Tuesday, November 4, 2003

Traitors Gate

In each market, game developers must battle against a plethora of other titles. Traitors Gate rises to the challenge. It’s a stable, proven genre of adventure that has incorporated a particularly well thought out story.

The gamer plays the part of Raven, whose background is somewhat uncertain, but suffice it to say that you’re a cross between James Bond, Mission Impossible’s Ethan Hunt, and a Navy Seal. The American government suspects that a mutinous government agent plans to steal the British Crown Jewels. Consequently, your mission is to steal the Jewels from the Tower of London before the mutineer gets a chance.

Perhaps the most intriguing part of the game is the fact that the Tower of London is completely mapped in detail, all of the way down to its exhibits and tourist markers. So whether it’s intentional or not, the game is somewhat educational (always a plus). While the game is presented in the first-person environment, it’s important to note that you are not free to walk wherever you want. Because the player is forced to follow a pre-determined path through any given room, the game loses a sense of freedom. To its credit, however, there are more than 1,200 possible ways to complete the mission, which certainly boosts the game’s re-playability.

It should be noted that I experienced a few minor bugs as I played Traitors Gate, but nothing that rendered it unplayable. I was also disappointed with the ending of this game, which was surprisingly short, trite, and completely lacking of any spectacle.

It’s been quite a while since an adventure of this nature has genuinely held my interest. Thanks to the great story and concept behind Traitors Gate, however, I found myself plugging away well into the wee hours of the morning. Given the $20 price tag, it’s a great buy — Traitors Gate will serve you well.

Traitors Gate :
DreamCatcher  |  www.dreamcatchergames.com  |  888-611-9999