Ryan S Rogers

Synopsis

James, a perfect neo-noir stereotype (this is a compliment), must stop his ex-girlfriend from performing a ritual that will end the world.

Quick Thoughts

The world is amazing. It looks so good. The writing rules. Everything that isn't strictly gameplay related is a 10/10. The gameplay however...

I wouldn't call the gameplay bad necessarily, but it gets real repetitive after a a few hours. It's just shoot/dodge/run backwards/shoot/repeat. The slow motion dodges don't really add anything to the game, except to try and solidify the Max Payne link in the players head. I think the game would have been better served without it, or if the combat complimented it.

The bullet time in Max Payne worked not just because it was cool as hell, but because without it you would have a hard time surviving the fights. The enemies all had guns and would start shooting you at the same time you were shooting them, so more reaction time was needed for the player to be able to execute a room clear properly without also getting blown away.

In EPE, the enemies are melee attackers who just walk towards you. Your best bet in combat here is to dodge and run backwards, shooting at them as you go. The bullet time jumps typically only serve to let the enemies gain more ground on you.

Difficulty is another issue in the game. I never really felt like I was low on resources, thanks to the constant pickups scattered about. The difficulty options make it feel more like a slog than an uptick in challenge. Though I will say that I appreciate the attempt at diversifying the difficulty options, letting you customize several aspects of the game yourself instead of solely an "easy, medium, hard" choice. This is a trend that needs to become ubiquitous.

Given all the issues I have with the core gameplay, the game's high rating should show how much I adore all the other aspects of the title.

The writing is perfect for this weird neo-noir setting. James' voiceovers and monologues are enough to make me happy to push through a level that I'm not particularly enjoying.

The visuals rule. Taking a low poly, lo fidelity approach to graphics, and pairing that with a beautiful lighting setup is a shortcut to my heart.

The instrumental music is good, but the original hip-hop songs are so fun. I've heard them called cringe-worthy and I don't disagree really, but they fit into this game in a campy way.