Heavy Metal FAKK 2

Move over Lara Croft, there's a new lady in town! Heavy Metal FAKK 2 brings an incredible fantasy world to life on the PC with lots of gun toting action to boot.

Hot off the presses and backed by an animated feature film, Heavy Metal FAKK 2 is an action adventure that proves to be a fun challenge. In the game, Julie (the same heroine from the movie) and the last survivors of the great war have found paradise on a planet they have named Eden. After years of fighting, they now lead quiet lives, and, as a bonus, the water on Eden stops the aging process, and no one has gotten older in the years since the war ended. But all of that is threatened when mysterious asteroids begin pounding the planet, and an alien menace named Gith begins to land its forces.

Heavy Metal is a third person game though the controls are similar to a first person shooter. Julie can run, jump, climb, and fight better than Lara Croft. Like Lara in the Tomb Raider games, Julie spends a lot of time jumping from ledges and platforms, requiring extremely precise timing to make many of the jumps. You'll often find yourself hunting for a ledge that you can jump up and hang on to, but in general, it's fairly obvious what needs to be done to get past an obstacle. In addition, there are a good number of puzzles. While there's nothing groundbreaking (turn the valves in the right combination), there are a couple of timing puzzles that may test your patience. Overall, the level designers have done a rock-solid job, combining just the right amount of platform-style action with intense combat.

Heavy Metal also has a good variety in fighting, and though the tried and true Quake circle strafe works well in some situations, combat does require strategy. The different enemies can be defeated in a number of ways, but some methods are better than others. Julie's various swords and sling might be primitive compared to the big guns she acquires later in the game, but they're very practical, and can dish out heavy damage if you learn her combo moves properly. Julie also gets to use a rocket launcher, a flame-thrower, crossbow, and an Uzi, among other weapons. A handy aiming reticule lights up Julie's current target for the smaller guns and provides a certain degree of auto aiming, while the big weapons require more precise manual aiming. Battling the diverse enemies and bosses in Heavy Metal is a tough challenge, but Ritual has given gamers a fun and balanced cache of weapons to use.

Ritual has also built an excellent graphics engine and put it to good use. The outdoor environments are well done, and the temple design near the end of the game is incredible with detailed architecture on a grand scale. The audio is generally good, with solid voice acting, music, and weapon sounds,however, the environmental sounds have a tendency to abruptly drop off.

The plot development fleshes out the story and the in-game cutscenes are pretty entertaining. While it's no Gone With The Wind, Heavy Metal spends some time with the story and characters, and it pays off. Fans of the Heavy Metal graphic magazine, which has been known to print some fairly risqu? stuff, won't find anything shocking in FAKK 2. Actually, aside from a few skimpy outfits that Julie wears, there's no nudity, Kingpin-like cursing, or Soldier of Fortune-esque gore. There is enough blood to earn an M rating however.

Heavy Metal FAKK 2 will give you a good dose of fun while you're playing, although it is a bit short and there isn't any multiplayer to extend the game value. Still, the graphics and level design make for some satisfying eye candy, and the gameplay strikes a sweet balance between the typical run and gun shooters, 3D platformers, and action adventures. Heavy Metal FAKK 2 was tasty enough to make me want a second helping in a better and bigger sequel. Now get to work Ritual!

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