The Xbox is no slouch when it comes to First Person Shooters. To thrive, and for that matter, survive the slew of competition on the Xbox in the FPS genre, a game has to set a new standard, be it in graphics, gameplay, multiplayer, or sometimes even sound. Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter doesn’t really do that in any category.

Which is disappointing. There’s a lot you want to like about Mace, but ultimately there’s always something that takes a step backward for every step forward. The first, and most noticeable set back, is the plot…more specifically, the lack thereof.

Sure, most FPS plots wouldn’t exactly be Lord of the Rings caliber reading on paper (the exception being a little game called Halo), but the void where a storyline should be in Mace is just downright embarrassing, especially when the game world itself is a very likeable, Star Wars-esque world. Instead of focusing on the initial charm that a world like this brings to the table, the creators opted to use the same stale "plot" every other game ever made uses, the overused revenge plot, and it barely does that. Mace’s cut scenes, if you can even call them that, are damn near naked, and don’t serve any purpose other than giving you your next objective. Characters are totally lacking in the personality department, and in game "conversations" between you and NPCs are few and far between.

If you ignore the fact that five consecutive missions look exactly the same, and then the next colony you visit is identical to the one before, then the graphics are acceptable, but nothing spectacular. Textures are done to death, and it’s almost as if the developer made this game for people who have an unnatural affinity for Mars. Although the guns look good and there are some pretty cool looking scripted events (sniping a pilot out of a ship while he attacks your allies is cool), Mace’s overall lack of shine is just enough to get the job done and nothing more.

The sound is very mundane and typical. Explosions, laser fire, gunfire, and nearly every other audio aspect has just been done before. That’s not to say it’s bad, only that it’s stale. Voice acting is incredibly boring. Not a single drop of dialogue has any emotion in it, and you’ll start to wonder if the game used actors or answering machines for the speech. On top of that, the background music used in the more intense fights is too quiet and doesn’t really match the pace of the gameplay.

Gracefully, the gameplay is something of a highpoint for Mace, at least in three aspects. One of which, is that Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter features one of the best sniper rifle interfaces I’ve ever used. By pulling the left trigger (on the default control scheme, since you can choose from several different configurations) you can activate your scope, and then choose the level of zoom with the D-Pad. Another highlight is found when you first acquire a tweaked version of Halo’s Plasma Grenades. It’s just fun to throw a sticky grenade onto a wall and then detonate it later when you’re being chased by three enemies. And speaking of enemies…

Mace’s enemy AI is downright strange. A rooftop lined with snipers will have little difficulty killing you when you’re on the move, but standing still will nearly guarantee your safety. Sometimes a guard won’t see you, and other times quietly walking past one will cause him to quickly turn around and light you up. The only real saving grace for the AI is during the only innovative feature in Mace, and that is the transitional gameplay from first person shooter to flight simulation. Although it is pretty cool to be able to pilot, land, and get out of a spaceship to wander the halls of a mining colony on foot, the transitions are scripted. You can’t dock or fly around at will, which takes away from the feeling of freedom this would initially bestow on the player. Although you can get out of the pilot seat while you’re either heading to your next destination or in a dogfight, doing so during the latter wouldn’t be a very good idea for your health.

Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter isn’t a bad game. But with a lack of multiplayer and a weak storyline in single player, it’s just not original enough or compelling enough to stand on the same ground as the FPS Kings of the Xbox Hill.

Pros:

• Awesome Sniper Rifle interface.
  
• Transition from foot-to-flight is fun stuff, and an innovation in the genre.
  

  Cons:
  

  • Sound is dull.
    
  • MIA storyline.
    
  • The same textures, again…and again…and again…and…
    
  • Everything but flight transitions has been done before.