the end is near (Apocalypse (PS))

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Product:	Apocalypse (PS)
Date:	18/06/01 (18 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Bruce willis

Disadvantages: story

Two years and millions of dollars in the making, Apocalypse is the first video game to feature a mega movie star, Bruce Willis, and an emerging rock star, Poe, as main characters. The two performers are cyber-scanned and motion captured, bringing realism and Hollywood power to the unglamourous world of action-adventure video games. This mega celebrity power did not come cheap. Activision gave Willis a chunk of the company and a portion of the gross, and millions of dollars to lend his rugged physique and incredible vocal talents to the game. Poe probably just did it for the publicity and a spot on the sound track, and a chance to wear some funky outfits: enough to keep any 13-year-old hand on the joystick. However, lest this review begin to sound like an inspired Entertainment Tonight intro, I will now focus my attention on the game.

A mad scientist steals corpses and resurrects the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: War, Famine, Death, and Plague, although Plague is actually a woman (Poe). The world is threatened...doom is hovering...who ya gonna call? Bruce Willis, star of Die Hard, Die Harder, and Look Who's Talking is Trey Kincaid, the man for the mission. Unfortunately, as all misunderstood, maverick superheros know, the world doesn't respect you until the world needs you. So our main man languishes in prison, and the gamer has got to break him out, kill the enemy, and maneuver through eight levels to destroy the Four Horseman and save the world.

The game is simple, direct, and third person. Trey maneuvers through various levels, with various weapons, around various obstacles, killing various beasts, while various angles track his various movements. Oh yeah, and Willis utters various witticisms such as "You need some more lead in your diet," and "Can't you pull the trigger any faster?"

The ramifications of a main character talking both to the gamer and the other characters does call for a long ruminati
on, but this will be saved for a later date.

The makers of Apocalypse, Neversoft Entertainment, have definitely developed a beautiful-looking game, with great sound and music, and it's full of great fun. The levels are chock full of detail, and some of the extras, such as giant video screens that play videos by the bands while you shoot tanks, people, and other enemies, are really cool. Also, the different levels are constructed in such a way as to be easy to understand and follow, but difficult to execute, whether jumping over lava, or leaping from rooftop to rooftop high above our futuristic, dark, and gothic city. The detail in the game are what separate Apocalypse from the various other shoot-'em-ups. The money is on the screen, and whether riding atop taxi cabs over lava pits or shooting giant alligators in the sewer system, this game is pretty and all-encompassing.

Also, Mr. Willis does not hog all the lines, giving some bit players a chance to stand out before he cuts them down. "Medic, I'm hit," and "I have a wife and kids," or perhaps "Forget his rights, kill him" have a beautiful purity worthy of the finest Shakespeare.

Not to mention the visual spectacle: the blood and guts of cutting down cops, soldiers, and bizarre, biblical demons; blood flowing through the streets of our unknown city like a giant lava river. Creatures blow up, split in half, and burst into flame, leaving charred corpses, depending on the weapon. In this case, homing missiles, machine guns, and flame thrower, respectively.

Oh yeah, there are also long cinematic clips between levels, which are fun to watch and well directed. They propel the story and give the gamer a chance to rest his joystick and stretch his fingers.

Well, the game is played. The world saved. All that is left is the sequel

Summary: