Developers seem to have a bee in their bonnet about the FPS genre. So many games released in recent times have been sanctimoniously (and somewhat ambitiously) marketed as the ‘saviour’ of FPS. Games like Bulletstorm and Brink are among such entries which claim to bring much needed reinvigoration to the ‘shooter’ market. Codemaster’s latest offering, Bodycount, is pitched on the same promise; “putting the ‘fun’ back into ‘FPS’”. Did they?
Before we even answer that question, let’s examine the overall claim that FPS’s are in some state of ‘stagnation’. Take two recent titles- Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3. The near perfect multiplayer of the former, and the grin-inducing thrill-fest of the latter clearly demonstrate that at best, games making this claim have some damn big shoes to fill. At worst- the claim is plain wrong.
Bodycount’s developers aim to address this claim through simple yet addictive gameplay, destructive scenery, and non-stop action. And to give them credit, they do achieve all of these to one extent or another. As regards the story, you’ll assume the role of ‘Jackson’, an American soldier working for an organization known only as ‘The Network’. These entities feel as generic as they sound; due to a combination of sub-standard voice acting and clichéd level intro scenes most aspects of the story are largely forgettable. This shouldn’t be an issue, though, as the idea of the game is to entertain you through the aforementioned gameplay tactics- not through a thought-provoking political plot-line.
The gameplay mechanic works on a ‘lean’ cover system. Whenever you hold L2/Left trigger to ‘aim down sights’, your player gains the ability to lean on the spot to peak around cover. This mechanic works very well when you are in cover, but it can be frustrating when you’re just walking around and trying to aim at the same time. This system also falls over itself whenever stealth is involved. Thankfully the stealth segments of the game are few and far between.
One of the biggest boasts Codemasters make is about the destructibility of the environment. While it can be inconsistent at times, it does noticeably add to the frantic atmosphere of each section of gameplay. The developers have done a decent job of coming up with seemingly endless ways in which scenery can crumble around you. Add this to the ability to activate explosive rounds on your weapon, and you end up with a recipe for pretty damn fun gameplay.
Then combine that with the third touted strength of the game- the ‘non-stop action’. Again, this is actually a noticeable positive aspect of the game. It manifests itself in that while you are playing Bodycount, you never stop moving. This is quite different to other FPS games where you are encouraged to stick in cover and eliminate enemies systematically. Bodycount is more like that lobby scene from the first Matrix movie, where Neo and Trinity blast their way through security. Unfortunately however, while these moments feel great, they are just too few in the game, and are overshadowed by its glaring issues.
Graphically, Bodycount is categorically underwhelming. City-scapes show clear signs of copy-pasting, rural mountain backdrops look like distant billboards, and most of the textures look like they were taken from a Playstation 2 game. To sum it up, Bodycount looks like an Xbox launch title. This is a major issue given the fact that it launches so close to games like Battlefield and Modern Warfare, not to mention Codemaster’s bold claim that it “puts the fun back into FPS”.
Multiplayer feels very much like an afterthought; you get all of the standard FPS multiplayer modes, and nothing more. Again, for a game that claims to give the FPS genre a ‘much needed’ kick up the arse, this just seems lazy.
Bearing in mind the entirely forgettable multiplayer, Bodycount relegates itself to being (at best) a ‘weekend renter’. It’s certainly worth having a go at the single player just to reap the generously awarded achievements and experience the Matrix-style run-and-gun action. But does it deliver on its promise to revitalise the FPS genre? Unsurprisingly the answer is a resounding no.
Title: Bodycount
Developer: Guildford Studio
Publisher: Codemasters
Genres: First-person shooter
Platform: PS3, Xbox 360
Release Date: September 2011
Pros -
Frantic action
Will hit bargain bins (if it hasn’t already)
Cons -
Bad voice acting
Last-gen graphics
Short levels
