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I've read the info, I've seen the videos and I know the game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 90 / 141
Date: October 01, 2002
Author: Amazon User

If you are looking for the next video game to suck you in to another world and never let go, like Halo...this is it! It's not be first-person shooter like Halo, but don't let that stop you! The game is a third-person shooter being published by Microsoft and if all the hype is true, will remind you why the XBOX is the most powerful gaming machine in the world. Let me tell you the cool features.

CONTROLS OF MULTIPLE PEOPLE: Rather than control one character like in Halo, you control a team of four commandos, each with their own skills. You use the skills and abilities of each commandos for certain tasks. Imagine using a highly skilled sniper that can take out an enemy in a single precise shot, then using the assault trooper to take on a platoon of troops, then finishing of the base with your demoltion specialist.

TONS OF LEVELS: There will be six different exotic worlds, each with a unique environment, enemies and gameplay strategies. Gamers will learn how to best use the unique abilities of the commandos to survive in each world.

MULTILAYER: My favorite part of Halo was the multiplayer. And just like Halo, Brute Force will have Co-op and deathmatch mulitplayer for up to four gamers. While in Halo you can only have two players in co-op now you can battle it out with up to three friends through the entire mission campaign. Each player can select which member of the squad to control, and jump in or out of the game at any time. Snipe the enemy from behind while squad-mates blaze forward with the heavy stuff. Or sneak ahead as the scout to decide how to instruct teammates to fight with optimal tactics. Also, friends can battle it out against one another in a variety of deathmatch modes.

WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT: How does miniguns, Sonic Cannons, Stealth Suits, Sniper Rifles, and Psychic Blasts sound?, Each weapon is specifically designed to take advantage of certain enemies and environments. Like in Halo you must learn the strengths of each weapon to best exploit the weaknesses of your foe.

AMAZING GRAPHICS and SOUND: If you thought you have seen gorgeous graphics, you haven't seen nothing yet. This game will blow you away. Not to mention the sound. Many games coming out for the XBOX support Dolby 5.1 surround and Brute Force is no exception.

So there you have it. Brute Force will be one more reason that the XBOX is the best video game machine in the world. I think Brute Force, Panzar Dragoon, and Unreal Championship will show people how good video games can really look. Well, at least until Doom III and Halo 2 come out next year.

*YAWN*

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 20 / 20
Date: August 06, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This game is ever so boring. It follows the general Microsoft philosophy of features over everything else: gameplay, story, mechanics, enemy A.I., interesting characters and enemies, locations, and most importantly, fun.

I'd like to quickly liken this game to Thanksgiving dinner. It's like Grandma (Micrsoft Game Studios) worked really hard on the bread, potatoes, stuffing, pie and apple cider or whatever but completely forgot to make the turkey. It's not Grandma's fault; she's old. But she doesn't try to charge you fifty bucks to eat her dinner, does she? If she does, don't eat it; many good Chinese restaurants are open on Thanksgiving. If you're not American, you might be scratching your head wondering what "Thanksgiving" is. Thanksgiving means this game sucks.

To say this game pales in comparison to Halo is an understatement. This game ignored everything it could have learned from Halo. Halo had a plot, interesting characters, fluid controls, good weapons, and addictive gameplay. Brute Force has none of this.

Halo was by no means a hard game, but Brute Force barely even punishes you for dying. It hurts your score? You can just keep respawning until you beat the level every time! Talk about taking any possible sense of satisfaction away that I could have gotten. To make things worse, there is basically no enemy A.I. at all. The basic gist of it is: hide behind rock, shoot, hide, shoot, hide, shoot, die. To try to conceal this, the levels were sprinkled with places where the enemy simply wouldn't appear until after I walked by them. I knew these places were coming, but there simply was nothing I could do, for the enemies didn't even exist until the instant they surrounded me. Clever, guys. Real clever.

From the very beginning of this game through the ending credits, this game was the least entertaining game I've played since... well, uhh... I'm sure I can think of a game worse than Brute Force... hold on... hmm... maybe this is the worst game EVER! That is quite an accomplishment. At the very beginning, the game was terrible because I had used such rubbery controls very seldom in the past, and certainly not since Playstation (One), but by the time I got used to the controls about five minutes into the first level (it thankfully allowed me to somewhat imitate my Halo control setting), I was already bored of the wishy washy combat and crappy missions.

The game has many features that I've craved ever since Perfect Dark like being able to track your kills and other stats, but some of the most important features for any modern action game are missing here: vehicles, challenge, plot, and fun.

Because when it comes down to it, the most important test of any game is whether or not it's any fun, and this game just isn't any fun.

Brute Force is its own game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 14 / 17
Date: May 30, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I've played Brute Force for 2 days now and this is my second review. My first impression of the game was that it is hardly tactical and mostly blow everything up. I now change my position, a little bit. Brute Force is tilted more towards being a pure shooter, but it is a lot more tactical than most reviewers give it credit for. I finally figured out what it is about BF that takes away from its strategic quality. It is the liberal respawning that pretty much allows the player to just run and gun, get killed, and then respawn. The enemy doesn't respawn and it doesn't start the whole level again. To me, that is called "unlimited life." You needed a code for something like that in Super Mario Brothers! In Brute Force you don't really suffer the consequences of a bad strategy because you just keep on respawning. Even after your whole squad gets killed, your whole squad will respawn and pick up where you had left off. Maybe there are stats that will get affected by your constant dying and respawning, but if there is, I really haven't felt the repurcusions. That's the main thing, if not the ONLY thing that makes BF play like a non-tactical shooter.

Other than that, Brute Force is a solid squad shooter that requires plenty of strategy. If you actually took the time to calculate how many deaths you suffer in each mission and in between objectives, you're quickly going to realize that this game is no cakewalk and that there is a lot more to it than just shooting everything you can. The respawn feature gives you the illusion of invincibility. What it actually does is that instead of having 4 team members going up against dozens of enemy aliens, you would actually have about a hundred squad soldiers going up against a relatively small horde of aliens. It turns into a numbers game where the bigger army (that's YOU) defeats the smaller one (the aliens who cannot respawn). I'm not sure if there's an option to limit your respawns or to cancel it altogether and if there is, then I'll make sure to use that option. But Brute Force is undeniably one of the best squad games I've seen because of the adrenaline involved. I've read people's reviews that criticize it saying that you go from point A to point B and you just kill everything in between. True, but how is that any different from Halo? One thing I admit, however, is the commands available to you are too basic. I would prefer Conflict Desert Storm's command options because you could do a couple of more fundamental things like order your squad to get down and give each other med kits and weapons. BF sort of makes up for the latter by giving all players the same ammo and med pack when one of the squad members find it. Also, one thing I noticed was that the computer controlled team members dies a lot faster than the human-controlled ones. I've read in the previws that the AI of your squad is set up in a way that your squad will always look to preserve itself and not go out mindlessly and just get killed. So far it seems as though the opposite is true. In Conflict Desert Storm the computer-controlled squad member does better than the human-controlled, and you can be sure that he will get your back. BF's squad AI is a little suspect, but maybe it's because I'm not using the correct strategy.

In conclusion I would like to say that Brute Force is a good tactical squad game and a great shooter. It probably works best with four players since you won't have to worry about the questionnable AI of your squad. It is still an excellent one-player game, you just have to really plot your moves, which is the whole point of squad-based shooters. While comparisons with Halo are unavoidable, Brute Force is an entirely different animal. Given, there are similarities between the two, but let me be one of the first to say that Brute Force is a deeper game than Halo simply because of the squad play. After the middle of Halo things became really mundane. They threw in the Warthog, a tank and a coupe of other rides to change the pace a little bit, but at the end of the day, Halo is still a pure shooter that really requires little strategy. Brute Force isn't that much more innovative but the environments are just more real and the firefights much more intense than Halo's. In Halo you had a bunch of running targets but you had the advantage. Plenty of times in Brute Force you will find your squad being attacked from all angles by intelligent aliens. Bullets will start flying from all angles and you wouldn't know where to begin your retaliation. Is it better than Halo? It is a matter of opinion. But it definitely is more technical and requires more strategy.

Ghost Recon Meets Halo in Brute Force Fun

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 17
Date: June 04, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Hi All. I have been on a game buying spree for summer the past month, buying 7 games, so I told myself I would not buy another game, but after watching the Brute Force trailers, I purchased Brute Force yesterday, and have already got my fifty bucks worth of fun out of the game, and am still doing the training missions.
Brute Force is a great game, its like Ghost Recon mixed with Halo. The first tutorial mission, seemed kinda wimpy, but by the time it ended I was having a blast literally, tossing fraq grenades, learning how to move, what weapons do what, etc.
Without giving any of the game away, training mission #2 is one of the most beautiful looking and sounding game missions I have ever played. I plan to play it on all 3 difficulty levels.
Multiplayer sci fi fans, will have a field day with Brute Force. Both System Link and XBox Live Support, and players can plug in and out at any time.
The cut scenes are some of the best in gaming history, and the best looking Brute Force missions, look better than non XBox cut scenes and games. Waiting for Halo 2, this game is what to play while you are waiting.
Music, audio, voices, and sound effects are great, another reason to have a Dolby 5.1 setup.
Brute Force whether single player or multiplayer is great fun. Its another reason to buy an XBox if you do not have one, and another game to show off what the XBox can do.
I played the game till 2am last night, and again this afternoon, and will be playing again later tonight. Believe all the Hype on this game. Its all true.
May the Brute Force Be With You.
Happy XBox
Timothy Kelly
...

Pffft.

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 9 / 12
Date: August 02, 2003
Author: Amazon User

To everybody who wrote a review before this game came out, a heartfelt 'bleep' you. Wait till you've played the game before you review it.
Brute Force is boring. Plain and simple. Despite some very well thought out ideas employed to control a group of characters and a mulitude of different weapons, the game has almost nothing in the way of a storyline, mission briefings are just intermissions between shoot outs, and weapon effects are painfully lacking; especially for a game on the most powerfull console on the market today.
Enviorments are good, occasionally very good, but they are constantly re-used and get old real fast.
Do yourself a favor, save your time and money and skip this one.

Just got it....mucho sweet

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 8 / 10
Date: May 29, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I ...shop Amazon frequently to read the reviews of others and their reactions. This game is very good. This game is a TPS(Third Person Shooter). You are thinking aww great...why couldn't they have made it a FPS, but might I remind you that one of the highest ranking XBOX games by anyones standards is Splinter Cell which is also the same type camara angle. It does however have aspects of a FPS. Such as whenever you have a zoomable weapon, it goes to FPS mode when you zoom in.

The cutscense on this are pretty amazing. The graphics have had some work done on them as well. Perhaps one of the best aspects to this game (along with others of this type) is the co-opability of it. The only other 4 player co-op games I know of are Hunter and Conflict:Desert Storm. I haven't gotten to play the co-op with friends yet(that's what this weekend is for), but I did want to see if it was anything great. And it looks to be that.

Each charahcter has there own speciality as you have read from others reviews. I am torn between each one, but right now, I really enjoy playing as Hawk when you go steathfully, you are almost unstoppable until your special abilty runs out. But then Tex with his dual weilding gun bezerk mode is pretty awesome. Brutus is pretty cool with his Vengar "nightvision like" rage. His health regens and when he gets hit it does less damage on him. And flint's uber "auto targeting" sniping skills since she is a "synthetic" are pretty kewl.

The controls are very intuitive and yet simple for such a complex game. There is no melee attack as in halo unless you are hawk with her one shot one kill psionic blade. But to get close to enemies you gotta be pretty sneaky unless cloaked. The one advnatage that you do have that at first I was kinda mad about was that I wanted 2 certain weapons(i.e. I wasnted to have 2 miniguns for Tex) but they only allow you to have one weapon with a usuable amount of ammo and then one with a regenerative ammo. It has its plusses and minuses as I have learned.

The opposing AI are pretty smart as well as your own team AI is prety smart(i.e. not rushing into a room full of aliens or trying to take them all on) The only AI that needs work is those that you have to protect sometimes. If they die, you lose the mission and some of them are not the smartest for being an all powerful mind reader as well as being able to minupulate the ground(you don't get to play this character except in multiplayer via system link or Live)

You may ask why I only gave this a 4.....well one, I am not driven by media hype and two it had its inadequacies. The way you get a score is by cash for killing people and doing objectives. Now maybe because I haven't gotten far enough, but what is the point of bounties and pay if you can't .....I don't know spend it and...... bilogically enhance your characters(since you are clones anyway) or buy a different type of ammo/gun early on that you can only get from the federation that will shoot about any ammo you find or something(since we are in fantasy realm anywya)...etc....seemed kind of cheezy to me. I still think this would have been better as a FPS. All the stuff was there for it but they just chose to go with a TPS like Splinter Cell. The game runs fluidly on the XBOX. When you have about 30 people shooting at you and you are thorwing frag nades all over the place, it doesn't slow down a lick....

In retrospect with as much as I have played it so far(about 5 hours after I got home from work), I am glad of my purchase. This was the first time I pre-ordered anything and I was well pleased with my purchase. I would buy it all over again. ...it will give you hours of enjoyment which is what you are paying for anyway. Since I don't have live, I can't rate that portion, but I feel that FFA and co-op games types will be no less better than that of FPS games....

Simply amazing

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 10
Date: August 12, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Brute Force is one of the best games for the x-box. It isn't really like Halo, as much as people say it is. It has its own, but unique differences, and advantages. This is a great game.

Graphics: The graphics are simply amazing. Everything is highly detailed to leave you in amazement. Every creature, tree, background, bush, gun, gernade, building, vehicle, and person is shown with quality and is very nicely done. These are probably the best graphics that any game for the x-box has.

Gameplay: The gameplay is wonderful. The view is set behind the character, but it isn't a downfall. The story mode is really creative, and have you playing for a long time. The A.I is very well created, and the multiplayer mode is very nice. Battle as one single person, or pick a clan or force, and fight a friend or computer.

Sound and Music: The voices match perfectly, the sound effects are perfect, and the softly heard music adds to a fresh envirement in each level.

This game is worth getting, and is not all quite like Halo. This game requires a little more tactics instead of being able to go into a group of aliens and being able to kill them all with out a scratch. The whole game is not like Halo, but it probably is just as good as the ultimate game.

not so great

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 8 / 11
Date: June 25, 2003
Author: Amazon User

the only conclusion that i can come to is that some of the rave reviews of this game were written by those who have a vested interest in you buying Brute Force. this game is nothing special. i swear.

the graphics are ok. they're not at the level of Halo, Splinter Cell, or Orta (or Ghost Recon, or Tides of War, or... ok, most x-box games). i would say that this game looked pretty good if it was on the PS2 (which isn't really saying much). the environments are kinda bland and the particle effects (gun fire, explosions, items shattering, etc.) are barely there. the only time i thought the game looked good was using the rifle zoom and during the intro to each level. the character movement is smooth, but they look like knuckleheads and the enemies are just goofy. you've seen better, much better.

the gameplay is about as straightforward as it gets. it's a third-person shooter so the rules are simple = if it moves, shoot it. the path before you is totally linear, which means you'll be running along from point A to point B to point C without being able to deviate and explore the environment (which looks weak, so i guess that's not so bad). you have objectives to complete, but those are to either to reach a checkpoint or blow something up. sound familiar?

all four characters have special abilities, but they only use them when you're in control of the character. so, if you're playing as the guy who gets extra adrenaline to kick some tail (which is the lizard-looking creature), the character that can cloak herself to sneak around is getting shot up because you have to switch to her to use the invisibility cloak.... and when you switch, the lizard guy will stop using his boosted strength to kill because you switched characters. in other words, the special abilities are ok when you're facing only a few enemies, but when attacked by many, they become useless. this became one of my biggest issues with the game because the special abilities could have been much more useful.

another thing that drove me nuts was that the position of the character on the screen (the one you're controlling) is all wrong. if you're shooting at someone above or below you, the camera angle is ok.... but if the enemy is straight ahead? you character's body gets in the way and you can't see what's coming. sometimes you have to run to the left or right just to see what's in front of you = poor game design.

the rest of the game is about as mediocre as what's already been mentioned. the weapons fire and voice acting are ok. the weapons offered are nothing new (the rifle zoom and targeting reticule are taken directly from Halo). nothing about this game is really inspiring and i found myself wanting to sell it about half way through as nothing new was coming along.

...

Alot of Variety, But Not As Good As Halo

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: October 01, 2003
Author: Amazon User

A unique twist on the "team combat" genre, Brute Force is not the revolutionary shooter that Halo was, but it is still a great deal of fun. Each member of the team has unique abilities that give a balanced feel to the game. Brutus and Tex are heavy gunners, using assault rifles, rocket launchers, and shotguns to mow down enemies. Flint and Hawk back the team with stealth tactics and sniper rifles. All team members can use a variety of grenades and mines.
While original and fun, Brute Force is not without its problems. First, the team members' AI is not all that great. Your team can get themselves killed very quickly if you rush in or if there are snipers present. Only Brutus and Tex are actually armored enough to last long enough to heal themselves. In addition, the enemies seem to have flawless accuracy at insane distances. You can sometimes be shot to pieces by an enemy a mile away before you even see him. This sometimes leads to alot of steath tactics and, therefore, really long missions spent sneaking around.

When all is said and done, the good far outweighs the bad in Brute Force. The multiplayer, combined with unlockable characters, adds replay value, and you can get additional missions off of Xbox Live. Recommended for action game fans.

I could've had a V-8...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: June 07, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Maybe if this game hadn't been delayed for a year so they could keep improving it (so they told us), or if it hadn't been hyped like it was the second coming, I could be a little more enthusiastic about this game. As it is though, I have to say I was disappointed. At least over the last year of XBox games I've learned to expect disappointment.

People complain that this game is unfairly compared to Halo. One, I don't think that's a completely unfair comparison. While Halo's greatness is a direct result of Bungie's talent, it's also an example of how a game ends up when the developer actually cares about what they're doing and keeps the gamers in mind.

So why didn't I like Brute Force? The graphics are okay. The third-person perspective really ruins it, though. Everything is too small, and too far off to make out clearly. Your field of vision is limited peripherally (I thought that was supposed to be one of the benefits of third person as opposed to first person), and you'll come around a corner and end up taking fire from enemies you can't possibly see. Playing two-player split screen, my eyes started hurting from the strain of trying to pick things out, and I was sitting right in front of a 27-inch TV. Half the time the only way you'll find the enemy is by watching where the rounds are coming at you from. That leads me into the AI. Lots of people have pointed it out by now, and I have to agree, the AI (for the bad guys at least) is too omniscient. They detect you way before you can possibly detect them. That just takes the fun out of things completely. The maps are lame (at least so far, since I haven't finished the game yet - and I probably won't). They are very linear, and there's really not any room to go trekking around exploring, or even taking alternate routes (unless you count going to the left of the boulder instead of to the right of it). The multiplayer maps are equally lame. They don't seem to have been designed to host fighting - they just don't support any kind of tactics. The multiplayer game types are lame.

A lot of the fanboys seem to be happy enough with the game. Why? I have no idea. Maybe they're in denial... After so many delays, there's no way this game can't be good. Everyone's just being too critical... Nah. I've seen good games before, and this ain't one of them. I just want a decent game for once.

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