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A Hybrid

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: November 08, 2007
Author: Amazon User

A little bit of history is needed to understand this game. The Red Star is a comic book series based in Soviet Russia shortly after World War II, involving sorcery, technology and heavy warfare. The game is based on the same premise and was to be released right around the time the first comic series ended. However, Acclaim went bankrupt, and the game was shelved.

Fastforward to 2007, where the game is released as a budget title. In historical context, the game was to rely on the comic book series for explanation (Think X-Men). Without it, the game is sparse on story and expects you to know what is going on.

I'm not going to claim that this game is for everyone. Far from it. This game is a hybrid between a shooter in the vein of Strikers 1945, Radiant Silvergun, Ikaruga, etc., and a brawler, i.e. Final Fight, Alien Vs. Predator, and Streets of Rage.

You truly need to be a fan of both (not one or the other) to throughly enjoy this game. The game, if broken into two games, isn't very good at either, but the fusion of both makes it quite enjoyable.

You start out with two different characters, Makita and Kyuzo, with Maya Antares as an unlockable character. The style of gameplay changes greatly between Makita and Kyuzo - Makita is quick, but lacks power in her melee attacks and loses health easily. Kyuzo is a brawler, takes punishment just as easily as he delivers it, but is exceptionally slow.

The combat scenes are generally in 2.5D, and shooter elements are strictly overhead view.

The game is relentless and extraordinarily well paced, and quickly changes from melee to shooter sequences. Some sequences, including bosses, involve both. The game has no qualms about introducing a new enemy, and quickly launching several to attack in the next melee sequence. The game can be downright sadistic in later levels, given how many bosses there are and how few health packages are available.

There is a small RPG element in that depending on how well you fare throughout the level, you get ranked, and based on that rank you can buy upgrades to your weapons. Naturally, the better you do, the more you can buy.

Sound is less that stellar, but passable. There's a funky techno beat that isn't memorable in any way. The sounds are generally limited to grunts, screams and weapon discharge - they're clear and simple. Given how the gameplay ramps up, it's a blessing in disguise as the sound even as simple as it currently is can be overwhelming.

Graphics are dated. They look like they're straight out of 2004. Some backgrounds are horribly pixelated, but very rarely will you stop to admire the scenery (I only noticed my third time through).

Controls are good... not great. One gets the feeling that the controls are geared towards the xbox controller and not PS2 controller. They're easy enough to pick up. The weapon change control is mapped to the D-pad, which is downright obnoxious when in the heat of battle.

Replayability depends on the person. With two distinct characters and an unlockable third character, the game may have no replayability or infinite replayability. Given my personal preference, I lean towards the latter.

Buy? Do not buy if you're not a fan of *both* genres. This game won't make you a fan. Brawlers have gone the way of the dodo, and shooters are very much a niche genre. This game very much pays homage to both, at the expense of newer gamers.

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