Back To Reviews
By Contributing Writer Chris George Rating: Good Gun Griffon Blaze is a well-crafted mech game with one glaring flaw: It's much shorter than it should be. Just when you really start to get into the game, it ends instead of turning it up a notch. It's a shame that Gun Griffon Blaze is so short, because the actual gameplay is remarkably fun from start to finish. The control lay-out takes advantage of every button on the PlayStation 2 controller, and it's also fully customizable. Using the analog sticks to move and aim works wonderfully, allowing you to easily run towards a battle, jump into the air, and destroy the enemies below. The missions do a surprising job of offering variety and strategy despite the fact that the objectives themselves are far from creative (you either have to destroy something or protect something). You actually have to make quick decisions and use strategy rather than just mindlessly shooting everything that moves. For instance, certain weapons work better with certain units, and how you approach enemy units also makes a difference thanks to the smart Artificial Intelligence. Enemies sometimes attempt to attack you when you're not looking (just as you will surely do to them), and they also get behind objects for cover. To balance out the tough enemies, you're provided with equally smart teammates who really do make a difference as you try to get the job done. They talk to you through your radio to let you know what's going on, and unlike the "sidekicks" in many other games, they won't recklessly charge into battle and get themselves killed. Gun Griffon Blaze's graphics are similar to TimeSplitters' in that both games sacrifice detail for raw speed. This game's frame rate is always incredibly fast no matter how much is taking place on the screen, and to compensate for this, the units and buildings aren't very detailed. On the plus side, the explosions are a sight to behold (and explosions are very important in this kind of game). The ability to customize your mechs is far more interesting in Armored Core 2, but it's still fun in Gun Griffon Blaze. You can also unlock new mechs and weapons if you do well enough in the missions. Everything else in the game is solid, from the sound effects to the music to the voice-overs. If it offered more than six missions, this game could have been a classic. As it is, Gun Griffon Blaze is short, sweet, and a blast while it lasts. It will keep you on the edge of your seat for an excitement-filled couple of days. Send your thoughts on this review to chris@mastergamer.com
© 2001, ivan@mastergamer.com
