The Fallen angels have begun disrupting creation. As an angel that has not fallen, your job is to investigate and destroy the evil that is plaguing the Earth. You play Malachi, an angel that goes against the grain of angelic stereotypes. Bulked-up and tough-as-nails, Malachi is ready to take on the forces of evil toe-to-toe. Earth has been locked down under martial law, and you're following up on a previous angel's work. Your quest takes you into the fray, where you'll work with the rebellion, and uncover exactly what is happening.
Requiem is very much like your typical shooter, but there are a few very nice differences. For example, not everyone you meet will be an enemy there for target practice. Much of the early game will be tackled by stealth rather than brute force. Some characters will be worth having on your side, as they'll offer you aid and tell you what is going on in the struggle. Not all interaction takes place during cut scenes, you'll find out information in-game, by talking to those not aggressive towards you. The cut scenes that do exist are a combination of cinematics and game engine animation.
The graphics engine used in Requiem is a brand-new proprietary one that uses full 3D models and environments. The graphical effects are very sharp, clear, and realistic. Special effects such as the environment "breathing" during the first levels are especially disorienting, and make their intended impact. People and bad guys in the game cast very nice shadows, for a realistic touch. When killed, enemies' armor tends to fly apart - helmets coming off, and shards flying in all directions. It's a very nice effect, and works well. The sounds are also well done, although understated. The voice acting is fairly well done, sometimes overacted, but nothing that stands in the way of the game.
Many of the weapons you'll use during the course of Requiem are standard fare - pistol, shotgun, assault rifle, sniper rifle, grenade and rocket launchers, even a rail gun (although much different than the one featured in Quake II). However, in addition to the standard weapons, you'll have angelic powers to help you. Lightning bolts fry the enemy, brimstone burns them, and you may make their blood boil with a wave of your hand. You can turn your enemies to salt and watch them crumble away or inflict a plague of locusts upon them. Defensive powers exist as well; you may fly for short periods of time, run in quick bursts, possess bodies, or inspire them to your cause for a brief period. Angelic powers are granted as the game progresses - you'll have only a couple of minor abilities when the game begins, but as you accomplish goals you'll be granted much more power. The Armageddon ability gained towards the end of the game allows you to clear a room quite efficiently. Weapons use ammo in the traditional way, and angelic powers use "essence", similar to mana found in most role playing games. Essence recuperates slowly over time, so it's best not to blow it all in one place. One of my favorite things about the divine abilities is the fact that the manual actually uses scripture to describe the power. The powers are there because they are mentioned in the bible, and placing the exact quote in the text of the manual is an ingenious touch. Angelic abilities are all accented with spectacular graphical effects for more visual punch.
Weapons also have a nice balance to them, the weaker ones tend to be faster, and the more powerful ones slow to use. Certain enemies are more susceptible to particular weaponry, so you'll be using your whole arsenal if you wish to be efficient.
Weapons aside, it is best to know when NOT to shoot as well. Much of the beginning game will be best served through stealth. Not only should you not shoot potential allies, you can get past some soldiers by using fake identity papers or pass keys. On the other hand, stealth only gets you so far. Once into the game you'll find yourself at odds with the soldier populace more often than not, and the hordes of the fallen ALWAYS attack on sight.
Surprisingly enough, Requiem doesn't fall short on AI like most titles do. The enemies here will use the terrain to their advantage, surround you, and team up to hit you from opposing sides. They may still be outsmarted, but it is a far cry from the dumb-as-rocks foes usually found in 3D shooters that simply charge you with weapons blazing. Trying to hit a particularly fast enemy with a slow, but powerful weapon is much harder than you'd imagine because they can and will dodge your fire.
Level design is very well done, especially in the early game where you'll find more recognizable architecture. The towns and buildings look quite real. Later in the game, you'll encounter some much more winding, repetitive levels that get a little boring, but for the most part the environment is quite nice. Level load times are kept to a bare minimum by having game levels connected by small mini environment levels. Small levels load quickly, and passing through them takes only a few seconds. This way, you don't wait a whole minute or more waiting for a large environment to load. It is a good way to keep the load time down, and works great. To top things off, save and load game times are also minimal.
For all the good things about Requiem, there are still a couple of shortcomings. For some reason, moving through tight quarters can cause you to get "stuck" against a wall, almost as if it were covered in Velcro. In a winding corridor with objects in it, this can be especially frustrating. Jumping up on a pile of crates can be problematic when you get stuck against a box on the way. It also makes it difficult to crawl through small openings like a window. I'm not sure what the problem here is, but keeping to the wall in this game is very difficult.
One of the nicer features in the game is the bit of puzzle-solving that is included. Level goals vary, and many of them require finding a small secret entrance or ventilation shaft. Unfortunately, there is a bit of a problem with some of the divine abilities when used to open some entryways. Only a certain number of them are allowed to blow open vents, or break glass. It is very easy to miss an opening simply because the ability selected is incapable of producing the desired effect. Most weapon fire will do it, but I tended to play using powers more than guns, and found that I was searching for a portal that I had already discovered but was unable to open because of the power selected.
The other major problem I have is with spawning enemies. Don't get me wrong, enemies do not constantly respawn to continually harass - you CAN clear a level. The problem is that there are certain triggers that cause enemies to spawn in a particular area. This is used most often to surround you, or reinforce an area where you'll need to go back. This is frustrating because you can easily get into the mindset that an area is cleared, then you go back to find it repopulated.
Overall, Requiem is a very entertaining action shooter. There are a few things that make it stand out from the crowd, but most of the game has been done before. Requiem does do its job well, and if you're a shooter fan this game is well worth your time. This game wasn't just thrown together to make a buck, it has a good story, excellent graphics engine, decent AI, and gameplay that is just different enough from everything else to be worthwhile on its own.
