If there was ever a questionable time to release a new first-person shooter on the market, it’s right…about…now. See, we’re about to enter the flood gates of the holiday gaming season, with Madden NFL 12 already leaving a sizable dent and other behemoths like Resistance 3, Gears of War 3, Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3 (a lot of three-quels) moving in for the kill. Codemasters’ Bodycount, which has been in development for some time, is taking a big gamble entering this bloodbath, and doesn’t have too many features to back it up. Luckily, it is a moderately good firefight for the various hours that it lasts. Though the story isn’t as dramatic as other titles in this genre, it manages. You’re an operative working with The Network, a group that’s dedicated to solving third world conflicts through violence. See, some factions don’t really care for one another in Africa and other locations around the world, and rather than see innocent blood get spilled, they send you in to do clean-up so they have no choice but to negotiate. Some folks aren’t big on talk, though, so expect plenty of gunfire to come your way as you fight for peace. Ironic, don’t ya think?
As you proceed through Bodycount, you’re introduced to ten different weapons that you’ll use throughout, including the simple silenced pistol, the nerve-racking shotgun and some rather effective (if slightly unoriginal) assault rifles. All of them work about the same way, in the point-and-shoot variety, with a scope aim available with the left trigger. You can use grenades to blow apart some terrain, and in some sections, you’ll need to, as a wall could easily block your path to obtaining important documentation. There are some interesting mechanics at play, however. First off, you can peek around corners while in cover, getting pot shots in on enemies and seeing if the coast is clear before you start moving. It’s an aesthetic that’s effective, though other games obviously have more refined cover systems. You can also use modifiers to increase your performance, firearm power and so forth as you go through the campaign, including the introduction of exploding bullets. Can we get a “hell yeah”? They’re particularly useful against more barbaric beasts, including thugs carrying gatling guns.
Most importantly, you have SkillShots. While Bulletstorm handled this terrain better earlier in the year, it’s cool to rack up multipliers with headshots, back shots and other creative kills. There’s no genuine incentive for gaining a high score, as most of your rewards are handed to you despite how you perform. Nevertheless, these kind of keep the game from treading too far into bland territory. As for the rest of the gameplay, it’s serviceable. Nothing’s broken, mind you, but aside from SkillShots and the added features, there’s not much else to differentiate this from other wanna-bes on the market. Still, it’s fun, and ripping through an African armada with a single firearm does have its satisfaction – even if it somehow seeps away once you beat the game in about six to seven hours. Maybe even sooner, if you can manage around the somehow lackluster AI. (Seriously – what kind of soldier chases after you madly, then stops and sits there while you mow him down?)
This feature review concludes on the next page, please click Page 2 below to read more of our thoughts on Codemaster's Bodycount.
