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Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
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PSP HP Review
by Erik Frick
Empty Shell
- Graphics: 6/10
- Sound: 6/10
- Gameplay: 4/10
- Replay Value: 4/10
- Overall: 5/10
The Short Bark:
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex retains none of the enthralling plot or action from the anime series. Instead, the game is plagued with poor design and gameplay decisions that make little sense on the PSP platform.
The Full Bite:
Ghost in the Shell attempts the transition to portable gaming in this FPS offering from Bandai. Keeping with the Ghost in the Shell tradition of dizzyingly complex conspiracy theories, Stand Alone Complex is chock full of excessively long character titles, futuristic terrorist actions and dialogue that only scholars would enjoy. Unfortunately, the game lives up it's namesake: essentially what Stand Alone Complex amounts to is a beautiful shell of a game (the plot) but with nothing on the inside.
Not only do the exciting plot elements of Ghost in the Shell get lost in translation to this game, but the gameplay of Stand Alone Complex is far from rewarding. Players can choose from one of four characters for each mission and can outfit their character with a vast array of weaponry. Stand Alone Complex game designers apparently didn't think it mattered much to keep the transition through mission maps seamless, as you'll find yourself starting at a loading screen at least three or four times per mission. What's shocking (and this doesn't say much for the folks who developed this game) is that this is even needed since nearly all the environments consist of the same boxy setup.
This lack of inspired game design extends to the enemies you encounter throughout the game who are often very low-detail characters without any facial features. This extends to the game's bosses who are merely your average bad-guy who happens to have more hit-points and slightly better aim. But don't worry about these faceless enemies too much since you actually won't be killing too many of them.
Stand Alone Complex features an artificial intelligence controlled tank-like being, called a Tachikoma. These tanks are obviously designed to provide the comic relief in a heavy plot, but since the plot never really gets going the Tachikoma merely become big blue tanks with high-pitched annoying voices. You can use the Tachikoma during the gameplay sequences, but they end up doing most of the work for you, clearing out rooms of enemies before you even have a chance to stumble upon them. All that's left is to find the exit to the next loading screen. Fun.
However, there is a far greater tragedy hiding within Stand Alone Complex. The most irritating aspect of the game is the control setup. In general, first person shooters have not translated well to portable gaming platforms, and Stand Alone Complex does not fare much better. This may be why Stand Alone Complex is only the second FPS to come out on the PSP even though war-sims are hugely popular and the platform has been out for close to a year now.
FPS games typically reply on fast paced action and twitch-style reactions for a satisfying game experience. The controls of the PSP simply do not accommodate for this. The only remedy I see for this is having a well-implemented gameplay option of auto-aiming. Granted, Stand Alone Complex has an auto-aim option, but remember when I said "well-implemented"? Yeah. Besides, to any serious FPS fans, auto-aim defeats the entire purpose of playing the game.
But don't let all of this negativity about a lacking plot, poor game design and botched control schemes worry you. You're a smart kid and I'm sure you'll make the right decision in passing up this mediocre serving of shoot-em-up style gaming.
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