Late to the Party: Advent Rising
Platform: Xbox
Manufacturer: Majesco
Review Type: Touchy
Version: Retail
Advent Rising, a suspiciously Halo-esque sci-fi actioner, has been gathering dust on my game shelf for most of 2004. The game was a commercial failure for Majesco, who sought to enter the big leagues of AAA publishers with this title and Psychonauts -- a vastly superior game that too sold miserably. Advent Rising's primary problem is that it feels terribly derivative, despite (or perhaps because of) writing from sci-fi author Orson Scott Card. The symphonic soundtrack is in contstant state of agitation, continually reminding you how intense, exhilhirating and cinematic the game is supposed to be feel. In reality the gameplay feels merely adequate. The player can chose to play in first-person ala Halo or fight in third-person with a twitchy lock-on. Neither way feels 100% right. The best thing that Advent Rising has going for it is that the push of the narrative briskly moves the story from one unique setting to the next. Problem is, I was always thinking, "maybe action I find in this next place will be a little more compelling." It never was.
Manufacturer: Majesco
Review Type: Touchy
Version: Retail
Advent Rising, a suspiciously Halo-esque sci-fi actioner, has been gathering dust on my game shelf for most of 2004. The game was a commercial failure for Majesco, who sought to enter the big leagues of AAA publishers with this title and Psychonauts -- a vastly superior game that too sold miserably. Advent Rising's primary problem is that it feels terribly derivative, despite (or perhaps because of) writing from sci-fi author Orson Scott Card. The symphonic soundtrack is in contstant state of agitation, continually reminding you how intense, exhilhirating and cinematic the game is supposed to be feel. In reality the gameplay feels merely adequate. The player can chose to play in first-person ala Halo or fight in third-person with a twitchy lock-on. Neither way feels 100% right. The best thing that Advent Rising has going for it is that the push of the narrative briskly moves the story from one unique setting to the next. Problem is, I was always thinking, "maybe action I find in this next place will be a little more compelling." It never was.
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