Bodycount (video game)
| Bodycount | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Guildford Studio[1] |
| Publisher(s) | Codemasters |
| Designer(s) |
Steve Watt Stuart Black |
| Engine | EGO Engine |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | First-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Bodycount is a first-person shooter video game for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles. It was developed by Guildford Studio and published by Codemasters. It is considered a spiritual successor to the 2006 video game Black, which was developed by the same team.
Story
Bodycount revolves around Jackson, a former American soldier recruited by the enigmatic "Network", who has normally resolved conflicts between countries where even the UN could not. Over time, Jackson realises that wars are caused by some mysterious individuals. Concept art of the game revealed Jackson's appearance to be heavily based on actor Chris Pine.
Gameplay
The game is set in first-person. One of the main features is environment destructibility; nearly everything in the game is expected to be destructible. Environments and most of everything in them is destroyed realistically, creating a dynamically-changing playing environment. By scoring kills, the player can unlock deadly power-ups such as air strikes that further decimate the environment. There is a unique cover system where the player has near complete freedom while in cover.
Multiplayer is available in competitive and cooperative modes. The former offers traditional deathmatch style sessions (individual or team-based) and the latter challenges two players to survive increasingly difficult waves of enemies.[2]
Reception
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Bodycount received "mixed" reviews on both platforms according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.[12][16]
The Guardian gave the Xbox 360 version a score of three stars out of five, saying that the game "isn't the future of first-person shooters. But it is great fun."[15] The Daily Telegraph gave the same version two-and-a-half stars out of five, saying that it "professes to be a reaction to overblown, scripted rollercoaster FPSes, but never manages to bring a whole lot to the table for itself. Bodycount even makes a fuss over destructible cover, which was done better by Battlefield Bad Company. Bodycount is not a poor game, just a confused and unremarkable one, even if those instant restarts really are wonderful."[14] However, The Digital Fix gave the same version four out of ten, calling it "an ill conceived, poorly constructed, seemingly rushed mess which isn’t fun and in no way warrants its full price tag. It’s all been done before and a hell of a lot better, many times - keep your cash in your wallet (or purse)."[17] 411Mania gave the PlayStation 3 version a score of three out of ten, saying that it "had a ton of potential. There are a few moments in the campaign that are quite fun and enjoyable but that isn’t enough to make this a great game by any means. Overall, it lacks in almost every area. It should have taken a note from Bulletstorm and focused on fun, over the top kills and details maps instead of trying to do everything perfect. The game lacked in almost all areas and I cannot say this was an overall enjoyable experience."[18]
As a result of very mixed reception Codemasters closed down their Guildford, United Kingdom studio, laying off 70 employees and cutting down Codemaster's studio base by a third.[19]
References
- ↑ Robinson, Martin (15 March 2010). "Bodycount Hands-on". IGN. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
- 1 2 3 Watters, Chris (30 August 2011). "Bodycount Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
- ↑ Sterling, Jim (6 September 2011). "Review: Bodycount (X360)". Destructoid. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
- ↑ Edge staff (5 September 2011). "Bodycount review (X360)". Edge. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
- ↑ Stanton, Rich (2 September 2011). "Bodycount (Xbox 360)". Eurogamer. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
- 1 2 Vore, Bryan (30 August 2011). "Bodycount: An Unfinished Firefight". Game Informer. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
- 1 2 Shaw, Patrick (30 August 2011). "Review: Bodycount". GamePro. Archived from the original on 1 September 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
- ↑ "Bodycount Review (X360)". GameTrailers. 8 September 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
- 1 2 Gerstmann, Jeff (2 September 2011). "Bodycount Review". Giant Bomb. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
- 1 2 Clements, Ryan (30 August 2011). "Bodycount Review". IGN. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
- ↑ Hinkle, David (2 September 2011). "Bodycount review: Mindless manslaughter (X360)". Engadget (Joystiq). Retrieved 19 January 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Bodycount for Xbox 360 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
- ↑ "Review: Bodycount". PlayStation: The Official Magazine: 81. November 2011.
- 1 2 Hoggins, Tom (2 September 2011). "Bodycount review (X360)". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
- 1 2 Boxer, Steve (6 September 2011). "Bodycount - review (X360)". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
- 1 2 "Bodycount for PlayStation 3 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
- ↑ Phillips, Andrew (16 September 2011). "Bodycount (X360)". The Digital Fix. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
- ↑ Watson, Dan (23 September 2011). "Bodycount Review (PS3)". 411Mania. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
- ↑ Mauney, Andrew (14 September 2011). "Codemasters to Close Studio Behind Bodycount". Pikimal. Archived from the original on 6 June 2012. Retrieved 18 January 2016.