Picked this up this morning and put in a few hours this afternoon.
From the first few intro screens which i won't spoil for you (they're ace) this game sucks you in with a strange vibe. I like it.
I don't want to talk about the story as I found it to be a strong motivator at the start but it goes along the lines of you (eventually & at least so far) playing as the twin brother of a government agent who has succumbed to an unpleasant accident...
As soon as you click "new game" you've got a refreshingly brief intro movie before you are literally thrown in at the deep end.
The graphics, firstly, are nothing amazing - they have a very definite GTA vibe about them but there are noticeable physics at play which are pleasant.
The music is good as are the ambient & general SFX - Lots of gringo banter, some nice Cypress Hill style music when you're running/gunning etc - if you liked san an I don't see you going wrong here.
The game is, at its lowest common denominator, best described as a blend of GTA and Max Payne. As far as I've played so far it appears to concentrate on single areas of the map more with a very apparent load inbetween sections (they're very clearly highlighted on the screen as a kind of transparent green wall) but this does not pose a problem as, so far, there have been some very nice set-pieces in the action.
So far the movelist has evolved nicely and been introduced via pop-ups - There's a nice tutorial section once you reach the city proper that explains the various wall running/gunplay options available. Think the Matrix in San Andreas and you're close.
The gunplay mechanics are way beyond GTA level with wall running/"bouncing" and some Max Payne bullet-time maneouvres thrown in. The number of 'awards' you can attain is ridiculous with seemingly every possible combination of bullet-time jump & shoot combination under the sun named&scored.
The car driving stuff is great too - There are "moves" involving, for example, opening the door (L shift) and then ejecting yourself (R Shift) prior to hitting a key target or vehicle which seems to always result in vehicular destruction 8) Or you can just open the door (L Shift) without jumping and catch any unfortunates in the face
At this point in time I'm not sure that I find the handling better than GTA but I'll hold fire on calling that one for now.
Overall, for now, I'd say it's not far from GTA. I haven't mentioned yet but the dialogue delivery isn't the best - in fact it's way off GTA level and miles behind Strangers Wrath which I'm currently also playing but the game as a whole is a great breath of fresh air for GTA fans and another title to keep us busy till 360 touchdown
From the first few intro screens which i won't spoil for you (they're ace) this game sucks you in with a strange vibe. I like it.
I don't want to talk about the story as I found it to be a strong motivator at the start but it goes along the lines of you (eventually & at least so far) playing as the twin brother of a government agent who has succumbed to an unpleasant accident...
As soon as you click "new game" you've got a refreshingly brief intro movie before you are literally thrown in at the deep end.
The graphics, firstly, are nothing amazing - they have a very definite GTA vibe about them but there are noticeable physics at play which are pleasant.
The music is good as are the ambient & general SFX - Lots of gringo banter, some nice Cypress Hill style music when you're running/gunning etc - if you liked san an I don't see you going wrong here.
The game is, at its lowest common denominator, best described as a blend of GTA and Max Payne. As far as I've played so far it appears to concentrate on single areas of the map more with a very apparent load inbetween sections (they're very clearly highlighted on the screen as a kind of transparent green wall) but this does not pose a problem as, so far, there have been some very nice set-pieces in the action.
So far the movelist has evolved nicely and been introduced via pop-ups - There's a nice tutorial section once you reach the city proper that explains the various wall running/gunplay options available. Think the Matrix in San Andreas and you're close.
The gunplay mechanics are way beyond GTA level with wall running/"bouncing" and some Max Payne bullet-time maneouvres thrown in. The number of 'awards' you can attain is ridiculous with seemingly every possible combination of bullet-time jump & shoot combination under the sun named&scored.
The car driving stuff is great too - There are "moves" involving, for example, opening the door (L shift) and then ejecting yourself (R Shift) prior to hitting a key target or vehicle which seems to always result in vehicular destruction 8) Or you can just open the door (L Shift) without jumping and catch any unfortunates in the face
At this point in time I'm not sure that I find the handling better than GTA but I'll hold fire on calling that one for now.Overall, for now, I'd say it's not far from GTA. I haven't mentioned yet but the dialogue delivery isn't the best - in fact it's way off GTA level and miles behind Strangers Wrath which I'm currently also playing but the game as a whole is a great breath of fresh air for GTA fans and another title to keep us busy till 360 touchdown
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