Since I am into sci-fi novels, when I got the news Advent Rising had gone gold and was on the way to stores I was excited. After all the game was written by Orson Scott Ward and was already known as the first in a trilogy. Sure, sequels are the latest fad but to announce in advance that the game is part one of three was risky. It also just increased my interests and I really could not wait to get my hands on this one. The game is a mix of cinematic scenes and a story of friendly aliens trying to warn the human race about the revenge planes of the “Seekers”, an evil race of aliens bent on revenge based on myth in history.

It also tells the story of a young pilot named Gideon Wyeth with some unique skills. He is the brother of a war hero. If you are reading this intro and thinking that the game sounds complicated, you would be right. There are several different storylines and they all wrap into each other. It is sort of an interactive big budget movie that you actually control. It sounds great but does it play as good as it sounds? Let’s see as I give you the epic review of Advent Rising!

Gameplay

Advent Rising uses cinematic scenes to tell the basic opening story and it works well. I already mentioned you play as Gideon Wyeth, a young and gifted pilot who lives in his brother’s shadow, so to speak. After all, his brother is a war hero. The marines on the new base judge Gideon on his brother’s fame and not on Gideon’s own abilities. Basically, he is marked before even stepping foot on the base. If Gideon did not have enough to prove, he also learns an alien spaceship has landed and he and his brother have been chosen to explore the ship and see why it landed.

Now here is where the game starts to show a few problems. There is nothing major but a bit frustrating. The next few scenes show Gideon and his brother getting into a fist fight and then this action sequence leads right into your weapon training. It jumps around a bit too fast without taking the time to tell the whole story. Gideon learns of the evil aliens about to land from the friendly ones who risk their own lives to deliver the news. Now it’s up to Gideon to get his girlfriend and brother to safety. He also somehow learns how to master every weapon human or alien-based. The game somehow manages to make the story blend together but leaves out key points to the story. For example, while Gideon is battling his way through the base, he levels up on his targeting and weapon skills. He also somehow has psychic powers that are not ever explained.

Gamers like to feel in control of every part of the game and in this one you lose control over the pace of the story. It’s nothing that ruins the game but can get annoying. The plot soon changes and Gideon becomes the last hope for the human race. The story has even more twists and turns. It would be impossible to tell every aspect or detail of the game. The battles are intense and really cool. There are a few bugs in the game that may cause you to have to go back to a check point due to a door not opening on cue or another vital point in the game. While this can be irritating, the cool targeting system and controls make up for the bugs.

It will take the right mind set and some people may shy away from playing the game due to not being able to do this. Another good example is the fact Gideon can slow time down while dodging enemy fire or speed it up and get out of a jam fast, even though all of these skills are never really explained. While the game and story tend to jump, the look and feel makes it hard to put down and maybe that was the style Orson Scott Ward was going for.

Control / Playability

Controlling the action takes some time to learn. The main reason is the fact the view can be switched from third person to first person at any time. Overall, the controls are similar to Halo or other FPS games. You will also fly space crafts and land vehicles as well. It would be wise to look at the game manual and learn the controls even though the game shows the controls on screen when they change. The average learning curve is about 35-45 minutes. Of course this will change depending on the person’s experience with games like this.

For the most part the controls are pretty average and work well. Left stick to move; right stick to control the view and angle. The only thing that hurts the controls is while there is a special targeting system allowing Gideon to hit targets he chooses, the camera seems to lock on the closest objects and enemies by default. After learning how the controls react, adjustments are easy to make. This can be annoying, sort of like the gaps in the story.

Xbox Live

The game is Live Aware only and allows for requests and to check your friends list while playing. This is the only live feature however, there is no online gameplay.

Graphics / Presentation

Advent Rising looks great graphically. There are times when there are a lot of enemies which starts to slow down the game and cause the graphics to suffer. This does not happen often and may be another bug overlooked but needs mentioning. The look of each alien is awesome and the interactive objects and weapons all look great as well. There are a few places where you may see something that will remind you of another game or two. The game tries to raise the bar in adventure games and perhaps they tried to push a bit too far. It’s safe to say that the game features some fantastic graphics and really are showcased in the cinematic scenes. The developers could have touched up the close-up shots and added a bit more details on the main characters though.

Advent Rising Screenshot Advent Rising Screenshot Advent Rising Screenshot

Advent Rising Xbox Screenshot

View all Advent Rising Xbox Screenshots in the XBS Gallery

Audio

The music is great thanks to a 70 piece orchestra. Since the game is sci-fi based, it fits perfectly. While the main characters are good, they could have had more dialogue. It seems most of the lines are one-liners and quick comebacks but fit each one perfectly and are done well. The weapons and other effects are all done with great detail. The ships and other land vehicles sound realistic. You can tell time was spent to make them sound great and different.

Replay Value

Advent Rising is not perfect but has a certain look and feel that makes you drawn into it despite the minor flaws of the design of the game. The game shows that they went all out to create this fantasy world and it looks great for the most part. Overall, the game offers plenty for those who love adventure and sci-fi games. It’s not a cakewalk to complete and offers some neat challenges. For some it may be a bit short but the cinematic scenes and the artwork are something to see.

Overall Score

Overall Score: 8.0/10 [not an average]

Additional Comments

Advent Rising was a bold attempt and while not perfect shows some originality that is missing from current games out there. It will be interesting to see if they continue the trilogy and I hope they do. The next one is sure to be more polished. It offers some great visuals and interesting missions. It may not be for everyone but certainly worth the time to check out!

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