On the weaponry side, the main tool you'll use
is the Lancer which holds several hundred rounds of ammo and pressing 'B' activates the chainsaw bayonet.
Get the chance to get close to a baddie and set it off and you'll witness something so damn cool, but trying
it on a more substantial creature and without wishing to go back to the last checkpoint is a real struggle!
Another great weapon to get to grips with is the Hammer of Dawn, one that only works when outside and when
the satellites are overhead to deliver justice! Just aim on the ground, wait for the strike and then move
it gently towards additional targets. One character that this beast will sort out is the Berseker, a big
bastard to beat and the first end-of-level boss.
Some of the other enemies are Grubs, just like grunts from a number of other games. These are the lowest
of the low, and they operate troikas, a bloody big chaingun that is very satisying to try out once you
get the chance. There are Boomers who 'boom' a big gun, hence the name, and bat-like creatures named the
Kryll, seen swooping around you during the second act which is another landmark feat in graphics for
home gaming.
There are no health power-ups in this game. If you're up against it then you'll need to rest and
recouperate inbetween shooting. Your fellow marines will also take a number of hits so it's up to
you to revive them. The plus side is that they rarely seem able to die when injured, crouching down.
However, when under heavy fire, they get injured way too quickly, so even if you do help them out, they're
still bound to get into trouble before the next checkpoint is reached. Don't they ever go for cover?
You'd think these beefcake blokes could take more rounds than the average human, but then they don't look
massively intelligent so perhaps that's part of the problem? Either way, this aspect does help in the
process of, rather like Call of Duty 3, making you feel like part of a team on a single-player
game. However, in the process of doing that... it's back to the last checkpoint!
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