Breakdown – XB – Preview

A clinic room. A voice that states you are the last hope. A
woman that appears and disappears, seemingly bending time. A name that rings a
distant memory. And then there are the soldiers who burst into the room while
you are immobilized by drugged food with the intent of killing you.

 

These may seem like scenes from a bad dream, but for
Derrick Cole it is a dream that he is wandering through, and there seems to be a
lot of people intent on seeing that he is put to sleep – permanently.

 

Breakdown, a pending Xbox release from Namco, is a
first-person shooter that takes place in a post-apocalyptic world … or does it.
Derrick, it seems, has been blessed with some unique abilities, but you will
have to discover them as you traverse the medical clinic, dodge bullets, and
solve minor puzzles in order to advance through the levels. And while Derrick
will pick up weapons along the way, he is a weapon himself. From martial arts
moves to other talents, Derrick will have be forced to figure out why he is
considered the last hope.

 

And if you thought that the military, with all its
firepower, was tough, you haven’t seen anything yet.

 

Breakdown is a science-fiction title that features plot
twists and turns, excellent graphical elements and solid animation. The player
interface, as it stands in this beta, is easy to work through and though the
game does have a bit of a tutorial, it is integrated into the action quite well.
When Derrick initially wakes up, he is given some tests – which in turn
constitute the tutorial. And once the action starts, you will be peeking around
corners, timing runs through heavy weapons fire and working through a
multi-story clinic that has been hit by an earthquake, making some of the
passages unreachable.

 

The environments are somewhat interactive and you will be
forced to use natural cover in order to succeed. And timing is vital in working
through some of the hazard areas.

 

This is a game that is immersive and can be tense. While,
at this stage, the course through the clinic labyrinth seems somewhat linear,
the game still manages to provide a lot of challenges, and contains several
difficulty levels.

 

In addition to the hand-to-hand and weapons combat, the
game also features great environments that actually feel like a huge office
complex, with twisting corridors, a host of rooms to explore and perhaps pick up
key items, and an enemy who seems to be tracking your location.

 

The sound of Breakdown is solid. The graphics are all from
the first-person perspective, and the developers have done a very good job of
bringing the game into your face, as it were.

 

Ok, there is a lot about this game that should be
mentioned, but is currently embargoed. Such are the joys of playing a preview
build.

 

That said, what can be mentioned is that Breakdown can
really draw the player in. It teases and tantalizes with tidbits of information
and then turns the player away from further exploration in that area by throwing
a whole lot of action in their face. Players are driven along the game course
with these little teasers and the tension of a lot of soldiers and other things
coming to get you. The game also has a nice sense of urgency to it. Standing
still for any length of time seems like a sure way to get killed.

 

Breakdown is slated for release in March, and from this
look, this could certainly be a title that fans of the genre will want to pick
up. Those who have yet to venture into the genre will likely find this a great
introduction, and a lot of fun to play.

 

This game will be rated M for mature, and will not have
multiplayer capabilities.