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The Outfit misses its mark...literally

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: March 20, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Relic and THQ's first Xbox 360 game, The Outfit, has a simple concept that is stuck between a confused classification: Green vs. Tan, just like the Army Men days, with gameplay that jumps between real-time strategy and all-out action. This genre confusion, as well as other gameplay annoyances and disappointing visuals, make me wish that Relic took a little more time whipping The Outfit into shape, because in too many places, this soldier is way out of line.

The 12 single-player missions take you on a cartoon-like trip through World War II, playing as three eccentric soldiers who hope to assist the French Resistance against the pressing Nazi forces. None of the characters in the entire game ever captivated me to care about the story, which is told in laughable cut-scenes between each level. The only reason I say the story is laughable is because it's so over-the-top and opposite of what other games try to capture in a WWII setting. Brothers in Arms and Call of Duty 2 capture the drama and the hardships of war, while The Outfit seems to make a joke of it with clichéd voice-overs and absurd dialogue.

As I mentioned before, the missions themselves are a kick-back to the Army Men days, where the goal is to capture as many different locations as possible while putting your guys against their guys. Do you remember how the Green and Tan soldiers were exactly the same, only a different color? This is basically the same idea here. Both the Allied and Nazi sides have a machine gun nest that can be dropped into action. Both sides have a speedy transport of some kind, armed with a light machine gun. Both sides have a tank that serves as the iron fist of every battle. Even the grunt soldiers are the same with a different uniform.

You might have noticed that I've said "drop in" about three times throughout this review, and that's the novelty of The Outfit. The "Destruction on Demand" system that Relic has used is a flex of their real-time strategy muscle. It allows you to call up a small menu, select a unit that you wish to use in your current position and press a button to have the unit air-dropped into battle. In other words, if you're itching for a tank to blow up that pesky Nazi rocket wagon, it's only a button press away. If you need to plant a pillbox in front of one of your strategic points, it's extremely simple to do so. Using Field Units, or FU's (interesting acronym), the player can set up entire armies or defense systems with relative ease. To earn FU's, you simply kill Nazis, blow up their defenses, or complete objectives. It's simple enough and it's entertaining to boot.

Unfortunately, controlling The Outfit's vehicles and shooting weapons in the game is a little difficult thanks to an awkward control style and a confused targeting reticle. Though I've never done so in real life, driving a tank can't really be this difficult. I actually watched helplessly on multiple occasions as my 4X4 Rocket Jeep would cruise right up the side of a cliff and get stuck about half-way up while I was trying to simply drive down the path in front of me. With similar frustration I'd shoot tank shells at pesky infantry units and watch them miss completely, blowing up buildings in the background. This game has, without a doubt, the worst targeting system I've ever seen in a video game. I'd clearly point my targeting reticle at a unit, press the fire button, and watch something ten feet to the right of my point explode.

Just as ugly are the visuals, which remind me of a high-resolution Xbox game that still doesn't look anywhere near as good as Halo 2 or Splinter Cell. The cartoon-like story is accompanied by ridiculous character models that animate like real plastic Army Men. There's a running animation, which is the same as the strafing animation, which is the same as the shooting animation. I know this because the enemies use all three at the same time and nothing else. They don't duck and cover, they don't dive out of the way of incoming vehicles, and they definitely don't do anything interesting in terms of animation. The explosions look alright, but every other effect in-between is pretty pathetic. Other than holes blown through buildings, the environmental destruction is pathetic, with set animations for fences and walls blowing up, buildings crumbling, and the like. There isn't a level of "oomph" that I felt this game should have had. The sound effects are also pretty bad, and lack the "oomph" as well. Where Call of Duty 2 had me listening in all directions and then covering my ears in fear of my surroundings, Outfit had me turning on my Xbox 360 custom soundtrack so I had a distraction from dull weapon effects, annoying voice-overs, and bad background music.

While I have to praise The Outfit for its interesting concept and entertaining multiplayer possibilities, I have to criticize it for Xbox visuals, the dumb-as-a-brick storyline and miserable targeting system. (...)If you want a good Nazi-killing experience and you've already played through Call of Duty 2 five times, I'm afraid that you're out of luck until EA drops in this November with Medal of Honor: Airborne or play Call of Duty 2 five more times.

I Love this Game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: February 09, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I have to say I am having the most fun I've ever had with this game. It's the cheapest 360 title I own ($17 at Gamestop), but has delivered far more entertainment value than any other. The missions are long and rewarding, you can save anywhere, and when you are killed you "respawn" right back where you were, with all the previous destruction and progress intact. If you've blown away a vehicle or building, it remains gone. I love this feature. No, it's not a strategy game or true to history, but great mindless fun, and should be reviewed with that in mind.

Very Underrated

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: April 23, 2007
Author: Amazon User

The Outfit for the Xbox 360 is a third person action game. The game is very arcadey and not to be mistaken for a simulation. It takes place in World War II and has you playing as fictional characters fighting against the german nazis. You can pick from three different characters all of which of their strengths and weeknesses. Some characters have long range capabilities (like sniper and rifleman), while other have close combat advantage (like shotgun or flame thrower). It is critical to use the right type of character presented for the threats or obstacles. But even if you make a mistake, you can re-spawn and choose a different character.
Whichever character you pick, you will be accompanied by five AI units that support you, follow you around the battlefield and automatically
attack enemy units. You will enjoy the feeling of having your private
posse, which is also available in multiplayer.

Part of the big hype of the Outfit is something called "destruction on demand" which basically lets you order vehicles, troops, or defensive weaponry by choosing it from simple dial menu within the game. You order something as simple as jeeps, tanks and artillary guns depending on the amount of "FUs" you have. The item you order gets air dropped within a few seconds and is ready to use. Some defensive weapons such as turrets and guns get delivered with AI soldier manning the guns. You can also
order more troops, if some within your posse had died.

You can gain "FU" or field units everytime you capture spawn points, destroy enemies or complete game objectives. The action is fast paced and the strategic element easy to manage. The game concept plays similar to Battlefield 2, in the sense that you have to capture spawn points to progress in the game.

If you get killed during the game you can re-spawn from any spawn point you have under your control. The game features an ingame tutorial and XBOX Live. Adding further value to the game. You can download free maps and other items from Xbox live marketplace. I had a really good time playing this game and I think many will be surprised at how fun it is. The best part is that it can be found for a discount price since it is an older 360 title.

Pros:
-excellent graphics
-excellent animation
-excellent sound effects
-easy controls
-xbox live
-split screen gameplay
-ragdoll physics
-Hijack vehicles or take over defenses

Cons:
-xbox live needs more players
-unbalanced units
-needs map maker or scenario editor

If you liked this game, I also recommend Call of Duty 3 for the 360.

ITS FUN!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: April 07, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This was a fun game in my oppinion. I like the whole buy artillary call in airstrikes and get a tank and burn up a bunch of Germans. But the story line was just plain stupid. I was laughing at how dumb it was and didnt really pay attention. The online is fun if you play with someone who actually knows what they are doing i could play it for hours with a guy who sets up artillary at strategic spots and I do the same at the other end then we rush each other guns blaring untill they over heat. But the one thing that disopointed me was that there is no way to lose no matter what. You could die a thousand times before you take one objective then you do it again and again untill you beet the mission. They can take all your bases but one and it doesnt matter atleast online you can lose the fight. But the funnest thing of all was near the end of the game you team up with a german general and you can fight as him. I dont know how many times i have turned a corner and kill a bunch of germans only to find out they are my guys then wasting money flying in reanforcements.

Overall a fun game if you enjoyed the army men games like sarges heroes this is the game to buy.

Great Game!!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: December 03, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I love this game. It is a great 3rd person shooter and is tons of fun. There is no free-roam, but that's OK because the missions are long. Each character has his own advantages, and each play differently. The Outfit has many different opportunities on the missions. I would recommend this game, especially for only $30. I would give it a 5 overall if the graphics were a little bit better. There would be definately be room for improvement in the graphics department.
You get to choose out of three characters, each with their own weapons, strengths, and weakneses.

great concept executed greatly-destruction on demand

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 3
Date: April 21, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The Outfit has you fighting intense battles behond enemy lines in war torn Europe.Your mission is to stop a somewhat crazed german general.You can play as three heroes,Deuce williams,JD Tyler,and Tommy mac.Each character has his own special abilities in terms of weapons and speed and strenth etc.This game is cartoonish take on World War two.I loved Brothers In Arms and Call Of Duty 2 but the Outfit IS very fun.It all boils down to which type of wwll game you like whether its realistic or cartoonish. If your taste is COD2 i still suggest you rent it first.Im only 12 but i think this game can appeal to a lot of peaple.

XBOX 360 Outfit

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 3
Date: July 26, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The game is great for teens. There is strategy involved and the game play is simple. I would not recommend this game for adults. The difficulty level is easy, however, the story line I thought was good.

Total waste of time and money

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 1 / 4
Date: March 24, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I had high hopes for The Outfit, since the premise looked interesting--humorous wanton destruction of even-more-evil-than-usual Nazis--but THQ/Relic completely dropped the ball with this game.

Other reviews have mentioned the ridiculous aim and impossible vehicle controls as downsides. Unfortunately, in a humorous blow-stuff-up game, you absolutely need consistent aiming and you need to be able to control your vehicles, especially when the mission won't let you finish it on foot. These are complete deal-breakers. If The Outfit were a car, the makers would apparently have shipped it with the steering wheel only accessible by reaching behind the seat and the windshield painted a cool, glossy, awesome-looking (but completely opaque) black.

I realize some people will be curious about it even after this review. If you feel that way, then rent it first, although I feel bad recommending even that, as you'll be wasting the rental fee. Just be thankful you didn't pay $60 for this turkey. Try Ghost Recon or Elder Scrolls 4 instead. Neither of those is perfect, but you won't feel completely ripped-off ten minutes after you pop the disc in.

Avoid The Outfit like the plague...that you owe money to. It really is that bad.

Buyer Beware... PLEASE RENT THIS GAME FIRST!

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 4
Date: March 24, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Let me boil it down to the basics... average to poor graphics for a "Next Generation Game," sound is a bit above average, but the cheesy voice overs make you want to turn the sound off, terrible controls... walking, running and operating vehicles are all a challenge (you'll love getting stuck and clipped on buildings and hills). You'd be better off giving the controller to your pet so that he/she could freaking control the analog... like many other review have pointed out you couldn't hit the broad side of a barn if your target was right on it... all this while freaking Nazis are "dancing" around you since the animation is so poor. The ONLY positive aspect of the game is calling in the heavy weapons and vehicles and watching them parachute down. You can't shoot a moving target worth a crap due to the controls but planes will deliver the goods with pin point accuracy... Is it worth $60.00 to watch items fall from the sky? Thankfully I rented this via Gamefly and needless to say it was back in the mail the next day. This game has literally spent more time with the mailman than in my Xbox 360. Does the online multiplayer save this game? Don't know... I was so disappointed with the game that I didn't even give it a chance.

"Another WWII Shooter"

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 4
Date: April 13, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The Outfit is OK but i`ve seen MUCH better-the fact that it uses squads doesn`t mean its original either-"Brothers In Arms" beat it there.
But it is not the usual "dark" WWII game its very colorful and its explosive fun.
Oh yeah...it is just another WWII shooter:)

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