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Developer: Starbreeze Studios
Publisher: SWING!
Genre: Action
Region: PAL
Format:
Release Date: 29 Jul 02
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More Screens (11 total)
Overview
As the months go by, we move closer and closer to the time of the year that pleases all gamers: Fall. Fall is a rather boring season (kids have to go to school; young adults have to go to college; Enron executives are now being forced to rake their own leaves, etc.). But video games it a season worth looking forward to.
Every year, game developers do what movie companies do and release their "hot titles" a few weeks/months before the abundance of competition arrives. The result: good fall games before fall is even here. One of those games is Enclave, a new Xbox game from Starbreeze Studios. Billed as a "Medieval Third-Person Fantasy Action/Adventure" game, Enclave is, for the most part, a hack-n-slasher with more depth than the games that inspired it.
Each level is big and beautiful. Enemies will come at you with little remorse, so you'd better be ready to take them on. If not, then it's game over for you! Of course, that's a good thing. No one likes a game that ends in a day, and believe me, Enclave will not be over quickly.
Gameplay
With over 25 different missions, a few secret bonus games, 12 playable character classes, dozens of weapons and 5 incredibly difficult end bosses, Enclave is the game that you've been waiting for! Genre preference doesn't matter because Enclave is a game that anyone can enjoy. The gameplay is pretty fast-paced, never giving the player a dull, boring moment. In fact, there are times when a slower moment would have almost been welcome, since the dozens of enemies you battle will stop at nothing to kill you. This is not a problem though. Experienced gamers will have no problem getting used to the quick, responsive controls, and it shouldn't take newbie players to get into the game either (of course, this game is rated 15+ by the ELSPA, which is close to the equivalent of an "M" rating in North America. So I would recommend Enclave to young children). Starbreeze, has delivered a real winner on the Xbox. I definitely look forward to playing their future releases (on any console, not just Xbox).
Graphics
Enclave features some of the most impressive visuals ever to grace a video game. The detailed textures are out of this world! You will not believe your eyes when you see some of the bosses for the first time. They took my breath away. Their detail was unprecedented. One of my favorite bosses is made of rock and fire. At least, that's the way it looks -- he's really just a smooth wire frame model that's been covered in one of the most realistic paint jobs that I have ever seen. But that's not all. Enclave's backgrounds are extremely detailed as well, competing with some of the top Xbox games out there for "best graphics of the year." At this point, it would appear as if leapfrog this one. Certainly, there will be pretty games this Christmas, however, none of them will crush Enclave. They may look slightly better, but it seems unlikely.
Fun Factor
Casual gamers might feel a little defeated after playing Enclave. Actually, that's a bit of an understatement. Enclave is very, very challenging, which is great for us hardcore gamers, but it may be too much for everyone else to handle. Granted, most gamers, even those who don't play games very often, are hardcore, so it's not as if this is a major problem. If you're the kind of person who plays a game until it's beat, then by means, buy/rent Enclave.
You'll scream, you'll yell, and if you're really weak, you might even cry. Once you succeed though, you'll be glad you stuck it out. It's a truly worthwhile experience, and is by far one of the best hack-n-slashers of the year.
Overall
If you in live in Europe or have a modified Xbox, Enclave is a game worth looking into. It's definitely worth your time as a rental, and most gamers will be glad they bought it. I love good hack-n-slashers, but even if I didn't, I still would have enjoyed this game. The sheer challenge of it ensures that I and everyone else who plays it will be leaving it in their Xboxes for a long time.
- Gameplay
8.0 - Graphics
9.0 - Fun Factor
7.0 - Overall
8.0
