The Bourne Conspiracy
- March 17, 2008 15:27 PM PST
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Realizing the low success rate for movie to video game adaptations, The Bourne Conspiracy seeks to create something different while staying true to the elements that make the Bourne series a mega hit.
You wouldn't think that a movie trilogy as successful as the action-packed Bourne series would need any help in making the transition from the big screen to game consoles. After all, the CIA-evading, bone-cracking Jason Bourne enthralled movie goers everywhere with his dangerous escapades and conspiracy theories. But then again, there have been quite a few great films that never panned out in the video game world and the developers of The Bourne Conspiracy, High Moon Studios, seems to have taken this into account.
If you've played Gears of War you'll feel right at home with Bourne's shooting controls. Jason can take cover, aim down sights, and even perform precision takedowns with a gun.
The Bourne Conspiracy actually draws a lot more from the Bourne book series than the movies. While fans of the films (especially the first one) will still be quite familiar with events in the game, a lot of The Bourne Conspiracy is a rendition of the successful Bourne books by Robert Ludlum. Much of this game takes off on Ludlum's earlier writings. Also, the playable character doesn't really look a thing like Matt Damon as he could be far more comparable to a video game version of Jamie Kennedy. He's still just as much of a lethal, killing machine as Damon was in the movies though as you'll see in many of the flashback missions. These levels take the player into the sketchy memories of Jason Bourne where he slowly pieces together his early career as an assassin bit-by-bit.
The action in the game makes one feel as if they are in a film. While the story doesn't really stick to the movie, the sped-up action of the game makes one think they are fighting in one. Jason Bourne's kicks and punches are delivered at the same speed as Damon delivers his onscreen. High Moon Studios was able to copy the speed and intensity of Damon's martial arts by using the same animation and camera techniques utilized by the film makers to make Bourne an unbelievably quick fighter.
Bourne's innate fighting instinct allows him to use nearly any object in the environment in conjecture with a takedown to deal extra damage.
The game play sequences make The Bourne Conspiracy an easy game to get into right off the bat. For those who hate reading through dry instructional manuals to learn moves and techniques, there should be no fear with playing Bourne Conspiracy. The hand-to-hand combat sequences are quite simple as there is only the light and heavy attack buttons, the block button, and the takedown button to master. While fighting an enemy, you will fill up a takedown meter with adrenaline which, as it fills, allows you to execute a takedown. Some takedowns are as simple as a finishing karate chop while others are much cooler and involve things such as stealing an enemy's weapon and teaching him how it should be used. There are also bosses and mini-bosses in the game too. They are basically just like the normal characters you fight except they can deliver a beating and take one a lot better than those under them.
Hand-to-hand combat isn't the only thing that The Bourne Conspiracy features. While it's fun beating your enemies into oblivion by using Jason Bourne's limbs, the martial arts could become a little boring if there wasn't something to break things up a little. Luckily there's plenty of car chases and shooting to the rescue. The car chases are certainly no driving simulation as they have a bit of an unrealistic feeling to them and see a lot of Bourne needing to maneuver around oncoming traffic. However, the movie car chases weren't exactly realistic either and the few in The Bourne Conspiracy seem like they're made more to cater to fun rather than realism. The shooting, like the hand-to-hand, should make most players feel at home too since its pretty standard for third-person games. One difference though is that you can go into a sort of Bourne vision mode where he takes into account where the enemies are and what he could shoot near them that would explode. The Bourne Conspiracy will be exploding into stores on June 3rd and should be an excellent way to start off the summer.
