kill.switch

Reviewed by Victor Araujo
January 2004

Developer: Namco Website: Click Here Publisher: Namco Platform(s): PS2, XBox, PC, GBA Players: 1 ESRB Rating: Teen

It's a good action game that's just shy of being a great one. Most of the time you'll find yourself diving for cover or pined down behind some rubble. Your character spends most of the game balled up in fetus position, but you're far from a baby with a pea shooter. The cover system allows you to be deadly even when your back's to a wall and hordes of enemy soldiers are charging at you. You are able take aim while in relative safety then peer out once you've got your target. With the ability to blindfire, you can take shots without exposing yourself but at the cost of your accuracy. The enemies use the same tactics against you, in turn making each encounter unique. That's just where the game tops off. Each mission is a mere run through the gauntlet, get from point A to point B with the least amount of damage taken.

While the gameplay is great, the story is rather lacking. Not that it needs anything more then an excuse to shoot something. Kill.Switch just drops you in and says shoot. At points where it could have been interesting, the story is missing any real narrative. You're given some insight as the game goes on, but you don't really get the whole picture until halfway through the game. Then by the time you know what's going on, the game is pretty much over. It only takes 5 to 6 hours to finish, and once that's done, there is nothing to go back for. All together the game just feels empty; it's like gaming limbo. It's not too easy, but it's not really that hard. The gameplay has a nice gimmick, but it doesn't vary enough. While more action games could learn from Kill.Switch, the game doesn't have enough to be more then a great rental.

+ Spot on control, Great cover system
+ Nice graphics, detailed enviroments

- Too Short
- No real narative to push the story
- Average difficulty from start to finish
- No replay value at all