Bourne Conspiracy Review

Introduction: I have typically respected High Moon Studios for the chances they take when developing their games and today is no different. I have taken a lot of flack for being excited about the Bourne Conspiracy but after all is said and done, I really did enjoy this game. Please don't confuse this with me saying that "The Bourne Conpiracy" is a perfect game because that statement couldn't be farther from the truth. However, I think that this is a game that many developers should turn to and use as a blueprint when developing their own licensed game. High Moon Studios has done what I would call an "admirable job" of taking what many people would call a hopeless endeavor and molded it into a game that is ultimately a flawed but fun experience.

If you read my blog posts or have ever listened to one of our shows then you probably already know that the Bourne series is one of my most beloved franchises. The character is brilliantly imagined and is in my personal opinion one of todays most interesting action heroes. Of course, this doesn't mean that the IP is a shoe in for a good video game. I have been looking forward to this game for a long time but I will be the first to admit that this game does have some major flaws that prevent it from achieving greatness. First of all, the game is just too repetitive and linear. Bourne is supposed to be about using intelect to survive situations and avoid major confrontation but the game throws that concept out the window. I think the game could have really used some more elaborate environments with multiple paths to choose from but they opted for the straight forward, linear path instead. High moon created the illusion of choice by suggesting that you sneak up on enemies "Splinter Cell" style and eliminate foes quietly but in most situations, this is just not possible. I feel like High Moon kind of tossed out everything that makes the books and movies great in an attempt to "give people what they want" which is shooting, shooting, more shooting. This isn't all bad but the game could have used more personality to make it stand out from the crowd... you know, kind of like the movies. My other major complaint is with the basic combat. Once combat is initiated, Bourne can perform "combos" in order to build up adrenaline which can be unleashed in a graphic, brutal takedown move. I put combos in quotes because these combos are a combination of two buttons, triangle and square. The last factor in performing combos is the fact that you can only perform three attacks at a time before there is a pause which gives you an oppurtunity to block, move, or perform a takedown. Do the math and that only comes out to 6 different combinations. I'm sure you can imagine how fast this gets old. By waiting and building up adrenaline beyond the first tier, Jason can perform mutilple person takedowns. If you are surrounded by 3 enemies, it is possible to take them all down in a quick time event. This is cool but you are rarely given an oppurtunity to do this. During boss fights, certain objects such as books or pens will glow indicating that performing a takedown near them will initiate an environmental takedown. All in all, takedowns are fun to execute and can be satisfying but the concept is ultimately a bit flawed. High moon also implemented the "Bourne Instinct", a mode that can be activated by tapping the triangle button and highlights important aspects of the environment such as important doors, weapons, passports, and enemies. This could have been a great addition to the game but unfortunately they use it to its full potential. Finally, the shooting mechanic is somewhat broken because of the poorly designed aiming reticle and the enemies miraculous immunity to gunshot wounds. Shooting rarely slows, let alone kills, unless you make a headshot. By now, you probably think the game is a total waste of space but despite its many flaws it somehow still remains fairly solid by todays action game standards.



High Moon Studios has a talent for taking weird concepts (darkwatch) or flawed games (darkwatch) and still making them solid and fun. I may have complained a lot about the hand to hand combat in this game but first of all, I hold Bourne to higher standard than most other action games. The combat can be a lot of fun to mess around with despite its simplicity and repetitiveness. The game is also presented rather well in regards to story even though I think if they had spent more time polishing the cut-scenes and stoy aspects of the game, it could have been a better game. Dialogue is handled rather well and all of the moments from the movies are recreated pretty accurately. I was also pleasently surprised by the driving level which was actually my least favorite level of the demo. It was far from perfect but would qualify as a guilty pleasure of mine. The level suffered from a few poor design choices and lacked the polish that games like Grand Theft Auto 4 had but it was still a nice addition to the game. The flashback portions of the games were nice because it offered the player some new content that they hadn't seen in the movies but typically, the best moments in the game come from the movie.

Ultimately, it is difficult for me to recommend this game to everyone so I will probably recommend this game strictly to