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Value Bin: The Bourne Conspiracy Review

JimmyJames70

June 22, 2010

R

obert Ludlum's The Bourne Conspiracy was originally released in June 2008. The game got some average reviews with only a 71 metacritic score. So, why talk about it now? Because it's a better game than you might remember the critics saying it was and you can currently get it on the cheap.

The idea behind the game is pretty awesome with a combination of hand-to-hand combat and gun fights. The problem is the execution of the gameplay. It does rely heavily on quick time events, which is when Bourne shows how good of a fighter he is. However, the basic hand-to-hand combat is severely lacking. You hit the X and Y buttons to land combo attacks and hit A to block. The thing is though, you'll mostly be holding down A through most of the fight as the AI attacks relentlessly. And when it's your turn to attack, well, let's just say that Jason's quick reflexes aren't very quick. In the time it takes for Jason to throw a punch, the AI is already landing another series of his own combo punches. And if you want to use a powerful kick move, Bourne takes forever to gear up and perform the maneuver. Your best bet is to somehow get your adrenaline meter filled so you can perform a takedown move by pressing B. That triggers a mini-cutscene during which Jason shows his true skills. To help fill up your meter, wait for the clues as to when you can counter attack. This generally occurs after the AI attempts two different combo attacks.

Some additional negatives to the game include a really sucky cover system and moving Bourne around is pretty clunky. Plus, at the start of the game, I really didn't pay much attention to the story. If you've seen the movie, then you get the basic idea of what is taking place. Overall, you're there to kick some ass and take names and there's something about getting your memory back.

For the gun fights, shooting a guy in the chest takes about a full clip to kill a guy. The AI is covered in bullet proof vests. On the other hand, headshots equal instant death and the game is pretty generous with what constitutes a head shot. My advice is to go for the head shots every time.

Why am I recommending a game that I'm ripping to shreds? Well, for starters, it is a stylish game and it looks pretty good. It is also presented very well. And, plus, it only takes a split second to reload your gun. Far too many games these days make a big presentation out of taking the old clip out and putting the new clip in. That can take forever and gets pretty repetitious very fast. Many times while playing Left 4 Dead I felt like half the game was spent reloading your gun... But I digress.

Also, many of the scenes do make the game worthwhile to play through to the end. If you get that far, then you've pretty much mastered the hand-to-hand combat, which can become pretty fun, if not slightly predictable; but that allows you opportunities to try new combo moves by combining X and Y.

If you're a fan of Quick Time Events, which this game heavily relies on, then you'll like this game. It's not the type of QTE in which you have to repeatedly smash a button as fast as you can. Rather, it's timed QTE events to execute moves.

The best reason to play this game is to get prepped for a possible sequel. As I stated at the beginning, the ideas behind the game are incredibly fun, let's hope that Vivendi Games and High Moon Studios take the time to create a sequel and polish the rough edges.

I'm tempted to put The Bourne Conspiracy up for grabs via a contest. Let me know in the comments if you're interested in playing this game and I might set something up after the Crackdown 2 contest is over.

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