You remember your first set-piece. They’re exciting to begin with. You’re playing a level, you turn the corner, and – OH MY GOD! – a spaceship has just nuked that building! But... but... but Alpha Team was in there. Commander Jenkins! Michael. He saved my life in the Martian Wars. Good god. We’ve got to get in there, and now. So everyone starts spraying his or her machine gun around, there’s a brief judder as it auto-saves then the game hands control back to you – bang into the next mission. Awesome. Games really are just like films, you might think to yourself, as you press both triggers down and unload whatever it is you’re dual-wielding.
But the next time you see a set-piece lumbering into view it’s not so exciting. Those alien bastards have nuked HQ now, and Bravo Team was inside. Coincidentally, the nuking happened just as you exited level three and walked into the military zone designated ‘Level Four’. Then, a few hours of strafing later, the camera swivels to show you Fireteam Tango getting swarmed by mutants precisely at the moment the opening section of ‘Shooting Section Seven’ stops loading.
Just give me a bit of text informing me aliens have invaded, there’s only one ship left and I’m the only pilot alive. Stick your carefully-scripted moments up your - OMG! ZULU YANKEE TEAM WAS ON THAT BUS!
Gary writes gaming websiteukresistance.co.uk.
