Halo has a lot to answer for when it comes to first person games and whilst in no way was it an original title, for many it was and with its sequel still is a benchmark game. It seems since the arrival of Master Chief there have been a number of Halo wannabes trying to fill the shoes of the Master yet with such high expectations have failed, some more than others. Well Advent Rising is the latest Halo wannabe and although offering something slightly different the similarities are staggering.

As a chisel jawed hero, alongside his brother it is your job to save the human race after peaceful contact with an alien ship turns sour and in turn has brought destruction to your existence as another race of aliens, hell bent on the extermination of humans becomes apparent. With no time to react or prepare it’s down to have a go hero Ethan and his brother Gideon to save the day and that’s where you step in.

Gameplay:

Game play consists of either 3rd or 1st person viewpoints with the onus on killing many alien scumbags (with weapons and super powers) that at first have boarded your ship and just like Halo you have to reach the life pods to escape. Well ok I’m really not going to sit here and remark on all the similarities the game has with Halo/Halo 2 as there are a number of them in the level design and game play. What I will say is that you get to hold only 2 weapons types at a time (weapons also level up with continued use), you can dual wield, drive vehicles with a partner at the gun turret, throw grenades, pilot spacecraft, engage in simplified hand to hand fighting and also use special powers such as telekinesis (which ultimately can replace the conventional weapons).

On paper Advent Rising sounds like a really cool game and I guess for a number of people it will be. However, there are probably an equal or maybe even more people who will think that the game is simply too “broken” to be any good. You see Advent Rising really does try to mix it up in its Halo style it clearly tries to emanate, but the bottom line is that it falls way to short. Things like the terribly fiddly controls knock the game down at the first hurdle and with an equally fiddly locking on system it is almost criminal.

Then there are silly things like the actual alien enemies who will continue to re-spawn off screen in a small area until you have moved on, so if you stayed put you could be there all year. Or the incredibly vague objectives at times where a little bit of luck is more crucial than actual game playing skills. The list soon becomes heavy with complaints with this game which is a shame as you can see that the developers have tried at least.

Graphics:

Oh dear the graphics aren’t exactly Advent Rising’s strong point either and with some comical long legged characters that look quite dated indeed it a shame. Admittedly some sections look a lot “nicer” than others but overall the graphics are simply not good enough in my opinion and when you combine this with some horrid drops in frame rate and terrible camera work at times, the overall feeling you are left with is “hmmm this is like kissing grandma; Sloppy.”

Sound:

Cliché performances abound from the voice cast and whilst the story is nothing too engaging or original they do a reasonable performance of hammy. Sound effects are reasonable and adequate and some ambience is created at times which is “A” ok. The music is suitably dramatic and pompous at times and helps carry the game although nothing that will have you jumping with excitement.

Longevity:

There are 8 levels on offer which have a number of checkpoints between them and whist each level is fairly long the entire game isn’t a marathon event. With no multiplayer options available then Advent Rising is over in around 8-12 hours. Yes you can replay levels to your hearts content and I guess a number of you will probably like to mess around a little more with the psi-abilities.

Overall:

Advent rising is a “Broken” game which as I’ve already said is a shame because at the end of the day the game does have plenty of ambition if only it had all worked properly or had the necessary polish applied that it needs. The question one has to ask “Is the game fun?” Well yes the game is fun at the end of the day and despite its flaws this is what counts. I found some sections to be frustrating at times and some of the game play equally frustrating too but if you persevere then yes there are some fun moments to enjoy. I suggest that if you are unsure that you rent this game first and see if it’s your thing or not. For me this title sits just above average but could have been so much better had it addressed some of its short comings.