Low and behold, not a couple days after I mentioned picking up this game on these very boards, do I get a chance to borrow it from a co-worker.
One of my biggest complaints about this game can actually be seen as rather unfair, and went completely unmentioned in reviews upon it's release (for obvious reasons due to timing); the game is based around the lesser of the two versions of the show. When the game released right around the time Ronald D. Moore's mini-series hit the Sci-Fi channel, no one envisioned how much of a hit the series would become. The mini was exceptional, but it wasn't until the show continued on into the TV series it is now that the true magnificence of Moore's creation was known.
I like the original series. It's fun and cheesy and simplistically fulfilling in it's old-school-ness. But unless you're the most ardent of fans, you realize it just hasn't aged well; at all. The characters are unredeeming, the scenerios uninspired and predictable and the villians bland and lacking. Even before comparing it to the new reimagining, it's all but obvious to admit to it's shameless attempt to ride the wave of Star Wars late '70's hysteria. Moore's series brings with it so many improvements whilst still retaining the original's best quality; the fantastic concept.
As such, as I was playing through this game I couldn't help but miss all those improved elements of the new series. The guns instead of lasers, the realistic space physics complete with 180 degree spin manuevers, the new cylons, the new ship designs, etc. Aside from the infamous robotic cylon voices of the original series (which loops far too much during gameplay, and gets rather tiring), nothing from the original series felt right, though as stated earlier, development of this game began before the new series released, and thus such a complaint is somewhat unfair.
Nevertheless, one constant between both series is the trademark Viper, and this game finally gives me the chance to pilot one. Of course the aforementioned realistic physics from the new series would've made it even more enjoyable, but nonetheless dogfighting in a genuine Viper for BSG fans is a damn delight.
If only the game wasn't designed so damn poorly. Courtesy of Mr. Haydn Dalton, who has brought us such horrifically bad games as X2: Wolverine's Revenge and 50 Cent: Bulletproof this gen, some aspects of Battlestar Galactica's design is so atrocious I'm astonished it made through QA. First off is the bane of many PSone space shooters (though a few managed to fix the problem even back then) is the complete lack of any checkpoints through each mission. Many missions have upwards of 6-7 objectives per, and many can take up to 10 minutes. To continually get stuck on objective 4, only to have to keep repeating the 20+ minutes of 1-3 to get back to that spot is an archaic and ridiculous design element that should've, and in many cases was, abolished last gen.
Another mission has you flying in formation in an enemy raider, which is a great example of how out-of-touch Warthog was with this game. The mission takes the 'shooter' out of space shooter, and asks you to endure an absurdly long sequence of some of the most mundane flying this side of Flight Simulator. No complicated manuevers, no intricate rolls or obstacles to dodge, just 20 minutes of essentially flying in a straight line making sure your speed is matched with the leader. The lack of checkpoints is the icing on the cake, as when you die attempting to complete the objectives after the formation flying (which you will), you get to do it all over again. I'm pretty much convinced they forgot to QA this level, because if they did my faith in intelligent human beings is gone.
A broken targeting system, with a primary target indicator button that highlights but doesn't even select your primary target, inconsistent aim-assistance and unnecessarily complex controls, some of which require double tapping a button all further compound the difficulty of the game, and further the frustation of the non-existent checkpoints. Some of the enemy fighters fly far too erratically as well (which would be ok if there weren't so many of them), which makes dogfighting overly difficult, and considering afterburning far away and then locking on to whole bunch at once with homing missiles is so effective, negates the point of bothering with your lasers at all. Which of course kills what is supposed to be the most enjoyable aspect of the game, nay, the genre.
Visually, the game is actually pretty nice. It won't set the world on fire, but it does feature some gorgeous matte backdrops, and the various ship models (especially the Vipers) are all modeled quite well. The effects are hit and miss, and the explosions are rather underwhelming (especially aurally), but all in all the game provides a very competent visual package. The score is disappointing however, aside from the classic original theme, as it's just your average orchestral jaunt. Sound effects are pretty much ripped from the original series, which is both good and bad.
The narrative is an offensive afterthought, co-written by our same world class designer, and is so generic and boring even fans of the original will roll their eyes. The CG that accompanies the storyline is barely above PSone levels, and the lazy compression doesn't help matters. The voice acting from various folk including Dirk Benedict (the original Starbuck), Richard Hatch (the original Apollo and Tom Zarek in the new series) and Kristanna Loken (from T3 and Bloodrayne 'fame') is average, and it's a nice novelty to have Benedict and Hatch onboard, but the dialogue is your average fare, and repeats far too often in-game.
On the plus side however is the decent cache of bonus material that is unlockable, with viewable in-game ship models, screens from both the original series and the new mini, concept art, renders and voice acting outtakes from the three actors above.
All in all, as much as I wanted to enjoy this game (especially since space shooters are few and far between this gen), the inherent inferiority to the new series and the game's brutal design hold it back from anything beyond a shortlived good time. I still hold out hope we'll see more space shooters in the next generation, and I will forever pray for the day that a far more competent dev gives us an awesome game based on Moore's new series.
Presentation: **
Play: *
[New rating system; from zero to four stars, no halves inbetween]
One of my biggest complaints about this game can actually be seen as rather unfair, and went completely unmentioned in reviews upon it's release (for obvious reasons due to timing); the game is based around the lesser of the two versions of the show. When the game released right around the time Ronald D. Moore's mini-series hit the Sci-Fi channel, no one envisioned how much of a hit the series would become. The mini was exceptional, but it wasn't until the show continued on into the TV series it is now that the true magnificence of Moore's creation was known.
I like the original series. It's fun and cheesy and simplistically fulfilling in it's old-school-ness. But unless you're the most ardent of fans, you realize it just hasn't aged well; at all. The characters are unredeeming, the scenerios uninspired and predictable and the villians bland and lacking. Even before comparing it to the new reimagining, it's all but obvious to admit to it's shameless attempt to ride the wave of Star Wars late '70's hysteria. Moore's series brings with it so many improvements whilst still retaining the original's best quality; the fantastic concept.
As such, as I was playing through this game I couldn't help but miss all those improved elements of the new series. The guns instead of lasers, the realistic space physics complete with 180 degree spin manuevers, the new cylons, the new ship designs, etc. Aside from the infamous robotic cylon voices of the original series (which loops far too much during gameplay, and gets rather tiring), nothing from the original series felt right, though as stated earlier, development of this game began before the new series released, and thus such a complaint is somewhat unfair.
Nevertheless, one constant between both series is the trademark Viper, and this game finally gives me the chance to pilot one. Of course the aforementioned realistic physics from the new series would've made it even more enjoyable, but nonetheless dogfighting in a genuine Viper for BSG fans is a damn delight.
If only the game wasn't designed so damn poorly. Courtesy of Mr. Haydn Dalton, who has brought us such horrifically bad games as X2: Wolverine's Revenge and 50 Cent: Bulletproof this gen, some aspects of Battlestar Galactica's design is so atrocious I'm astonished it made through QA. First off is the bane of many PSone space shooters (though a few managed to fix the problem even back then) is the complete lack of any checkpoints through each mission. Many missions have upwards of 6-7 objectives per, and many can take up to 10 minutes. To continually get stuck on objective 4, only to have to keep repeating the 20+ minutes of 1-3 to get back to that spot is an archaic and ridiculous design element that should've, and in many cases was, abolished last gen.
Another mission has you flying in formation in an enemy raider, which is a great example of how out-of-touch Warthog was with this game. The mission takes the 'shooter' out of space shooter, and asks you to endure an absurdly long sequence of some of the most mundane flying this side of Flight Simulator. No complicated manuevers, no intricate rolls or obstacles to dodge, just 20 minutes of essentially flying in a straight line making sure your speed is matched with the leader. The lack of checkpoints is the icing on the cake, as when you die attempting to complete the objectives after the formation flying (which you will), you get to do it all over again. I'm pretty much convinced they forgot to QA this level, because if they did my faith in intelligent human beings is gone.
A broken targeting system, with a primary target indicator button that highlights but doesn't even select your primary target, inconsistent aim-assistance and unnecessarily complex controls, some of which require double tapping a button all further compound the difficulty of the game, and further the frustation of the non-existent checkpoints. Some of the enemy fighters fly far too erratically as well (which would be ok if there weren't so many of them), which makes dogfighting overly difficult, and considering afterburning far away and then locking on to whole bunch at once with homing missiles is so effective, negates the point of bothering with your lasers at all. Which of course kills what is supposed to be the most enjoyable aspect of the game, nay, the genre.
Visually, the game is actually pretty nice. It won't set the world on fire, but it does feature some gorgeous matte backdrops, and the various ship models (especially the Vipers) are all modeled quite well. The effects are hit and miss, and the explosions are rather underwhelming (especially aurally), but all in all the game provides a very competent visual package. The score is disappointing however, aside from the classic original theme, as it's just your average orchestral jaunt. Sound effects are pretty much ripped from the original series, which is both good and bad.
The narrative is an offensive afterthought, co-written by our same world class designer, and is so generic and boring even fans of the original will roll their eyes. The CG that accompanies the storyline is barely above PSone levels, and the lazy compression doesn't help matters. The voice acting from various folk including Dirk Benedict (the original Starbuck), Richard Hatch (the original Apollo and Tom Zarek in the new series) and Kristanna Loken (from T3 and Bloodrayne 'fame') is average, and it's a nice novelty to have Benedict and Hatch onboard, but the dialogue is your average fare, and repeats far too often in-game.
On the plus side however is the decent cache of bonus material that is unlockable, with viewable in-game ship models, screens from both the original series and the new mini, concept art, renders and voice acting outtakes from the three actors above.
All in all, as much as I wanted to enjoy this game (especially since space shooters are few and far between this gen), the inherent inferiority to the new series and the game's brutal design hold it back from anything beyond a shortlived good time. I still hold out hope we'll see more space shooters in the next generation, and I will forever pray for the day that a far more competent dev gives us an awesome game based on Moore's new series.
Presentation: **
Play: *
[New rating system; from zero to four stars, no halves inbetween]