Section 8 Prejudice: PC Review

Just another review I wrote back during my school days. I'm posting it here to fill the void this December. I'll post screenshots later on. Anyway, yeah, that's about it. Behold; this is my salad-days work!

Sci-fi shooter has always been a popular genre. From time to time, most sci-fi shooters come up with new ideas and styles upon release, with games such as Halo: Combat Evolved introducing its creative powered armor suit system. The previous Section 8 is a sci-fi shooter, but unfortunately didn't introduce anything new to the genre. Section 8 Prejudice is a sequel that adds more features into the Section 8 universe, but sadly, also seems failed to introduce anything new to the sci-fi genre. Actually, the game does have something new to sci-fi shooter, but poor execution makes this introduction go rather unnoticed.

The game somewhat has a Halo feel to it. Your character and other NPCs wear powered armored suit with a similar concept to that of the Master Chief. The armor has a protective shield layer that depletes after taking damage and recharges when you take cover. The ammo interface also looks pretty similar too, as well as the looks of the guns. Perhaps the game takes some inspirations from Halo, but Section 8 Prejudice is by no means a Halo rip off. It is an original game on its own rights. It has a few interesting and unique concepts, some may be the never-before-seen in any other video game. There are jetpacks, Fatalities, Overcharge and drop-in that distinct this game from other sci-fi shooters. However, the story campaign, which is new to the Section 8 franchise, is not interesting enough to care about, and the game lacks of multiplayer maps (hopefully, for now).

For the one thousand and twentieth time: everybody’s got a jet pack! People need roofs more than walls now.

At first glance, one can pretty much expect that Section 8: Prejudice is a multiplayer-based shooter. The game does contain a story campaign mode, however. Then again, if you're looking for a sci-fi shooter with elaborate storylines, you better be looking somewhere else. Prejudice's story is pretty lame and straight forward. The campaign mode seems like it's designed to make the game a little more complete, or perhaps to warm players up before they turn their eyes on the multiplayer modes. It doesn't have any significant plot twist and memorable or developed character. While most sci-fi shooter out there such as Halo and Dead Space attempt to absorb players into their own unique story, Section 8 Prejudice does not. You shouldn't expect to play the campaign to have a taste of a good story. Section 8 Prejudice, in short, is better played with friends. That brings the thought of multiplayer.

Section 8 Prejudice has four multiplayer modes; two are packaged in the box while the rest are downloadable. Conquest mode is pretty much like playing a Battlefield game; in this mode the team that controls the whole map wins. The Swarm mode is basically a survival mode; you and your teammates try to hold off the enemies as long as you can. If you don't really have many friends however, the game provides some artificial "friends" for you to pwn as you please without being cursed afterwards. The game features a few type of firearms. Each has their own special ammo types. For instance, the assault rifle… this is pretty much like using a different type of guns, but here, you’re just using different types of ammunitions. However, this still provides some tactical challenges for players.

Yeah, that’s right, run! Fear the metallic snow bigfoot!

Then, there’s Lock-On. As the aiming in this game is just as easy as in other first person shooters, the Lock-On system doesn't find much use here. Plus, it can only be activated periodically and needs to recharge, which makes it seems useless in the end for players who prefer to manually aim their targets. However, it still provides some tactical elements if you find the need of using it. It's always a fun thing to do to use the Lock-On to shoot down your opponents while they are having fun flying here and there with their jetpacks. One man’s fun costs another’s. Talking about fun, almost everything falls from the sky, which is fun. This makes the traditional fixed spawn points and such seems lame.

You can change your weapons and loadouts on the fly via the loadout stations in the map. These stations also automatically repair your armor if you get close enough to them. Besides that, you can configure your character equipment here, which is pretty complex and requires some strategy. You can gain money by regular ways such as killing an enemy and the works. Money can be used to buy turrets and vehicles to help you in combat. There are a few vehicles available to purchase, and one of the most interesting one to try is the mech. Vehicles controls are a bit awkward, though. The first time you start riding the bike on the campaign game, you’ll immediately notice the clumsiness of the vehicle controls.

“Escort VIP”? I prefer “Crush VIP to Death”.

Section 8 Prejudice gives you the freedom to pick your own spawn points, or in its case, landing sites. At the very beginning of each match, while boarding the drop ship, you get to choose where to drop in. However, you can't just pick any spot as you please, because there are areas guarded by anti-air turrets which will automatically engage fire on you while you are burning in. You are free to drop in to any area unguarded by turrets, but you still face the risk of being attacked by the players from the opposing side, although most of the time they're too busy with the ground combat. The launch is the fun part. You are launched down from thousands of meters above the ground and it's a pure pleasure watching yourself falling down like a burning meteor. Plus, if you land close enough to enemy players on the ground, the impact of your fall causes them to die instantly. Nothing is as satisfying as landing straight on your opponents and gives them an instant death, that is: if you're lucky enough or quick enough to guide your drop.

Luckily, everyone’s got a power armored suit that’s durable enough not to let you drop down thousands of meters and end up as a fried meat on the ground. Also, it comes along with a jetpack. That’s another one of those great equipments you got. Gaining new heights using jetpacks is always a fun thing to do. The jetpack, just like the Lock-On, loses power after use and you have to let it recharge before you are able to boost it up again. So, there’s smart thinking here, because jetpack boost can be very crucial in certain situations and you have to reserve your jetpack power properly if you want to add more time between deaths. But then again, death, or more appropriately, losing all health, isn’t such a bad thing. In fact, some players who enjoy the drop in might welcome their deaths with open arms.

Prejudice’s story isn’t developed enough for us to really care about.

Then, there’s overcharge. If you sprint long enough, your character will holster his weapon, and you will be switched to third-person view as your character sprints in a much higher speed than that of the regular sprint. This provides a quick escape from the heat of battle if you ever get overwhelmed by your opponents, but it also requires recharging. Another great addition is Fatalities. Instead of the regular melee attack that’s executed in the standard way, initiating Fatalities will switch you to third person view, and you can watch a quick in-game cut-scene as your character stabs his opponent. Sort of like a death blow or a K.O. animation.

There are interesting new gameplay mechanics in this sequel of Section 8, but unfortunately the game fails to make the best out of them. Thus, these otherwise awesome features become not so noticeable which makes the game seems like another ordinary sci-fi shooter that introduces nothing new. It would have been nicer if the game has more developed storylines and better musical score. All in all, Section 8 Prejudice offers something unique for us to swing by sometimes, but for those who fail to immerse themselves in to it, the game will end up forgotten and sandwiched between other forgotten titles in the dusty old shelf.