Trey Kincaid is a nano-physicist(not that that actually comes into play in this... well, he is a symbol for the one side, I guess), imprisoned for his work. He committed no actual crime. Religion vs. science is the excellent theme explored here, and as the former has taken over, the latter has been outlawed. Someone known as The Reverend(the manual calls him a "false prophet"... yeah, that's evidently where they lost their stones on this one, unfortunately) is behind it all, and he wants to bring about judgment day(by wastin' everyone). Yes, this has you starring as the bad-ass Bruce Willis(with his appearance(...if you don't see it a whole lot, he doesn't take up much of the screen), his voice, and his one-liners and the clichés from this era! Yes, some of what he says is dated, maybe even corny... still, he can make almost anything sound cool, and that's very much the case here. And please just go with the idea of him as an egghead, in spite of him not talking like one, behaving like one, looking like one, etc.) out to save the world, and it genuinely does feel like a movie, like a big budget leave-your-brains at the door epic action-thriller with supernatural overtones(kind of like End of Days, only, y'know, good), *and* it honestly convinces you that *everyone in the freaking world* is out to get you, something many games go for, but few succeed in. Also? This is one of the reasons the word "awesome" is in the dictionary. Oh, it was put there a while ago. I know that. However, it was done because one day, this(and other creative ventures) would be made and you'd need something to properly describe it. You crouch, run, jump and blast your way(and don't forget to dodge searchlights, lest you wish to be pummeled) through the prison, city, sewers(yes, Spoony, there is one... and it doesn't suck, somehow!), and other areas, all with a Hell-like twist to them(with earthquakes and lava). This is third-person arcade shoot-'em-up, similar to Carnage. It's set in a post-apocalyptic dystopian metropolis, with a nifty futuristic arsenal and tech. You have 8 weapons, including a machine-gun with infinite ammo(and it's one of the places where this makes liberal and effective use of the vibrating joystick... you can really tell you're using something of a heavy and high caliber), a flamethrower, a grenade launcher, energy weapons, two that auto-aim(a lightning one and heat-seeking missiles), etc. Projectiles will go in one of the four directions(and they will go up or down to hit what you are going for, at times), if you press Circle(left), Square(right), Triangle(up) or Cross(down). This doesn't take long to get used to, and it makes it faster. There are Smartbombs, as well, they destroy what's near you. You cannot turn the camera, it will do so sometimes as you progress through the entirely linear levels(and yes, it does happen a few times where it kinda screws you over), and granted, on occasion, you can't properly see where you're going. The game-play is intense, addictive and a ton of fun. You have extra lives, and only if you run out will you have to start a mission(and it resets the amount each time you complete one... and this lets you save after the end of any... maybe Die Hard Trilogy would if I had used my old Memory Card(the new one has plenty of room... it may be too new, it wasn't made when these two came out), though it didn't suggest that possibility, and this did) over from the start(otherwise, it'll be at the most recent checkpoint, so you never have to replay much). Somehow, this doesn't get repetitive... maybe it's that all the time, you are meeting and killing new enemy types(and they are often all over). You go up against troops(don't feel guilty about killing them, they're full of misery and hate... like fundamentalist theists(yet they'll sometimes yell "my arm" and "I have a family!"), robots, the undead(!), tanks and choppers. There are no NPC's that you shouldn't take apart. The story is simple, the "conclusion" is strange and unsatisfying, and the characters are minimally developed. It isn't why you're getting into this, let's be honest. This is extremely short... the only replayability is the three difficulty settings(there is no high score), and I completed it in under four hours(!). Honestly, I barely even "ran out"(had to reuse) of the 8 slots(as I am about as neurotic as Woody Allen... not that I'd marry my stepdaughter, that's another subject... I tend to store my progress in as many places as I can, and this had). The AI is great, they'll follow and try to get you. Boss fights are fine, a couple try to be distinguished and they don't tend to be gimmicky or forced. They can be challenging. You can probably guess who they are... yup, The Four Horsemen. Well, they renamed Famine to Plague, and Strife to Beast. Meh. Perhaps there are translation differences(what, couldn't "the almighty" god communicate more clearly? So much for the whole omnipotence thing; and shouldn't he know languages would evolve?). There are very nicely done CGI cut-scenes, and they, and this overall, have a sense of humor. The graphics and animations(this was released for the original PlayStation, and that was what I played it on) hold up pretty well to this day, with large 3D environments that you can move 360 degrees around in. This has kick-ass tunes, too! It goes into heavy metal(with Mary Magdalene, in this portrayed by Poe) here and there, and the sole problem with this is the poor job they did making the change from one track to the next subtle and smooth. And yes, my Summary is indeed a reference to T.S. Eliot's The Hollow Men. That's just how I roll. There is nearly constant bloody violence and disturbing content in this. I warmly recommend this to any fan of its lead and/or its "hot" concept. 8/10
Review of Apocalypse
