ic-games Review - Project: Snowblind - Reviews, Previews and Interviews for PC, Xbox 360, PS2, PS3 and Wii

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Project: Snowblind

Information
Reviewer: Ian Stanway
Developer: Crystal Dynamics
Publisher: Eidos
Reviewed: Playstation 2
Genre: First Person
UK Release: 04th Mar 2005
Article Date: 19th May 2005
Difficulty: Medium
Retail Price: £39.99
Price Comparison:
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Score Breakdown

Experience:
Game Play:
Graphics:
Sound:
Overall Score: 83%

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Pros

Top-notch graphics

Bistering pace

Immersive gameplay

Cons

Storyline a bit patched together in places

A.I's could have been more independant

Not enough originality

Screenshots

7 of 14

Influenced by Deus Ex without the RPG elements, Project: Snowblind is a futuristic first-person shoot-em-up that manages to bend the mould a little and provide some serious thrills at breakneck speeds. Crystal Dynamics haven’t reinvented the wheel here preferring instead to borrow some ideas from other successful games, and thanks to some excellent graphics, awesome sound FX and entertaining gameplay, have managed to breathe some life into the flagging futuristic sci-fi scene.

The game is set in Hong Kong in the year 2065 and you assume the role of Nathan Frost, a cybernetically enhanced soldier representing a multinational peacekeeping force sent in to ease an escalating war that threatens to boil over into a world war. Through the course of the game Frost gets tied up in a plot that sees a supervillain attempting to build a massive EMP pulse weapon and cause global devastation. A nice original plot line so far.

At the games beginning Frost is in fact an ordinary soldier who ‘volunteers’ to undergo cybernetic augmentation to turn him into a super-soldier. Volunteering is done by way of being victim to a massive explosion very early in the game, and waking up on an operating theatre table in an impromptu war-hospital in the centre of Hong Kong. Frost has been hurt so badly that doctors have been forced to implant his body with the latest in combat technology. This is where the game does become a little more original, if only in the way of mixing together ideas from other games to the extent that things seem fresh in comparison to everything else out there.

Through the game Frost's various enhancements come online and give him new abilities. For example your reflexes improve (shades of The Matrix), you can see in the dark (like Splinter Cell) and you also have a couple of abilities untried in other games such as a ballistic shield, the ability to see enemies through walls and cloaking functions. The ballistic shield is a particular favourite of mine. When activated, the shield stops any enemy bullets and shrapnel for a short time. Whilst that one is a little far-fetched as far as cybernetic enhancement goes, one that is more believable is the reflex boost: this slows down time Matrix-style, allowing you to react to enemies around you with ease.

The overall look and feel of the game is very Deus Ex oriented, with Asian overtones of course as its set in Hong Kong. The attention to detail in this urban environment is exquisite, largely due to a limiting of the level size. The designers were able to concentrate on giving us detailed and realistic textures rather than big, sprawling landscapes. The games characters and robots are also very realistic, although it is a shame that there isn’t more variety of character in there other than humans (hey this is 2065, robots will be everywhere). Lighting effects are great, with a soft glow throughout the game, as are the weapons effects. Added to there being very little slowdown even at busy points, Project: Snowblind offers you a highly polished visual experience.

Level design and interactivity is another of Project: Snowblind’s strengths. Collapsible, exploding walls and glass (not to the extent of say Red Faction) add to the realism, and the game offers you multiple paths through a level forcing you to consider what tactics you use. Do you take the cover route, or go for attack? Overall though the game is pretty linear, but the choice of multiple paths adds a feeling of you being a little more in control of where things are going. Some of the larger fight scenes in particular have various vantage points and entrances, giving you a different perspective each time you play.

On the subject of fight scenes, Project: Snowblind takes a leaf from Call of Duty’s book, putting you slap bang in the middle of the action. with many comrades and enemies fighting alongside/against you. At first this provides a sense of realism and being part of the action rather than going-it-alone as you do in many other FPS. However after a while you get the feeling that the enemy are always zeroing in on you specifically. Although that’s the idea in this type of game, it’s a shame that the enemy don’t spent a little more time going after your buddies, just to make it that bit more realistic.

The AI is not the best I’ve ever encountered, particularly the guys on your side. There’s a rigid, scripted feel to your comrades’ pathfinding (I studied game AI at university so I hope I’m somewhere near the truth here) which is a shame as games like Medal of Honor do the friendly unit thing so much better. Enemies do take cover when under fire, but they have a horrible tendency to chase you in the heat of battle instead of covering their own asses, leading to their certain doom every time.

On a more positive note Project: Snowblind offers is a variety of interesting weapons. You get the standard firearms: the bog standard gun, the shotgun, the assault rifle. But you also get some more but there are also some cool advanced weapons such as the rocket launcher and fletchette gun. Adding to the variety is a secondary fire function on the weapons such as the shotgun firing WWII-like sticky bombs. Oh, and of course you get EMP ability, contributing to the title of the game. However if Project: Snowblind is anything to go by as an indicator of tomorrow’s system security I’d be very afraid. Frost has absolutely no trouble whatsoever hacking into systems with his ‘icepick’, resulting in either advancement through the level or making things a little easier somewhere down the line. A bit disappointing but how else to cater for a hacking ability other than giving a basic ‘test’ to the player to hack things?

Sound FX are good, with impressive gunfire and explosions, and some nice futuristic noises of all that high-tech electronic gadgetry going on in an around Frost. Music sets the atmosphere well, providing tension in the stealth parts of the game and getting the adrenaline pumping in the actions parts of the game. It’s in keeping with the theme of the game too partnering well with the Eastern feel of things.

Much to my pleasure multiplayer is included in Project: Snowblind. Although I don’t actually have the use of games’ online capability, I’m always happy to see games that offer this. You get capture the flag, hunter, quick demolition, assault, tactical assault, and of course deathmatch. Support is provided for up to 16 players online or via LAN: good by anyone’s standards.

So there are a few niggles that stop this game being a classic. The game does nothing radically new, but it does take some good bits from other games and blend them together pretty well. And it does this with a polished, fast-paced feel. If you want realistic enemies you have here a game with good online support. This is a good title and one any fan of the genre should have in his or her collection.

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