Mace Griffin Bounty Hunter

It’s hard to feel sorry for a guy who admits that by nature he is a hunter and a killer.

If not for that, Mace Griffin’s story might be a semi-tragic one. But then again, it might not be a story at all.

Warthog, Black Label Games and Vivendi Universal have all teamed up to present a taut first-person shooter, Mace Griffin Bounty Hunter. While this game is set on new worlds, with a fresh background of races to kill and sites to see, don’t mistake this for a Halo incarnation. It is anything but. This game has a dark side. Mace is, in many ways, the antihero of the tale.

But that aside, this is a game that features solid graphical elements, moody background sound, a lot of blood, some average vocal acting (though Henry Rollins as Mace is great) on secondary characters

The story begins in the year 2412, when the human race was terra forming a lot of planets. A new race was encountered and treaties were made. The humans got land, and the aliens got a taste of that which humans call civilization. Two hundred years later, three races are working together, collecting resources, exploiting worlds. As can be expected, smuggling and criminal activity rises. The corporations put together the Enforcers to keep crime in check and protect the races. But even that wasn’t enough.

The High Senate then put together an elite military unit known as the Rangers. The purpose was to monitor the Enforcers. That, as Mace states in the opening sequence, was the beginning. Mace was a member of the 13 Rangers unit - which is actually where the tale begins.

But something goes wrong, and Mace is convicted unjustly of crimes and sent to prison. The years pass. Bitter? Not really. But mean and thirsty for revenge? Yes.

Mace serves his time and when released, he gets a job as a bounty hunter - a position he uses to hunt those responsible for his incarceration. Why?

"Because let’s face it, no one wants to go to hell alone, right?"

The game actually begins with an assault by the 13 Rangers on a space ship that has come under attack. Mace’s role, and it immediately apparent by the tone of voice used, that he is a marked man by the unit’s commander, is to find the control center and release the airlock, which has shut on the unit. Along the way, players will get a lesson in targeting, and killing a host of bad guys, all of whom speak with Russian accents with trite mean slogans - like "your scalp is mine, dirtbag" or "I’m going to have your head on a stick!" during the firefight.

The game itself is somewhat linear in nature, and the AI is really good. The bad guys don’t just stand there waiting to get shot. They roll, hid and take irregular paths to their target - you.

The graphical quality of the game is very good. The bad guys can be blown to bits, but the environments are well designed. Some of the cutscenes are a little robotic, though. And there are some lip-synch problems.

The sound is a mixed bag as well. The musical score is very good, and the battle sounds are well done. Some of the vocal characterizations are cliche, and there is some overacting.

The control elements are fairly straightforward and typical of the genre. The right thumbstick controls targeting and is rather touchy. Newcomers to the genre will have their work cut out for them but after about 20 minutes, they should have the fundamentals down well enough to work through the early levels.

Mace Griffin Bounty Hunter is a tale of vengeance, it is a bloody battle through new worlds. The action is fast and somewhat constant. The game looks very good, sounds good and plays very well. This is a very solid FPS. It is challenging and intense.

Gameplay: 8
There are a lot of cutscenes to advance the story. Once in a level, the action moves well, though the game is somewhat linear in nature.

Graphics: 8
Some of the cutscenes are a little robotic, but in the actual levels, the animation is remarkable and lifelike. It may take a few too many rounds from the gun to drop a foe, and the rag-doll effect does not seem to be used here. The environments are detailed and well done, though the game lacks vibrancy.

Sound: 8.2
Some of the vocal characterizations are cliche, but the musical score, effects are all well done.

Difficulty: Medium
The targeting is touchy, and the levels get progressively harder as the game evolves. While a reflexive game, the AI seems to adjust to the player’s abilities quite nicely, allowing the less experienced the opportunity to improve before the game gets really difficult.

Concept: 7.8
This game has a good plotline and solid story evolution. The game tells you what is going to happen, then plays it all out. You can’t alter the course of the game. The interface is simple to use. This game is not exactly brimming over with original concepts, but they are combined well.

Overall: 8
Mace Griffin is a good first-person shooter. The game has great details in the graphics and a very good overall sound. The storyline may be a reworking of a stock plot, but somehow feels fresh against this background. The action is also good. There is a standard array of targets ... er bad guys, but they don’t exactly line up to be shot. If you are in the mood for a very good FPS, take a shot at this. You won’t be disappointed.