24 : The Game
From Frikipedia
Playstation game, in which you can actually BE Jack Bauer. Comes with the slight caveat that you will also occasionally have to be some geeky computer person tasked with doing something boring involving circuits.
Contents |
Overview
The game follows the vague ideals of a series of 24, i.e. things happen in real time, terrorists are bad, etc.
Chronologicallly speaking, it takes place between day 2 and day 3, which means the old gang are all there. Tony, Michelle, Chapelle and Kim all make appearences, along with some new bloke called Sean or something. It is painfully obvious from an early stage that Sean is destined to get merked at some point, as he is the only clearly expendable main character.
The Levels
Rather derivative, and fall into five different categories:
- Shooting stuff - i.e. You are Jack. Those are 50 bad guys. Go figure.
- Driving places - i.e. Get in one of CTU's big 4x4s and drive around LA looking for a mythical yellow beam of light indicating the end of the level.
- Computer stuff - i.e. You have to crack a code, or defuse a bomb, or install a Windows update. Usually a load of unmitigated bollocks.
- Interrogations - i.e. You get to control Jack as he mercilessly tortures some evil-doer by rubbing vinegar into a paper cut in their foreskin or something, in true gung-ho Jack style.
- Being a girl - i.e. You control Michelle or Kim and have to improbably complete some or all of the above whilst wearing six-inch high heels.
Kim is a Loser
At least one of the levels infuriates players by forcing them to "be" Kim Bauer. Not even Kim in day 2 "all sweaty and running about in a tiny vest top" style either, you're day 3 "all frumpy business suit and aggressive fringe" Kim.
Kim is rubbish, there is no doubt about it. Even in the actual show, eye candy-licious though she could be, if the plot focused on Kim for a moment you knew she was seconds away from being kidnapped/shot at/raped/falling over, because she was a useless plot toy designed to keep male audience members interested during the inevitably quiet few episodes just after the mid-point of the series, when all the original bad guys had been killed and the CTU characters had to spend their time expositing reasons as to why there was actually a whole different bunch of bad guys who were really to blame.
In one particular level of the game, Kim has to sneak her way past around thirty heavily armed terrorists, armed only with a taser and a thimble. This is an utterly frustrating task, as she is so crap at doing stuff properly.
To add to your frustrations, having finally completed that part of the game on your 65th attempt, the plot requires that she give herself up immediately afterwards anyway. The stupid mare.
Friki Verdict
Friki gives 24 the game 2 Celtic Crosses out of five. This will increase only when Friki completes the last hour and a half.
