Requiem: Avenging Angel

Ever fragged an angel? You will. Think of 3DO's Requiem as Touched by an Angel meets Scarface.

Ever fragged an angel? You will. Think of 3DO's Requiem as Touched by an Angel meets Scarface.

Apparently, things aren't well up above. The all-seeing, all-knowing Lord suddenly realizes a mutiny is afoot. The seedier angels are trying to start Armageddon without him. (Picture Pulp Fiction's Vincent Vega with wings.)

These fallen angels fly down to earth to commiserate with the humans, and get their wings into everything from social unrest to world-class tyranny. The Lord isn't having any of this nonsense and dispatches an angel named Malachi to do his bidding. His bidding just happens to involve some cool automatic weapons, a few angelic powers,and lots of gruesome explosions. (The Lord must be a vengeful Lord, or he would never have sent Menudo among us.)

Malachi sets out to re-educate the fallen angels with the usual assortment of combat shotguns, assault rifles, missile launchers, and rail guns in 16 levels of desolate industrial streets and techno environments.

But what sets Requiem apart are the offensive and defensive angel powers, which allow you to set a plague of locusts upon your enemies or smite them with a hail of brimstone. You can use Heal, Deflect, and Banish powers to keep the throng of non-believers at bay. Insist turns evil ones to the side of good, and Resurrection brings dead sidekicks back to life.

So, you've got the hosts of heaven on one side, lots of hellish knuckleheads on the other, and the human race between. Who wants to fight for the human race? Boring. Requiem's use of religious themes isn't shocking enough to create a controversy that will move the game in retail, but don't let something minor like the boundaries of good taste deprive you of a fun game.

As a solo game, Requiem has heavenly moments (like watching guards twitch and scream as the locusts descend upon them), and a hellish side as well (like the garish cut-scenes).

But it's a blast in multiplayer mode--especially if you're turning a buddy into a pillar of salt. As new skins are created for the angels to inhabit, the game should get increasingly popular. However, 3D card conflicts clipped Requiem's wings. Before I swapped my ATI Rage Pro for a Voodoo3, the game crashed or locked up on almost every level.

But put that all aside and forgive-because if you've ever been a fan of Quake II or SiN, Requiem's got the wings to fly with you.

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