The London Underground
What a fantastic invention. Think about it. Say, 200 years ago, who would've thought we'd be
hurled around in compact tunnels in metal pods? It's like something out of an early
victorian speculative fiction novel.
But anyway, my review:
This game has been in development for a while now, from developers London Passenger
Transport Board, and was promising from the start. But can it live up to the hype?
The Gameplay: As far as I'm aware, the gameplay works well. You start the game by pressing
start to insert ticket, and then off you go, which means the game is very accesible. The
controls are the pretty standard "use legs to walk" setup, and there isn't much else to it.
The problem is though, it's so simple! walk forward, walk forward some more, stop, wait for
train, enter train, wait, exit train, and so on. While this makes for a solid gameplay
experience, it really starts to get samey after a while.
The Graphics: The visuals on the Tube really are fantastic. They use the "Real Life" engine,
which is the most advanced engine on the market. The textures look perfectly
life-like, and the people look like they are standing right next to you, which, technically,
they are. The environments, however, don't do the game justice. It's just mile after mile
after mile of grey corridor, with the occasional homeless guy, it's like the original DOOM!
And for some reason, as soon as you try and look down a tunnel, it goes pitch black! This
could mean that the game's draw distance is very short, which is a heavy blow considering
the greatness of all other aspects of its visuals.
The Inventory System: The Inventory System on the Tube is very open-ended. You can use
anything from a handbag to a hulking rucksack. Most inventory systems, however, are very
insecure, and there are a number of unfriendly NPCs who will try to loot your body while
you're still alive, and with you not noticing. This is rapidly becoming known in the Tube
Community as "pickpocketing".
The NPCs: While on the subject of NPCs, there are interesting observations to be made. For a
start, many of them are simply not open to reaction. You try to press the A button to talk,
and all they do is stare at their book, or give you a funny look, which is a serious
let-down in terms of AI. Some NPCs are, however, very interactive, although not in a
pleasant way. They will often attack you unporvoked, after consuming heavy quantities of
mead at their local tavern, and may even attempt to duel you. There is something to be said
for the sheer amount of NPCs, and the range too. There are simply thousands, ranging from
young children to cocky businessmen in suits to old women with too much makeup, it really is
staggering. And you usually can't go for more than few seconds with seeing an NPC.
The Plot: The plot, it has to be said, is terrible. It basically consists of you, the player,
needing to get somewhere, and then you going there. It is unimaginative and boring.
The Combat System: The Combat System varies, from giving evils to the woman with too many
screaming babies, to drunkenly punching someone in the face, one of the few moments when the
game does actually get exciting. There isn't much to be said from the controls, apart from
that they follow the old "swing fist, hit face, do 10 damage" style.
The Soundtrack: The Soundtrack really is amazing, with buskers wailing out old Marc Cohn
tunes, to howling wind eminating from the tunnels. You really get a sense of being
surrounded.
Overall: A great, graphically stunning game, but a bit too repetitive, and slightly bland.
55%
Point of Discussion
Do you use the Tube? How often? What do you think of it? What's the underground rail service like in your area? What's the funniest thing that you've ever seen on the Underground? Discuss all things underground rail related.
What a fantastic invention. Think about it. Say, 200 years ago, who would've thought we'd be
hurled around in compact tunnels in metal pods? It's like something out of an early
victorian speculative fiction novel.
But anyway, my review:
This game has been in development for a while now, from developers London Passenger
Transport Board, and was promising from the start. But can it live up to the hype?
The Gameplay: As far as I'm aware, the gameplay works well. You start the game by pressing
start to insert ticket, and then off you go, which means the game is very accesible. The
controls are the pretty standard "use legs to walk" setup, and there isn't much else to it.
The problem is though, it's so simple! walk forward, walk forward some more, stop, wait for
train, enter train, wait, exit train, and so on. While this makes for a solid gameplay
experience, it really starts to get samey after a while.
The Graphics: The visuals on the Tube really are fantastic. They use the "Real Life" engine,
which is the most advanced engine on the market. The textures look perfectly
life-like, and the people look like they are standing right next to you, which, technically,
they are. The environments, however, don't do the game justice. It's just mile after mile
after mile of grey corridor, with the occasional homeless guy, it's like the original DOOM!
And for some reason, as soon as you try and look down a tunnel, it goes pitch black! This
could mean that the game's draw distance is very short, which is a heavy blow considering
the greatness of all other aspects of its visuals.
The Inventory System: The Inventory System on the Tube is very open-ended. You can use
anything from a handbag to a hulking rucksack. Most inventory systems, however, are very
insecure, and there are a number of unfriendly NPCs who will try to loot your body while
you're still alive, and with you not noticing. This is rapidly becoming known in the Tube
Community as "pickpocketing".
The NPCs: While on the subject of NPCs, there are interesting observations to be made. For a
start, many of them are simply not open to reaction. You try to press the A button to talk,
and all they do is stare at their book, or give you a funny look, which is a serious
let-down in terms of AI. Some NPCs are, however, very interactive, although not in a
pleasant way. They will often attack you unporvoked, after consuming heavy quantities of
mead at their local tavern, and may even attempt to duel you. There is something to be said
for the sheer amount of NPCs, and the range too. There are simply thousands, ranging from
young children to cocky businessmen in suits to old women with too much makeup, it really is
staggering. And you usually can't go for more than few seconds with seeing an NPC.
The Plot: The plot, it has to be said, is terrible. It basically consists of you, the player,
needing to get somewhere, and then you going there. It is unimaginative and boring.
The Combat System: The Combat System varies, from giving evils to the woman with too many
screaming babies, to drunkenly punching someone in the face, one of the few moments when the
game does actually get exciting. There isn't much to be said from the controls, apart from
that they follow the old "swing fist, hit face, do 10 damage" style.
The Soundtrack: The Soundtrack really is amazing, with buskers wailing out old Marc Cohn
tunes, to howling wind eminating from the tunnels. You really get a sense of being
surrounded.
Overall: A great, graphically stunning game, but a bit too repetitive, and slightly bland.
55%
Point of Discussion
Do you use the Tube? How often? What do you think of it? What's the underground rail service like in your area? What's the funniest thing that you've ever seen on the Underground? Discuss all things underground rail related.
