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How Metascores Are Calculated
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Altered Beast
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games. |
Amidst a backdrop of worldwide ecological and seismological chaos in the mid-2100s, the United States has been split in two by the "Great Flood". As a result of the polar ice cap melting, the Mississippi River has destroyed the central portion of the United States, causing an ill-equipped Federal Government to fail and literally cutting the country in half. These two halves are left to fend for themselves in the aftermath. The East, now known as the Atlantic Alliance, symbolic of their union with Europe, puts its faith in surviving this new world in cybernetics, an established yet evolving technology now more than 150 years old. On the other side of the flooded continent, the Western states, now called the Republic of Pacifica and having allied with Asia, resort to solving their problems at the genetic level, effectively restructuring the DNA of its inhabitants -- a method the Atlantic Alliance finds morally reprehensible. By 2161, it only takes a hint of unauthorized military preparation in Pacifica for the newly restored president to order a strike in the heart of Pacifican territory -- an outpost in the now dry San Francisco Bay. This strike leads to the unthinkable: an epic conflict with global implications fought on U.S. soil. As a soldier in this struggle, Mason Briggs uses explosive, terrain-deforming weaponry to change the face of battle: He not only destroys the land in his path, he outright transforms it to gain the strategic advantage in completely unscripted ways no game has ever seen. With such a devastating arsenal at hand, Briggs never leaves any battlefield the way he found it. In addition to weaponry that allows players to do things previously only imagined, each side of the conflict, Pacifica and the Atlantic Alliance, boast soldiers with powers beyond those of ordinary men. Genetic augmentations provide Pacifican forces with amazing abilities, while Atlantic Alliance soldiers like Briggs counter the threat with the more "traditional" method: cybernetics. The differing states of superhumanity result in balanced yet stylistically different combat tactics that have never been seen before. [LucasArts]
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more... 85
Worth Playing
Fracture is more than solid. The hook of manipulating terrain to your advantage is used a lot in the game, but it is used in a way that it rarely feels out of place.
 84
XboxAddict
If you can get a few friends to give this a chance, I think you’ll get a LOT of play out of it.
83
Planet Xbox 360
It was a bit surprising when we completed the game and found ourselves wanting more, lucky for us the multiplayer delivers just that. LucasArts really created something special with the “terrain deformation” aspects of Fracture and the way it is implemented into so much of the gameplay mechanics was inspiring.
81
GamingXP
Take Gears of War and mix it with Halo. Add half a litre of Red Faction and a dash of Populus and voilà: You’ll get Fracture. This principle is as simple as ingenious!
80
Jolt Online Gaming UK
An enjoyable and engrossing game. It’s a little on the short side and it relies a bit too much on the strength of a single gameplay mechanism, but fortunately it’s a mechanism that is fun and that we haven’t really seen before.
80
X360 Magazine UK
Most of Fracture’s bad points are overshadowed by how much fun changing the terrain can be. Masses of action, huge explosions and a competent shooter with a fantastic gimmick.
79
DailyGame
Fracture is a fun but repetitive game that does well with its new ground manipulation technology.
78
Team Xbox
It offers a unique and entertaining feature (terrain deformation), but doesn’t utilize it in enough creative ways to keep it enjoyable. It’s run-and-gun gameplay with too much run and not enough gun. It’s a title that relies too much on brute force in its opposition, when it could have tested to see if the player could come up with creative solutions when completing objectives and having adversaries cross their paths.
75
Kombo
I think it would be a mistake for any gamer to not even give the game a trial because, for once, developers actually tried something new, and succeeded in the process.
75
Game Informer
Fracture comes close to greatness, but the story’s disappearing act, half-hearted approach to level design, and poor enemy AI holds it back from being anything other than mediocre.
75
HellBored
Aside from the terrain-altering powers, nothing about Fracture is new, it’s all been done somewhere else and done better. But does that make Fracture poor? Not really.
74
Gamer 2.0
Fracture is a good game, despite its flaws; and although it has a lot of lost potential in its story, its distinctive gameplay mechanics allow us to give it enough credit to say it’s worth checking out.
72
GameTrailers
With its terrain-deforming mechanics and physics-based weaponry, Fracture features some creative gameplay ideas and can be a lot of fun, but unfortunately that creativity isn’t matched in the art direction, story, or enemy AI.
70
Gameplayer
Generic space marines fighting upon a generic future landscape will be tough to sell, terrain deformation or otherwise. The proof will be in the pudding, we guess – but we’ll be surprised if this moves the Earth.
70
GameSpy
Multiplayer saves Fracture from itself in a way, because the wealth of modes and greater availability of weapons (not to mention the superior AI of human opponents and team members) provide a much deeper degree of variety.
70
Official Xbox Magazine
With the power to shift the very earth beneath your feet, Fracture could have reshaped the action genre. But repetitive missions and a barren plot leave only the multiplayer to shake this shooter loose from the rest.
70
GameDaily
Unfortunately, the enemies lack anything resembling intelligence, something that is poorly remedied up by the common solution to such an issue -- adding more enemies. At least the multiplayer is interesting.
70
GamePro
But despite its faults, the terrain deformation and unique online twist is distinctive enough that it's worth playing, even if won't exactly alter the foundations of gaming forever. [Nov 2008, p.90]
70
games(TM)
All too often you'll find yourself thinking about what might have been and how another game - more than likely to be the sequel - is bound to do all of this better in the years immediately ahead. [Issue#75, p.104]
70
Game Over Online
Fracture makes all the mistakes of the generic shooter and hangs onto the hope that its one gimmick is enough to bail it out. It isn’t. In fact, it’s not even close.
70
Play.tm
If the creative forces behind Fracture had been willing to truly believe in its inventive gameplay mechanic then the end result could have reached well into the gaming industry's higher echelons. As it is, the rather languid presentation, rinse and repeat battle formula, and lack of A.I. variety mean that the appealing deformation elements come off as cobbled gimmickry designed to add a little gloss to a solid but staid third-person shooter.
70
MS Xbox World
Fracture is an entertaining romp while it lasts
69
WonderwallWeb
Yet another average action shooter to add to the very big pile that are already released.
67
Game Revolution
If you’re the type who typically sits around playing video games as a solo endeavor, expect about eight or ten hours of arguably novel gameplay… and not a lot more. If you’re willing and able to drag friends into the online hostilities that are Fracture, you’ll get considerably more reward out of running up that hill.
67
GameShark
Despite its uneven difficulty, Fracture excels in innovating with its dynamic terrain deforming combat.
66
Xbox World 360 Magazine UK
Its well made and has some clever ideas...but still a very average shooter. [Christmas 2008, p.82]
66
Cheat Code Central
I've played worse games than Fracture, but it's certainly not one I'd ever recommend. As it turns out, the core concept of terrain deformation is more of a gimmick than a fully fleshed out feature, and the rest of the shooter mechanics are painfully subpar.
65
Console Monster
It’s a shame that LucasArts and developers Day 1 Studios did not nail the blend of terrain deforming and first-person combat. The moments out of combat when the terrain is used for puzzles works fantastic and the developers certainly deserve a pat on the back for developing such a complex game mechanic.
65
PTGamers
Fracture is a generic shooter with a nice set of weapons and terrain deformation, but the story is mediocre, the main character lacks charisma and production values are just average.
65
ZTGameDomain
Fracture tries to be more than every other shooter and at first it succeeds. Unfortunately after drilling through the game the hectic action and abundance of enemies causes you to forget what separates it from the rest of the herd and it quickly becomes what it is trying to avoid.
65
Games Master UK
Fracture by name, fractured by nature. A competent, complacent shooter. [Dec 2008, p.78]
62
3DJuegos
It is surprising how the latest game from LucasArts turns so quickly into something generic in spite of the fascinating proposal that it had as starting point. Repetitive, lacking in charismatic elements and surprisingly superficial, Fracture is a lost opportunity to give an innovative twist to the genre.
61
Xbox360Achievements
That smile eventually turned into a neutral look as I plodded through the predictable levels. In the end, I just wanted the act to be over so I could play something else.
60
Gamervision
Fracture is a mediocre title released at a time of year when that simply is not good enough. It is repetitive, derivative, and often times boring.
60
Gameplanet
A novel concept, but Fracture ultimately fails to deliver. Hopefully the terraforming concepts can be applied to another title, in the meantime this looks like being just a rental.
60
Kikizo
Fracture has staked its reputation on one main mechanic of making the earth move and for that, it doesn't deliver.
60
AceGamez
While it gets a fair number of things right, its numerous gameplay failings and technical issues far outweigh them all. Its highly derivative nature is another major turnoff and it's a shame to see this spoil what could have been a great experience.
60
Meristation
Quotation forthcoming.
60
Level7.nu
The big blockbuster feature of Fracture is the ability to alter the terrain, creating new ways to traverse levels and approach combat. At least that's what Lucasarts aimed for, but the truth is that the result is merely the same old formula we're used to coupled with a new tool that doesn't really change things for the better. Add to this a horrendously stupid AI, a lackluster online mode and an extremely linear story and what you end up with is a title that's decent at best.
60
Official Xbox Magazine UK
A clever idea marred by a dull, dull world. [Nov 2008, p.72]
60
G4 TV
Fracture is an aptly titled game, since many of its components don't fit well together. The single-player campaign seems unfinished, boss battles lack ingenuity, an awkward controlling vehicle sequence seems to have been tossed at random, and the automatic augmentation system offers few meaningful enhancements. The game's high production values aren't enough to make you want to revisit the campaign, leaving Fracture's long-term appeal in the hands of the multiplayer community.
60
360 Gamer Magazine UK
The physics that enable you to make the earth move certainly work and will provide laughs in abundance for the first hour or so. However, when everything else about Fracture is a retread of shooters past, it’s hard to feel anything else but disappointment that the brilliant gimmick has been squandered on a brief, just above average shooter.
60
VideoGamer
It will be an incredibly dividing game though, with many people unable to forgive its considerable flaws, others completely taken in by the technology and others unsure what to think either way. We certainly felt the earth move but not in the way we'd hoped.
60
GameSpot
The ability to alter terrain isn't enough to save Fracture from becoming the latest run-of-the-mill shooter.
59
IGN
What sucks is that Fracture could've been good. LucasArts and Day 1 Studios have this awesome idea of modifying the terrain to advance through the game, but they never capitalize on it...Fracture isn't a train wreck or anything; it's just generic and forgettable.
58
Gaming Nexus
Fracture believes in itself from beginning to end, manufacturing a world crafted 100% around and for Terrain Deformation. This unswerving dedication builds a consistent universe around itself, at the expense of color and variety in gameplay.
55
PALGN
Fracture offers action fans something new, but unfortunately, it suffers from the same problems seen in countless other third-person shooters.
51
ActionTrip
The terrain deformation, a few cool weapons and the multiplayer salvage this from being complete junk. All in all, there must be at least 100 better ways to spend 60 bucks.
50
Boomtown
It has nothing new to offer an already crowded genre. Practically everything it does has been seen before, and the parts which haven't are too limited and clumsy to save the rest. The story is difficult to care about; the characters are generic and combat is repetitive and flaccid.
50
Gaming Age
If you're absolutely, positively dying to play some type of action oriented title, and you're not feeling particularly picky about the story aspect or how engaged you'll get with the characters used, then Fracture will probably satisfy that itch for a short while.
50
Variety
Fracture is a feature in search of a videogame. LucasFilm division LucasArts’ latest attempt to establish a new intellectual property beyond Star Wars and Indiana Jones takes one compelling innovation -- weapons that can raise or lower the terrain -- and plugs it into a standard "Halo-esque" sci-fi shooter with no other original ideas.
42
1UP
Somewhere deep within Fracture, far, far below its offensively derivative crust, lies a worthwhile, original game. It's very much a game with a gimmick -- terraforming terrain on the fly -- and while that gimmick works well (if a bit too predictably), Fracture is thoroughly unexciting.
42
The Onion (A.V. Club)
LucasArts touted Fracture not just as an exercise in extreme landscaping, but as an new property that would help them break their dependence on Jedi. They just forgot to invest in story, characters, or heart.
40
Destructoid
Fracture feels like a concept forged many years ago, but it just doesn’t stack up with any conventional standards. If you enjoy shooters, feel free to rent. Otherwise, it’s safe to pass this one up.
40
Eurogamer
Many of the vast list of things we object to in Fracture equal the low standard set by the likes of "Turok" and "Haze," and that if you managed to survive those games without burning down the shop that sold them to you, this will suffice for a weekend's distraction.
40
Giant Bomb
While the game itself is technically proficient, nothing about the gameplay pushes it above and beyond that base level of proficiency. Its biggest problem comes from a clever premise with poor implementation. There's some replay value here in the multiplayer and the collection of data cells, which unlock the weapons from the campaign in a weapons testing area, but even those can get old very quickly. Once you get past the limited use of the terrain deformation you'll find yourself searching for anything new or exciting in Fracture's take on the sci-fi third-person shooter.
40
DarkZero
It should be noted that the idea of terrain deformation is a good one, and one that deserves to be expanded on, but this time around its implementation is significantly below par in execution. So much so, that I’d be hard-pressed to recommend the game to anyone - even as a rental.
40
Thunderbolt
By trying to match up to juggernauts such Gears of War and Halo, Fracture ultimately becomes a prisoner shackled by predictability and poor design.
40
D+PAD Magazine
The orchestral score is decent, the physics are impressive if not revelatory, and the whole affair is certainly competent, if utterly uninvolving. Is that really good enough though? No, of course not. The one attempt at uniqueness – the Entrencher – is a flop, and the whole enterprise lacks any finesse or charm to transcend influence.
40
Edge Magazine
Given that its bland combat is little enhanced by the ability to create cover, you suspect that the promises made for the technology have simply dug its own grave. [Dec 2008, p.90]
Kevin G gave it a0: jefframone j gave it a5: Colin S. gave it an8: Mo Bat gave it a9: Chan gave it a6: Apocalypse Brown gave it a5: |
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