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Clive Barker's Jericho

Bring Some Wine for this Cheese

Unfortunately, the game doesn't get off to a promising start. The opening cinematic sets the stage for the action, and the narrative is pure cheese from the start. Dialogue is over-the-top, with all the nuance of a Wesley Snipes film [as classy as that? - Ed]. The voice acting talent is of similarly horrible, transforming most cutscenes into groan-inducing clips. The combination of a B-level action script with over-wrought delivery turns an earnest thriller into a farcical comedy. And what of the story? When the narrative revolves around a Special Forces team from the U.S. Department of Occult Warfare, you know that you're in for a ridiculous ride. A supernatural investigation in Africa, a Special Forces team with paranormal abilities and plenty of predictable plot developments are what Jericho has to offer for story.

Cutscenes play far too frequently. And don't question the costume design

Appropriate dress for battling demons involves showing plenty of skin

None of this bodes well for the gameplay to follow, which starts off with a hint of promise. After easing you into the games controls - which are uncannily simple to grasp, a carry-over from the console versions - a squad-based mechanic is introduced. As you and your fellow occult warriors investigate the disappearance of a previous elite investigative squad in the ancient city of Al-Khali, an unfortunate turn of events grants you the power to move between team members. In this way, you're able to alternate between a half-dozen teammates, each with unique powers and weapons (though each character carries only two weapons).

Even Department of Occult Warfare Special Forces soldiers need a hug now and then

Squad mates can be tempermental. "Don't taze me, bro!"

Rudimentary squad controls allow you to roughly position the team, which is divided into two squads, Alpha and Omega. All tangible value in squad command is negated by the cramped level design, and there's rarely a reason for any tactic other than a full-on charge forward. The ability to inhabit distinct characters at any moment is the game's most original aspect, but from there the gameplay devolves into an FPS more linear than Doom.

It's Better on Paper, Really!

The frustrating linearity is due to the level design, which is more confining than any FPS in recent (or ancient) memory. Levels are little more than corridors, and moving from start to finish there's a constant sense of being herded. Dulling the experience to an even greater degree are the frequent level loads and checkpoint saves, which are usually followed by a bit of story exposition via in-game cutscenes. Here, the quips between teammates have a certain intentional humor to them, but don't expect to be drawn in to the story to any meaningful degree.

Note the corridor-inspired level design - one path, follow it

Teammates will take up position and then fire until they're dead. Yeah, it gets old rather quickly

In another nod to frustration, control is crippled during these sequences. Movement slows and the player's weapon disappears from the screen; the only savior is the Escape key. Barker's story develops predictably but in a forced manner; it's relayed in spite of the gameplay and not because of it. It's as if Barker took a cue from Ebert's criticism and removed the element of choice from the game entirely, and the result is an FPS with less player choice than an on-rails arcade shooter. Playing Jericho is a bit like playing an interactive movie, with bits of exposition interrupted by moments of intense combat.

It doesn't sound like fun because it isn't.

Page 1: IntroductionPage 2: GameplayPage 3: Gameplay and GraphicsPage 4: HardwarePage 5: Summary and Scores

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