Total Overdose Reloaded
Rockstar Games GTA series continues to inspire or if youâre more cynically inclined lay down the blueprint for every**** else to copy; the latest attempt comes from Eidos (formerly known as SCI) and Deadline Games in the shape of Total Overdose.
Essentially GTA: Mexico, Total Overdose casts players in the role of Ramiro Cruz a con hauled out of jail by the DEA to be told that his twin brother, Tommy, works as an undercover agent for them. Whilst Tommy was undertaking a secret mission to uncover new information on their fatherâs mysterious death, an accident with a hand grenade forces him out of operation and so Ramiro must take his place in an undercover operation to discover the truth and close in on the ruthless drug cartel overlord Papa Muerte.
Total Overdose is unlikely to win awards for its plotline however it does provide the canvas for plenty of clichéd Latino action, in fact everything about the game has its tongue so far rammed into its cheek that itâs in danger of bursting through, from the gameplay amalgamation of GTA and Max Payne to the blatant influence or Robert Rodriguezâ El Mariachi trilogy.
Controlling the character is a standard third-person affair, with the ability to âcommandeerâ vehicles and just run amok in the city of Los Toros. Total Overdose borrows heavily from the Max Payne series in so far that the character can perform âShoot-Dodgeâ manoeuvres, swooping out of the way of bullets and slowing down time for some precision shots. In addition Ramiro can also perform a visually neat cartwheel off the wall (complete with bullet-time effect) and leap head first into a wall and ricochet back from it â“ yes you guessed it with bullet-time effect.
Further options include the ability to target destructible objects in the environment such as telegraph poles and telephone boxes (ideal for finding secrets), along with split-second chance to perform an instant headshot â“ ideal when youâre pulling a cartwheel off the wall!
With the blatant plagiarism running throughout Total Overdose itâs a little surprising to find it coming up with a few novel ideas that lift it above being just another mediocre GTA wannabe. In a nod to old-school beat-em-upâs Total Overdose features over 60 different techniques to master; combining certain moves will result in a special move such as the âSpicy Moveâ or âTequilla Takedownâ â“ complete with a stereotypical Mexican commentator announcing the move and granting certain bonuses depending on the complexity of the move.
Another interesting feature is the collectable items scattered throughout the environment. Whilst most games feature such items Total Overdose actually puts some reason to searching them out, rewarding the player with increased health/adrenaline bars and the ability to wields two weapons. Driving the car around town reveals plenty of stunt occasions, which yes you guessed it slow down time in classic GTA fashion; building upon this bonus points are scattered throughout the various environments, highlighting various stunt opportunities when in a vehicle or on foot.
In keeping with the tongue-in-cheek style that pervades throughout the entire game Total Overdose is just damn crazy at times, skull icons turn the sky red with a likely trademark-infringing âDay of the Deadâ message pops up, turning all civilians into relentless latex skeleton costume clad cannon fodder, which the player has to survive against for a set amount of time. Honking a car horns usually results in a trashy rendition of La Cucaracha, Mexicans talk incessantly about Burritos, shooting characters wearing sombreroâs allows you to pick up the hat for a short period - youâve probably got the idea!
The theme of earning bonuses and special moves is prevalent throughout the entire game, with a handful of âLoco Movesâ that can be collected during the game. These range from the guns in guitar cases to the golden gunâs instant shot kills that follow the trajectory of the bullet; other examples include the El Toro literally turning Tommy into a raging bull, reigning down fire in all directions with the Tornado move and finally getting one of the aforementioned zombie goons to help out with his ever-reliable grenade launcher. Finally in a less then subtle nod towards the Prince of Persia series, the ability to Rewind time allows players to make amends for previous mistakes.
The emphasis on combos, special moves and a score ****d system ensures that Total Overdose feels sufficiently different to the rest of the competition, so itâs a little disappointing to find the game ultimately flawed by a number of bugs and glitches. Firstly the engine could have done with a little extra time; the physics of a car feel light and completely unrealistic leading to some decidedly dodgy situations where cars fly off at weird angles. The citizens of Los Toros appear to be absolutely insane dropping down to the floor without a single bullet being shot or rather amusingly running into walls â“ until you realise just how often it happens. Occasionally youâll notice such things as sombreroâs stuck vertically into a characterâs head instead of sitting on top, dead bodies bizarrely floating 6ft in the air and cars apparently trying to make a get-away with the handbrake on!
Of more concern is the fact that the large but largely uninspired environment is broken down into specific areas, with a short but nonetheless disruptive load sequence between each â“ coming after the GTA series this just feels so outdated. Perhaps the biggest complaint however is the lack of imagination in the assortment of mission objectives, which rarely move beyond getting to a certain destination, destroying something or someone and getting out of there. As with most GTA wannabeâs repetition soon sinks in with Total Overdose, although unlike the vast majority the various features and little touches works in the gameâs favour.
Visually Total Overdose blatantly copies the GTA rulebook once again, with stylised character designs that wouldnât look amiss in Las Venturas. Much like the rest of the game it lacks the finer subtitles and imagination; particularly the environments strike you with their uninspired and repetitive design, making exploration a less then memorable experience. The quality of animation also lets the game down suffering from wooden like sequences, which actually emphasises the comical nature of the entire game.
Featuring a soundtrack with guns and Mariachi music, which much like the rest of the game wouldnât sound out of place in a Robert Rodriguez film, Total Overdose is a highly charged guitar led outburst on your ears and certainly makes up for the woefully clichéd voice acting.
Total Overdose Reloaded
العرض العادي
اتصل بنا
برامج مجانية
التسجيل
عرب زد
تفعيل حسابك
مشاهدة طاقم الإدارة
طلب كود التفعيل
اجعل جميع المنتديات مقروءة
طلب كلمة المرور
الأرشيف
كيف تستخدم المنتدى؟
