Sep 07 2009
Section 8 serves up a quick dose of Halo-lite
The often overlooked South Peak Games has published the new Sandbox Strategies shooter, Section 8, and the result is a Halo lookalike with some frantic gameplay and a short-lived, squad-based single-player experience.
This heavily armored soldier is the story mode’s central figure. Alex Corde is the new recruit in the 8th Armored Infantry, or Section 8. He shows his face early on so as not to be a total Master Chief knock-off.
Section 8 is a futuristic shooter featuring a squad of heavily armored good guys blasting away at alien and robotic invaders. Its typical sci-fi trappings serve up a light dose of decent shooting, although the $60 price tag seems a bit steep.
The single player mode is a short one that features infinite respawns and minimal enemies on the easiest difficulty. The gameplay generally consists of clearing bases of baddies and the occasional big robot boss encounter. These overpowered hulks will have you thankful for the respawns (your character skydives into the battlefield from a shuttle passing through the stratosphere, which is pretty cool).
It’s the United States Imperial Forces of the Frontier Colonies (yay!) versus the vicious, evil, tenacious Arm of Orion (boo! hiss!).
With a rechargeable sprint that’d leave Olympic runners in the dust and a limited, rechargeable jet pack boost, the playable character is agile enough to get out of trouble and into a good vantage point. Equally agile enemies mean the limited lock-on targeting is a God-send while it lasts.
Different weapon loadouts are available and appropriate for different situations. Healers, heavy weapons, snipers, there’s enough variety to give some strategy to the onslaught, particularly in the final battle.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long to reach that final battle. The rest of the game is meant to be enjoyed via Xbox Live, and if you can find a crew to engage in battle, expect some by-the-numbers shooting with a bunch of frustratingly mobile targets. And watch for snipers!
The occasional, automated sentry turret and supply deopt can be deployed on the battlefield to make things more interesting.
Section 8 is like a summer popcorn flick. It’s not the best in its league, but its fun for what it is and offers up a few surprises to go along with the bullet bonanza. At $60, you’d better be ready to sink your teeth into the multiplayer mode, however, as the single player mode alone just can’t live up to that cost of entry.
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