It's also disappointing that one of the biggest challenges in this game is getting it to recognize that you're trying to perform an action anytime you come across a button that needs pushing or a lever that needs pulling to proceed. There were too many times when we found ourselves strafing back and forth in front of an elevator button just to get the damn thing moving.

But the real shame is that this problem also makes Turning Point's hand-to-hand combat too frustrating to enjoy. In theory, when you get close to an enemy you can either use them as a human shield or use the environment to kill them in clever ways. There are a few yucks to be had with this feature like when you kick a Nazi into an oven or the time when you give one a deadly swirly by drowning him in a toilet bowl. But because the game's so picky about recognizing when you're close enough for melee attack, you'll usually just wind up receiving a full clip of ammo to your face for your troubles.

Multiplayer doesn't make up for Turning Point's disappointing single player campaign either. The game's underwhelming selection of modes are limited to Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch. Good luck finding a game. Whether you're playing on LIVE, PSN or online on your PC, Turning Point's lobbies are pretty empty. Even if they were hopping with other players waiting to get it on, the game's sparse selection of utterly average maps and expected selection of machine guns and rifles won't rock your world.

Turning Point's minimalist approach to everything - from its stale levels and sticky controls to its thin plot and absent character development - killed what could've been a really unique and engaging shooter and will disappoint hardcore fans of the genre across the board.

Mar 24, 2008