Silly shooter

Codemasters latest game should have been shot at the concept stage itself.

More than three hours into Bodycount,there is a temptation to see the cover of the game to figure out what is the purpose of the whole thing. And as the cover rightfully shows on inspection,you just need to use your gun in this game. Even so,there is a feeling of hopelessness that engulfs the user while Bodycount is still on. You plod through it hoping for something new to happen except for the mindless carnage you unleash all through the levels.

The game itself is straightforward. You play as a member of a good-guys group called The Network while your enemy is supposed to be a part of a group called The Target. Yes,thats what theyre called. Games dont get any simpler than these.

And so,from the different levels in different surroundings such as a rain-forest or a civil-war torn city,you pick up your gun and just go wham.. wham.. wham8230; Logic,intelligence,warfare and tactics be damned,simply because they are not needed. Point the weapon at everything that moves,and with the almost endless supply of ammunition at your disposal,all you need to do is point at your weapon,shoot,reload and move on,like Alice in Resident Evil.

There is a certain amount of exasperation that you encounter after a while of this mind-numbing shootout because you see no point to it. Even the game play conspires with your feelings,making you want to switch off in frustration. If youre determined to reach the end,you will be waylaid by oddities of positioning. For example,you would see your end position at the far end of the screen but as you advance,the screen suddenly shifts,taking you on a roundabout way to the end of the level. The artificial intelligence also conspires to tar your image of the game with some of the enemy literally shooting you in the back suddenly to halt your march to the end. The graphics and sound are just about average,with nothing home to write about really.

Bodycount could have been a stunner if only it had spent more time in the conception stage,added a few more graphics,increased the enemys intelligence by a bit and gone through the levels systematically. Even changing guns is a challenge here. For an all-out shootout game,thats pretty much the worst it can get. There are a number of better shooting games available in the market and unless Codemasters comes with a modified version of Bodycount correcting all its faults,you would be better off giving them a look. Unless of course,mindless shooting is your idea of gaming nirvana.