Any new game to enter the first person shooter market instantly faces fierce competition. Without vastly improving on the typical war-based scenario or introducing some revolutionary new gameplay concept, it’s an incredibly difficult genre to even attempt to infiltrate. Unfortunately the developers at Codemasters don’t seem to have quite grasped this concept, creating a new title that features a lacklustre story, a particularly short campaign and only the basics when it comes to multiplayer. Bodycount is a game undoubtedly destined for the Bargain Bin.

Storyline

The plot of Bodycount has something of a mercenary feel; you are a military asset dropped into Africa and instructed to take out ‘Targets’. Your instruction will come from a completely disembodied female voice, a representative of the ‘Network’ for whom you are currently employed. Unfortunately what commands and cut-scenes there are that could give some context to the plot seem somewhere cobbled together, mere afterthoughts in a game that is really just about the combat.

Gameplay

One feature that is enjoyable within Bodycount is that of the semi-destructible nature of the world around you. Suspect there’s a bad guy hiding behind a door, waiting to spring out at you? Just pepper the door with bullets from your submachine gun and take them out before they get the opportunity. With explosive barrels and walls to bring tumbling down, there are a variety of pieces of scenery to be pleasantly destroyed throughout the course of your missions.

While it is certainly possible to blast your way through the levels, taking out any and every foe that dares cross your path with a flurry of wasted ammunition, Bodycount does reward you for a more skillful approach. Skillshots are awarded to you each time you achieve a headshot, shoot an enemy in the back and a variety of other scenarios. The more skillshots you make, the larger your score multiplier becomes. This challenge of carefully picking your way across a plain of enemies does add some additional interest to the game, however it is unfortunate that the enemy AI often makes it either far too easy on occasion due to its general lack of intelligence.

Shooting itself is handled a little differently within Bodycount compared to your usual first person shooter. Once you look down the sight of your weapon you will find yourself locked in place, able to look side-to-side or up-and-down around obstacles. This does take a bit of getting used to, but you should find it relatively easy to adapt with a bit of practice. Unfortunately the same can’t be said for the usage of grenades within the game; it seems that no amount of practice can perfect the ability to launch such weaponry without it catching on some element in the environment around you, even when there is nothing around!

A lack of decent multiplayer action is one of the major downfalls of this particular title. Online you will only be able to enjoy Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch modes, along with one two player co-op mode in which you must annihilate wave after wave of the less-than-intelligent AI.

Graphics

Bodycount is a reasonable looking game; there aren’t any real causes for complaint aside from perhaps the lack of different scenes within the campaign. There are really only three distinctive areas in which you will engage the enemy throughout the course of the campaign. Even in a six-hour only campaign this leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to variety.

Conclusion

This is a game that you can take or leave. It’s not awful, but it’s not great. When reduced in price this could be a good one to enjoy for a few hours of enjoyment, but not at its full price. Especially not when compared to the sheer quantity of other great first person shooter games just waiting to be played.

7 / 10

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