ONE is a game that, by all standards, should make
it to #1 on the console game charts. ONE has just about everything an action
fan could ask for in a game. Unfortunately, someone responsible for putting
this potentially outstanding game together goofed big time!
You play a character named John Cain who awakens
in a strange environment. To your utter shock and dismay you discover something
is missing. Some perverted sicko has cut off your left arm and replaced
it with a really nifty big gun. You won't have much time to think about
how this affects your playing pinball machines because all hell immediately
breaks loose. You are under attack by helicopters and more mad men than
Hitler was able to muster. So off you go on a non-stop action binge. You'll
run, jump, dive, crouch and do somersaults through 6 levels of total mayhem.
There's never a minutes peace. If you stop to
relax for a second - you're dead. Fortunately, you have some super-human
powers and an assortment of lethal weapons to help you make it to the checkpoints
on each level.
The graphics are stunning. Explosions send glass,
rocks and debris flying everywhere. John Cain is modeled very sharply except
for that strange blue glow that always surrounds him. Simply put - this
is a gorgeous game.
Lots of noise! But that's what you'd expect in
an action packed game. The sound of guns, airships, explosions, grunts
and groans all blend together in a symphony of carnage. There is a soundtrack
in there somewhere, but you won't have time to listen to the music.
The game supports the Dual Analog Pad (DAP). As
is the case in a lot of games, the DAP was very sensitive when executing
precise moves. No obvious advantage was found using the DAP over the standard
digital controller. You'll die a hundred deaths until you master the control
in this game.
Now here's where the game completely falls apart.
You play the game from a third person perspective. The camera angle is
from an elevated position. That's OK, but what really rubs salt into the
wound is - the camera floats around John Cain. Sometimes it's in back,
or on the side or some really stupid angle that hinders your control of
Cain. You have no control of the camera other than some minor zooming in/out.
If you need to jump across something, most chances are, the camera will
be located in the worst possible position. You probably won't successfully
complete the jump, fall into the ravine and die. Each time you die, you
must start again from your last checkpoint.
The explosions fill the screen and block your
view of some important things. For instance, if you're running and there's
a major explosion, you had better stop lest you blindly fall into an abyss
and die. If you haven't mastered jumping with the controller you'll probably
fall into the abyss anyway.
It's really really sad that the floating camera
thing totally destroys what could be one of the best action games around
today. What a goof!
You can set the difficulty to "Easy" but you'll
still find the game extremely hard to play. Make no mistake, this is a
tough game. Be prepared for some serious frustration.
Replay value? You'll be lucky to make it through
the game so why would you want to go back and play it again!
Bottom Line: If you've been told by a licensed
psychiatrist that you are an insatiable masochist, definitely buy this
game. If not, you may still want to rent ONE for a day just to see what
might have been.
Graphics: 8.5
Sound: 8.5
Learning Curve: Moderate
Difficulty: Hard
Control: 6
Manual: Good
Replay Value: Low
OVERALL SCORE: 6.9
