It was certainly an experience to get a first-person interactive view of WWII events, but there comes a time when you, an infantryman, forced to the trigger of an AAA gun, where inexplicably the entire war depends on your ability to shoot down a constant buzzing of Zeros that, eventually, failure to kill them all prevents you from experiencing the rest of the game. Granted, I'm not a seasoned gamer (I tend to like seeing the whole game through the first time on "easy"). I guess I just need the "Easy" setting to get me through the stupid parts of the game.
I was looking forward to what was described as an interactive sequal to one of my favorite movies of all time: Hard Boiled (favorite director plus favorite action hero), but that can't happen without an easier "easy" mode. Yeah, I'm not the hardcore gamer most players are, so I rely on an easy mode in order to enjoy the story. If a "movie" just ends over and over with the lead character dying halfway through the story, it's a waste of money. So, other than that, it's easily a 5-star game, (for the first few levels). By contrast, a less serious game like Total Overdose has an Easy Mode that can alow you to get right though the story (ridiculous as it may be) to the climax and finale, and then add more difficulty as one sees fit. So, it's a fun ride for a while, but not every John Woo movie fan is a skilled gamer, so the game falls short of being that perfect immersive experience.
This is quite possibly the best shooter I've ever played (under 200 Pesos)! I am not the seasoned gamer to which most devolpers cater, but I know "FUN" when I have it. Total Overdose has everything that I love about FPS and 3rdPS but doesn't require too much advanced skill to get past a "Boss" (at least not in Easy Mode). Sure, it's probably one of the most beatable games I've ever played (again, in "easy mode"), but the fun doesn't stop - After beating it, I'm going back through the missions, and challenges with fresh approaches. The storyline is familiar to any cheesy action film fan, the characters are something out of a comic book, the overall styling is more than a little cartoonish, and I JUST CAN'T GET ENOUGH. It's an absolute wild ride, and for less than $10 USD, it is basically PERFECT. I want more of this, please. Oh, and the MUSIC! I can't say enough about it. how it adds to the hard-rock action and just frames the explosive visuals with visceral effect. Then, after one rather rediculously adrenelnie-pumping level, I just sat and listened as the points were added up, to an ironically mellow mariachi band gently congratulating me on a job (bloody) well done. I also searched for the long version of the opening menu song, and can have that on repeat for extended periods of time when I'm not gaming (warning: explicit). Buy this game, crank up the volume, and pull an all-nighter. Have fun!
