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THE BOURNE CONSPIRACY (PS3)
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Publisher: Vivendi Games.
Developer: High Moon Studios. Released: June 2008. Genre: Action/Adventure. Other versions: X360. Posted 17th May 2021. By Tom Clare © 2021 |
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Based in significant part around the 2002 film adaptation of The Bourne Identity, High Moon Studios’ The Bourne Conspiracy delivered what was, on the surface at least, an explosive and lavishly presented action game. Sadly, as was the fate of a lot of early seventh generation titles, gameplay flaws would begin to mount as increasingly repetitive design put a dampener on what was a promising challenger to James Bond’s espionage crown.
It’s a shame because throughout, The Bourne Conspiracy tries very hard to be an action game worthy of its Hollywood bluster. The opening level, which lasts around ten minutes, sees a chase through crowded streets, a bar-room brawl, a cinematic last-ditch dive to avoid a detonating bomb and, to finish things off, a rooftop fistfight. Before long, you’re introduced to some third-person shooting, a dash of stealth and some mad-scrambles dictated by some pulse-racing time limits. Later on, there’s even a section that sees Bourne at the wheel of a Mini Cooper, snaking through alleyways in an attempt to shake the attentions of the law. One thing’s for sure, you can’t question the courage of its convictions.
It’s a shame because throughout, The Bourne Conspiracy tries very hard to be an action game worthy of its Hollywood bluster. The opening level, which lasts around ten minutes, sees a chase through crowded streets, a bar-room brawl, a cinematic last-ditch dive to avoid a detonating bomb and, to finish things off, a rooftop fistfight. Before long, you’re introduced to some third-person shooting, a dash of stealth and some mad-scrambles dictated by some pulse-racing time limits. Later on, there’s even a section that sees Bourne at the wheel of a Mini Cooper, snaking through alleyways in an attempt to shake the attentions of the law. One thing’s for sure, you can’t question the courage of its convictions.
Bourne can destroy a great deal of his surroundings, but the player has to be mindful of flimsy cover
The trouble is, when you break it all down, none of these individual aspects really distinguish themselves. Nothing’s overtly bad as such, but it’s all a bit shaky around the edges. The shooting is a good example of this. Analogue aiming is smooth, but entirely lacking in environmental precision. Routinely hovering the reticle on enemy heads and torsos, it’s discouraging how many shots they can absorb, as if the game can’t register sequential hits once a foe has begun to stagger. On the other hand, the artificial intelligence is of a good standard, keeping things interesting with their tactics. Individuals often try to rush Bourne to engage in close-quarters combat, whilst groups often seek to fan out and press home their numeric advantage by using a variety of covering positions, whilst also reacting to the destruction of cover.
Sneaking sections add a little tension to proceedings. However, they’re normally very brief and attempts at a subtle approach rarely pay dividends, with clumsy controls dogging your progress. For example, sheathing and swapping weapons are both allocated to the same button. It would have made more sense for the fire button to act as a quick-draw option. For some reason, Bourne won’t remain crouched if you try moving with a weapon drawn. The game’s cover system is passable but quite sticky: getting into cover and disentangling from it can be very hit and miss. Bourne’s slightly sluggish reactions resulted in a number of deaths during my first run.
Sneaking sections add a little tension to proceedings. However, they’re normally very brief and attempts at a subtle approach rarely pay dividends, with clumsy controls dogging your progress. For example, sheathing and swapping weapons are both allocated to the same button. It would have made more sense for the fire button to act as a quick-draw option. For some reason, Bourne won’t remain crouched if you try moving with a weapon drawn. The game’s cover system is passable but quite sticky: getting into cover and disentangling from it can be very hit and miss. Bourne’s slightly sluggish reactions resulted in a number of deaths during my first run.
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The Bourne Conspiracy is at its best when it doesn’t overcomplicate things. An airport may seem a well-worn third-person shoot ‘em up setting, but here it makes for an engaging challenge because of foes springing surprise attacks, from high up and at ground level, and it demands the player makes use of cover as best as possible. Another exciting sequence, very much in keeping with the chase mentality of the films, sees Bourne sprinting through a maze of corridors in an attempt to out-run security patrols, through a breathless sequence of CQC brawls and time limits. The play mechanics have their issues, but there’s a pleasing flow to the action.
Its presentation is very impressive. Interestingly, it’s been claimed that Matt Damon withdrew permission for his likeness to be used in the game, believing its development should have taken the route of a slower, more cerebral experience in the mould of Myst. Imagining The Bourne Conspiracy, perhaps in the style of In Cold Blood, is fascinating. It’s difficult to see how two such contrasting universes could have been made to fit effectively, but it is one of the more interesting gaming ‘what ifs’. In any case, the Jason Bourne we get looks the part, with an array of facial animations expressed during fights, or when his cover position is sustaining fire. Bourne and his enemies become bloodied and bruised as shots land or fights become attritional. The environments are absolutely chock full of destructible scenery. At one stage, the player must wage a gunfight in a library where almost all the cover can be blown away, meaning both Bourne and his assailants are having constantly to keep on the move.
Its presentation is very impressive. Interestingly, it’s been claimed that Matt Damon withdrew permission for his likeness to be used in the game, believing its development should have taken the route of a slower, more cerebral experience in the mould of Myst. Imagining The Bourne Conspiracy, perhaps in the style of In Cold Blood, is fascinating. It’s difficult to see how two such contrasting universes could have been made to fit effectively, but it is one of the more interesting gaming ‘what ifs’. In any case, the Jason Bourne we get looks the part, with an array of facial animations expressed during fights, or when his cover position is sustaining fire. Bourne and his enemies become bloodied and bruised as shots land or fights become attritional. The environments are absolutely chock full of destructible scenery. At one stage, the player must wage a gunfight in a library where almost all the cover can be blown away, meaning both Bourne and his assailants are having constantly to keep on the move.
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Both have their perks and their problems, but the shooting shades the hand-to-hand combat in terms of enjoyment
It’s disappointingly short, however. You’ll likely beat The Bourne Conspiracy in a couple of days and despite a trio of difficulty settings and some token collectables, there’s not a great deal of incentive to revisit it. This is in part due to the arduous and repetitive nature of the CQC boss fights. Whilst you’ll fight bosses in locations as contrasting as an aeroplane and a Paris flat, they’re all similarly tedious. Simple two-button combos and ample use of the block button are the order of the day, as you wait patiently for your sparring partner to exhaust their attacks, with surprisingly small windows of opportunity in which to retaliate. Land enough hits and you can perform a cool special that typically sees Bourne smashing them into a wall, radiator or window. These fights on for an absolute age however and are especially annoying in the latter stages when you’re up against the clock.
For early adopters eager to see the best of the seventh generation consoles, The Bourne Conspiracy would’ve proven a tough sell. It comes up well short next to the third-person adventuring/shooting antics of Uncharted and Gears of War, whilst the arrival of Treyarch’s Bond-meets-Call of Duty cracker Quantum of Solace a few months later would see Bourne cast back into obscurity. Worth a look, if only for what might have been.
For early adopters eager to see the best of the seventh generation consoles, The Bourne Conspiracy would’ve proven a tough sell. It comes up well short next to the third-person adventuring/shooting antics of Uncharted and Gears of War, whilst the arrival of Treyarch’s Bond-meets-Call of Duty cracker Quantum of Solace a few months later would see Bourne cast back into obscurity. Worth a look, if only for what might have been.
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VERDICT
"The Bourne Conspiracy tries very hard to be an action game worthy of its Hollywood bluster. Nothing’s overtly bad as such, but it’s all a bit shaky around the edges. Worth a look, if only for what might have been." OVERALL: 5/10 |