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JERICHO (X360)
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Publisher: Codemasters.
Developer: MercuryStream. Released: October 2007 (Europe). Genre: FPS. Other versions: PS3; PC. Posted 13th July 2022. By Tom Clare © 2022 |
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It’s odd that a game so open in celebrating the input of its renowned author should seem so crushingly generic in its themes, dialogues and action. For all the promise of Clive Barker’s involvement and the gruelling, satanic and supernatural overtones his writing brings, Jericho is the dictionary definition of mediocrity. MercurySteam’s shooter fails to distinguish itself in key areas, labouring under middling combat, functional but dull design and one or two vaguely adventurous concepts that are executed with patchy results.
The titular Jericho refers to a military task force organised by the Department for Occult Warfare, of which Devin Ross is a member. The former head of the DOW, Arnold Leach, has been wreaking havoc to open a rift and thus free the Firstborn, imprisoned by God at the beginning of time in something biblically akin to Pandora’s Box. Ross and his six teammates have been sent to investigate. In a parallel with n-Space’s innovative GameCube gem Geist, the central protagonist is killed at the end of the opening chapter but lives on in spirit form, able to assume control of his six teammates. You’ll want to make the most of this cool feature, as beyond this, it’s a very by-the-numbers first-person shoot ‘em up.
The titular Jericho refers to a military task force organised by the Department for Occult Warfare, of which Devin Ross is a member. The former head of the DOW, Arnold Leach, has been wreaking havoc to open a rift and thus free the Firstborn, imprisoned by God at the beginning of time in something biblically akin to Pandora’s Box. Ross and his six teammates have been sent to investigate. In a parallel with n-Space’s innovative GameCube gem Geist, the central protagonist is killed at the end of the opening chapter but lives on in spirit form, able to assume control of his six teammates. You’ll want to make the most of this cool feature, as beyond this, it’s a very by-the-numbers first-person shoot ‘em up.
Each member of the Jericho squad has their own weaponry and powers, though combat is not as exciting as it should have been
With greyish-black level after greyish-black level, Jericho is depressingly derivative and uniform-looking. It’s reminiscent of a slew of dingy-looking FPSs from the mid-late noughties, dominated by lifeless, indistinguishable environments and jarhead-jargon that adds palpably to the sense of tedium. Somehow, despite hopping between the early 21st Century, the Crusades and Roman times, there’s barely an appreciable change in tone or scenery until two-thirds the way through the adventure. At times, it feels entirely routine and but for some very minor interactions, such as using telekinesis to remove debris blocking a path, or flicking the odd switch, levels feel very run-of-the-mill.
The Jericho team comprises six common-or-garden gunslingers, most of whom are on hand to distract from the colourless depression that is the levels with toe-curling cliches, unconvincing conversations and wooden delivery. As a result, cut-scenes are hard work, with a bit of unintentional hilarity lightening the mood once in a while. Half the team is male and half is female, though as one of the ladies mocks the undead with such zingers as “you just got killed by a girl!”, it’s perhaps not quite as articulately framed as it could have been.
The Jericho team comprises six common-or-garden gunslingers, most of whom are on hand to distract from the colourless depression that is the levels with toe-curling cliches, unconvincing conversations and wooden delivery. As a result, cut-scenes are hard work, with a bit of unintentional hilarity lightening the mood once in a while. Half the team is male and half is female, though as one of the ladies mocks the undead with such zingers as “you just got killed by a girl!”, it’s perhaps not quite as articulately framed as it could have been.
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Whilst the personalities (such as they are) of the Jericho team are almost entirely without merit, they do feature distinct weapons and powers. Black, for example, is armed with a sniper rifle and a bullet-time-esque Ghost Bullet special that slows time, allowing the player to guide their shot through up to three beasties. Delgado has a Gatling gun and a handy fire attack and fire shield combo, whilst Church can perform blood sacrifices to bind enemies in place, allowing her to follow in and dispatch them with her sword.
There isn’t a great deal of variety to the combat scenarios, which makes Jericho feel older than it is and rather one-paced. Generally, it’s dominated by samey corridors and paths, as the player awaits an ambush or the next stream of foes. It’s mechanically reasonable, with controls responding well enough and only occasional instances of slowdown when it utilises more advanced lighting filters. Jericho isn’t the most satisfying of shooters though, partly because its hitboxes don’t seem entirely reliable and enemies can feel like absolute bullet-sponges. A great many of the weapons deliver little-to-nothing in the way of knockback whilst others (the sniper rifle in particular) seem comparatively overpowered. The crunching headshots are very satisfying, though.
There isn’t a great deal of variety to the combat scenarios, which makes Jericho feel older than it is and rather one-paced. Generally, it’s dominated by samey corridors and paths, as the player awaits an ambush or the next stream of foes. It’s mechanically reasonable, with controls responding well enough and only occasional instances of slowdown when it utilises more advanced lighting filters. Jericho isn’t the most satisfying of shooters though, partly because its hitboxes don’t seem entirely reliable and enemies can feel like absolute bullet-sponges. A great many of the weapons deliver little-to-nothing in the way of knockback whilst others (the sniper rifle in particular) seem comparatively overpowered. The crunching headshots are very satisfying, though.
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Monsters vary a little in terms of the threat they pose (some are melee-focused, others launch projectiles and one or two have flamethrowers). Some of the ghoulish creations are quite memorable, whilst others seem uninspired. Except for a below-par final encounter, the bosses are decent. There’s a bunch towards the end part of the game and they’re all creative and very different from one another, both in their grotesque appearances and the methods needed to tackle them. It’s worth experimenting with different team members as sometimes a specific ability is key to exposing weaknesses.
First time through, you’ll run into some frustrations, thanks in large part to Jericho’s poor checkpointing. The character switches, achieved through a mixture of the ‘A’ button and the d-pad, feel fiddly, at least to begin with. Nevertheless, achievements help build some replay value. Playing the game through on the hard setting and attempting to clear levels without being incapacitated lends itself to better learning the tactics necessary for certain situations. Whilst the story remains just as ponderous, the myriad approaches to combat sections are more appreciable, second time around.
First time through, you’ll run into some frustrations, thanks in large part to Jericho’s poor checkpointing. The character switches, achieved through a mixture of the ‘A’ button and the d-pad, feel fiddly, at least to begin with. Nevertheless, achievements help build some replay value. Playing the game through on the hard setting and attempting to clear levels without being incapacitated lends itself to better learning the tactics necessary for certain situations. Whilst the story remains just as ponderous, the myriad approaches to combat sections are more appreciable, second time around.
The fire shield is a handy defence against some otherwise-lethal enemies
Jericho will placate only the most committed fans of the first-person shooter, taking too long to break from its dull and dingy reverie. It pales in comparison to Halo 3 and releasing the same month as Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare would further expose its dated combat and tired attempts at squad storytelling. Not a disaster, but the Xbox 360 has so very many shoot ‘em ups more worthy of a gamer’s time.
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VERDICT
"Jericho fails to distinguish itself in key areas, labouring under middling combat, functional OVERALL: 5/10 |
PIXEL SECONDS: JERICHO (X360)
With Clive Barker serving as collaborator and producer in conjunction with developers MercurySteam, Clive Barker’s Jericho showed some potential. However, plans for a trilogy would disappear after the first game and it’s easy to see why. Following the exploits of the titular squad, a general opens up The Box with truly horrendous acts and the attempts to reseal results in the death of protagonist Devin Ross. But instead of credits rolling, Ross’s spirit lives on, able to possess his teammates and help guide them through multiple time periods to try to reseal the breach. The story seems on the cusp of greatness, but grows rapidly confusing and climaxes with a baffling, unsatisfying ending. Sadly, this wasted potential transfers to the gameplay. While swapping between squad members is seamless, rigid level design and bad AI collide to form a poorly designed mess, one that is far too easy. While moments like a gladiatorial arena skirmish feel more adventurous, most will tire of the repetitive, inflexible and unsatisfying shooting. It’s a shame because Jericho nails the aesthetics, with grim lighting, unsettling monster designs and some squirm-inducing scenes. A haunting soundtrack, cheesy yet enjoyable voicework and harsh sound effects are also pleasing. Despite offering genuine potential at the time, Jericho's interesting ideas are buried beneath frustrating design, weak squad mechanics and an absurdly strung story. [4] – Shane Battams © 2021
With Clive Barker serving as collaborator and producer in conjunction with developers MercurySteam, Clive Barker’s Jericho showed some potential. However, plans for a trilogy would disappear after the first game and it’s easy to see why. Following the exploits of the titular squad, a general opens up The Box with truly horrendous acts and the attempts to reseal results in the death of protagonist Devin Ross. But instead of credits rolling, Ross’s spirit lives on, able to possess his teammates and help guide them through multiple time periods to try to reseal the breach. The story seems on the cusp of greatness, but grows rapidly confusing and climaxes with a baffling, unsatisfying ending. Sadly, this wasted potential transfers to the gameplay. While swapping between squad members is seamless, rigid level design and bad AI collide to form a poorly designed mess, one that is far too easy. While moments like a gladiatorial arena skirmish feel more adventurous, most will tire of the repetitive, inflexible and unsatisfying shooting. It’s a shame because Jericho nails the aesthetics, with grim lighting, unsettling monster designs and some squirm-inducing scenes. A haunting soundtrack, cheesy yet enjoyable voicework and harsh sound effects are also pleasing. Despite offering genuine potential at the time, Jericho's interesting ideas are buried beneath frustrating design, weak squad mechanics and an absurdly strung story. [4] – Shane Battams © 2021