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Bigbig Studios latest for PSP is a breath of fresh air. The game is fast-paced, with quick cars, plenty of weapons, and crazy-enough criminals to get off on the insanity defense. The action is reckless with plenty of “did that really just happened?” moments, aided by solid humor. There’s definitely a lot to like, though the game is a bit limited in scope.
Pursuit Force is largely a vehicle-combat game. As a new cop who is a member of the Pursuit Force you’ll have access to cars, motorcycles and boats as you try to find and mow down the gang members in the stage. The missions typically task you with killing all of the stage’s gang members before you get to a certain destination. For instance, you’ll have to kill them all before they get to the city because they’re about to wreck havoc. As you progress through the stage, you’ll get better weapons.
One of the game’s best features is the ability to commandeer new vehicles. Instead of getting out of your own and into the new vehicle, when you’re near another vehicle, there is a flashing onscreen icon that lets you jump on top of the other vehicle, shoot its driver and companion and take over that vehicle. It’s not quite as easy as it sounds since the enemies will shoot at you (though you can doge their bullets) and swerve around crazily in order to shake you off. Sometimes they succeed in shaking you off, and you’re barely holding on. Thankfully, by pressing on the directional pad you’re able to get back on top of the car. It’s a very nifty feature and something that blows your mind the first time you see it.
The game is definitely at its best when you’re in a car, jumping in between vehicles, and taking down enemies. There are some occasional on-foot areas. These aren’t quite as interesting. Essentially, you’ll run around an area looking for enemies to shoot. You’ll have to take cover or you’ll be easily smoked by the opposition. The on-foot control is fine, but it isn’t nearly as chaotic as the car action. Aside from this, the game has a few other mission types some of which reference popular culture and others which are genre staples (such as the typical “you’re in a helicopter controlling a chain gun” rail-shooting).
Pursuit Force has decent though not amazing replay value. You’ll find a race mode which presents a scenario for you to race to a destination in a certain amount of time. The time trial mode is exactly what it sounds like. The game does not have a multiplayer mode. However, you are graded at the end of missions with a grade of A, B, or C. There is some incentive to go back and get a higher grade since you’ll open more unlockables.
The game’s visuals are splendid. The character models are well designed albeit cartoonish though it fits the game very well. The main character is a cocky individual but it works for him. The gang members are unique and definitely showcase their insanity very well. The animation for the characters is very fluid. You’ll see great smoothness when you jump to a different car, sometimes shooting the enemies while you do so. The different areas you’ll drive through all look great too. The game has a very quick pace, pushing the PSP. There is rarely slowdown and the load times are fine.
The audio is equally appealing. The orchestrated background music sounds just like something you’ll find in a big-name action flick. The sound effects are well done, as well. The voice acting really takes the cake though. You’ll hear all of the main characters speak, including the police chief that barks orders at you, the citizens of the town cower in fear, and of course the different gang members sound like vastly exaggerated versions of what you would expect.
Pursuit Force isn’t perfect since you’re bound to get a bit tired of the game by the time you finish. As amusing as it is to jump from car to car and shoot people, there are times when you want to do something else. The game does a pretty good job of adding in some variety, though the addition of multiplayer would have made this a definite must have. That said it is heavily recommended since the game has a top-notch presentation, great sense of humor, and is one of the few PSP games that you’ll really get something out of if you only have 20 minutes to play. -- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- Mar 7, 2006
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