The Club
Story
On first boot there doesn't seem to be one.
Asked to enter tournament
Choose a character out of 6 with another 2 locked.
Seems that we are part of a sport for the ultrarich. The stars of this sport are pitted against lots of enemies tasked with killing them all and getting to the end of an assault course. All the while being filmed for the enjoyment of the rich.
So there isn't a story, the characters seem to be there only to get you to play the game through 8 odd times for an achievement.
Seems to be 8 levels
Gameplay
Third person view, zooming/sighting for accuracy, running and actions like breaking down doors and vaulting over things. Crouch with left stick, no cover system. Bit like army of two. Were they scared of being labelled a gears clone, they shouldn't have been the game plays nothing like the same way.
Changing guns with dpad, can flip view with y which is handy when in the hemmed in sections as it make sprinting out for the health easier when you can just do a 180 turn with a button press.
Melee with right bumper, grenades seem especially useless.
Enemies run towards you shooting or use cover. Seem to be two setting for them. There are snipers with red laser traces and rocket shooters with green laser traces.
The stage is unlocked once you do the stage in tournament, this means that you can do it on easy and then hopefully come back and try each stage on insane seperate from the tournament i hope, have yet to experiment with this.
First training course is filled with static cardboard targets, enough to give you the idea. The game is all about how quickly and how accurate you can be, which is novel, not to say that i am excited about the idea though.
level 1
First level is a steelworks in germany, we must reach the exit while killing as efficiently as possible.
Ahhh, it seems that there are 8 main levels though there are many paths through them, each time certain areas are closed off and you are funneled through the level in different routes.
First two stages are just run throughs killing on the way, third is different, it's called siege, we have to survive for a time limit inside a certain area. Step outside and we explode, thanks to an explosive implanted in our body. We are on a viewing gallery over a large open area filled with machines, baddies come in and get cover and try and kill us, it's like a shooting gallery really, there are targets to hit which increase our score these are not obvious and sometime harder to hit. Occasionally baddies get up into the gallery with us. Have to survive for about four minutes.
Now we have survivour, which seems the same except we have a bigger area to run around in and survive for the four minutes.
Now time attack, we have to get make so many laps around a track inside a certain time or we explode.
Wow that was actually ok, running like a loon only stopping to shoot at those that get in your way, time is really tight and you need to pick up the time bonuses to complete it in time.
Run the gauntlet is the same as the first two stages, simply make your way accross a set course, this time though there is a time limit.
Seems like you only have five shots at getting through a stage, don't yet know what happens when you use them all up.
Level 2 Venice
Nice venice style level, waterways, gondolas, though you never get on them. Tight little alleways.
Sprint
Quick short stroll through the level.
Siege
A little harder this time, you have an emplaced gun but using it is futile as the baddies come up the stairs behind you too often. Attack from two sides sees you hiding from one side and taking out the ones on the stairs and occasionally popping out for a shot at the others, seems to be no health replenishment here either.
Sprint
Another longer sprint through the level, some larger areas with more enemies, more of a gears style than corridor shooter, but only hinting at gears here.
Snipers are introduced, laser sights tracking you anyway, seems to shoot rockets.
run the gauntlet
Harder time limit here this time. bit harder.
Survivour
In a little square very limited, the guys with the riot shields are here too.
Time attack
Ah found out what happens when you run out of attempts you have to go back to the start. Dumps you on the main menu. So i have to do five stages to get back to where i was.
Not looking good for this game.
This time attack is impossible, there is no time, even shooting the time signs and hitting nothing sprinting full tilt i can't get past the end of the first lap.
Finally got the time attack level done, exhilarating, but this time attack thing is going to be a real pain in the ass.
Sprint
Quick run through a previously unseen nicer part of the level. So easy compared to time attack.
Prison Cells Level 3
Looks a little like alcatraz
Sprint
Usual stuff quite easy and fun Run through the prison level, cafeteria, walls with guardposts.
Time attack
Even seeing it fills me with dread.
Got it though, seems the technique is to take your time funnily enough don't stop for aim, just keep going and free aiming and killing as many as possible, only sprinting when there are no enemies around.
Run the gauntlet
Made it first time, though only just.
Siege
In the prison kitchen while they are out on the seating area. Quite easy compared to venice.
Survivor
In the excercise yard, quite fun. Died once by staying out in the danger zone too long.
Sprint
Big run through the whole level. Good fun.
That's it for me, first days play, says the game time has been two hours and i have done around a third of the game. 145 achievement points too.
Initial impressions are unfavourable. I don't feel any connection, they have taken the interface from project gotham as to selection of level and implemented it here. It's more about a high score and finnesse and style. None of which I have, I just want an engaging storyline. The gunfights are good, don't get me wrong. It's just that there is no real connection to it. If all i am meant to do, is do the stages over and over until i get a great score. I need a narrative, drama, some will to live really.
Ok i lied i have come back for another go in the same day.
Only because I didn't know what else to play after playing force unleashed demo.
Level 4 Ocean liner
A grounded liner that was deemed unsalvagable.
Sprint
Fun, nice level, derelict but once beautiful.
Survivor
in a little pit with lots of baddies coming down four ramps to you, quite hard.
Sprint
Through the engine rooms and ending up back at the start of the first sprint.
Siege
That was hard, just us on deck with little cover and baddies streaming down the stairs at you.
Time attack
AHHHH if i fail this i have to do four levels again. I'm not i'm telling you now.
Done it, yes. Took three attempts mind.
Run the gauntlet
Yet another timed event last, these should be first on the playlist. Otherwise they are just falsely making the game harder and uping the screaming at the screen factor. This one seems especially tight on time compared to the last few and you can't make time here only run like a cheetah and prey your health last. Did it on second last life.
Anyway that is the fourth level done and halfway through the game. Have to say i am hating and enjoying this game at the same time. It's weird.
hating the timed sections and loving the simple gunfights of the non-timed areas.
Level 5 Warehouse
Neat little achievement here, there is a sign made up of letters on the roof, if you shoot all the letters away including full stops and spell sos from the remains you get 20 gamer points.
Sprint
Easy peasy lemon squeezy
Siege
In a blown open building overlooking a warehouse roof. Quite easy.
Sprint
Far too short this one, no problem.
Time attack
Noooooo, gah failed this one retry is ghosted just to annoy.
2nd days play.
Had to go down to normal dificulty
After 15 attempts at that damn warehouse time trial on insane i give up. It's fine the game beat me.
On normal the time attack was easy peasy.
Survivor
Quite taxing even on normal. On the roof little cover and many enemies and a rocket dude.
Run the gauntlet
Died once, but that was unfamiliarity, did it second go no problem.
level 6 Manor House
An old asylum for the criminally insane
Sprint
Nice long section here in a nice enviroment, this is where this game shines and is actually fun.
Sprint
Another sprint not as long but different areas of same level.
Siege
Out in the driveway of the manor, big fountain, huge road, some cover, quite fun actually for this horrible game mode.
Survivor
Wow that was intense lots of enemies and no respite, non respawning health which is new for survivor i think.
Time attack
Wow that one was actually easy. Did it with plenty of time.
Run the gauntlet
Long run through most of the mansion but done easily first time.
Level 7 Bunker
Cold war nuclear shelter
Sprint
Quite a big trek through the bunker.
Survivor
In the control room, like a nasa control room. quite fun actually for survivor, lots of room to run in a big loop and take out enemies shooting from the hip.
Sprint
Another longer jaunt through the bunker, these levels are actually fun.
Time Attack
Wow this is a long time attack. joy of joys. That was hard, must be nearly impossible on insane.
Siege
Wow that one was fun and easy as well. why are some siege levels really hard and others fun and easy.
Survivor
Wow that one was easy, there was a huge area chalked off, two huge caverns. Running around in a loop shooting from the hip made it childs play.
Level 8 warzone
Warzone, looks like a typical call of duty city bombed to hell, though modern, not as good looking as call of duty 4 though.
Time Attack
That is how it should be, get time attack over with first.
So that there is no replaying five stages to get to it again if you fail.
Sprint
nice and easy and fun.
survivor
In the town square type of environment, it gets mad.
Run the gauntlet
Run through the level with some new areas not accessed before.
Siege
Very enclosed square between two story buildings, lots of people shooting from the buildings above.
Sprint
Yet more of this quite nice level is discovered here.
And that's it, got a little movie that made little sense i suppose there must be specific ones for each character and if you complete the last tournament with each one you will get their movie.
Unlocked the final character nemo by finishing the game.
According to the gametime clock after two days play and completing the game, first four levels on insane, and the last four on normal I have played for nearly six hours.
and have got 270 achievement points.
did some score whoring looking for achievements and got another 90 points taking my total up to 360 points.
Which makes it more generous than tomb raider six hours for 360 points is much better than 20 for 185 points.
This is an average third person shooter, with nothing to distinguish itself, i wonder if they had levels and a storyline and thought hey lets turn it into this racing style game as it sucks or was it all planned from the start. Personally I would have enjoyed it more if they had cobbled together some rubbish story and chained all the levels together and just had a straightforward old shooter.
That might be just me though, if you are the kind of person that loves to do the tricks in tony hawk and ssx and likes to play levels again and again just to show how good you are, then this will be right up your alley, i can imagine people sitting for months with this game learning every bad guys position and the best order to kill them in, and rolling through each level headshoting their way to huge scores and impressing their mates with their prowess, me i can't be arsed with that, i want a story and i want to be able to run around like a nutjob when i want to not because the clock is ticking down insanely fast.
If there were no time limits i would have loved this game and given it a glowing review
As it is its frustrating and short and it makes me angry.
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