure shooter, Cyberia style. The action sequences are pretty much all alike. You're in some kind of vessel hurtling forward, and you must kill all the enemies coming at you before they kill you.
It also appears, at times, that Wetlands tries to make up for its
simplistic game play by making some the sequences ridiculously hard. For
example, in one of the missions you ride on a subway train, and you must
shoot your way out of the tunnels. But there are so many confusing turns
and twists that it becomes an endeavor of luck to get through it, even at
the easiest levels. And there are literally no hints, nothing at all, that will put
you on the right track.
It is good at what it does, though. You get the impression of moving
forward, taking out enemies as you go. And there are a variety of locales
in which you do shoot it out. For instance, you are attacked on an Earth
underwater station and must shoot your way back to your sub. Or you are
trapped in a power station that is going to self destruct and you must shoot
a certain number of generators to escape. This variety offers some
interest, but hardly masks the truth of the game play. There are
difficulty settings involved, allowing you to make your quest harder or
easier. In my experience, changing this setting just increases or decreases
the number of enemies you must destroy.
If you liked Cyberia's action sequences, then by all means, go get Wetlands. It offers good graphics during the action sequences, fast and furious play, and excellent cut scenes. But if you are looking for something more, something with depth and a variety of game play, look elsewhere.
Gamer's Zone Scorecard
| Product: |
Wetlands |
| Company: |
New World Computing
|
| Cost: |
$49.95 |
System Requirements:
IBM or Compatible; 486/66 DX or higher, DOS 5.0 or higher;
8 MB RAM, 2x CDROM or higher, Sound Card, mouse.
Breakdown:
Fun Factor 3
Graphics 4
Sound 3
Interface 2
Replayability 2
Overall Score:
Copyright © 1997 InfoMedia, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.