Great ambitions, but only for the beginners

By Pang Yee Huat • Urbanwire
• email reporter • email story • printer friendly

Overview

There have been many tactical stealth-themed games, such as Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, Metal Gear Solid and Commandoes 3: Destination Berlin, that have made it big throughout the gaming world. Typhoon Games’ Gorky Zero: Beyond Honor aims to join the ranks of these gaming greats.

Welcome to the mission
Gameplay
Guns and Gadgets
Graphics and Sounds
Bring it on, soldier

Welcome to the mission

In Gorky Zero: Beyond Honor, you take on the role of Lieutenant Cole Sullivan, a member of the Special Forces sent by the European Union Secret Council to unravel the mysteries behind a remote research facility.

Based on NATO intelligence, an ex-Russian Major, Trafimov, has been heading a terrorist organisation called the Brotherhood of Redemption. The odd thing about this outfit is that its members have been brainwashed and have become zombies who will only listen to their master’s (Trafimov’s) commands.

Problems start to arise when Trafimov is found dead. The zombies refuse to eat or drink and no doctor can save them. Preliminary investigations show that the zombie technology had been developed in the supposedly harmless research facility. Thus, Lieutenant Cole is instructed to get into the facility and blow it up before it causes any further damage. Sounds like just another typical military operation? Well, not exactly. The people at Typhoon Games aren’t going to make it that easy for you. As you proceed further into the game, more twists and turns await you.

Gameplay

The first impression you’ll get of Gorky Zero is how much it resembles Metal Gear Solid. However, it lacks some of the realism that tactical stealth-themed games should have. Little details such as creating a sound by knocking your knife against a metal box, won’t attract your enemies’ attention. Also, creating footprints in the snow is unlikely to cause the enemy to be suspicious. You wonder why they even bothered to program footprints into the game in the first place. Still, the gameplay has some neat features. For instance, you can use a flashlight to lure an enemy into an ambush.

If you haven’t read the instructional manual that comes along with the game, you may not be able to figure out the real story behind Gorky Zero. The choppy cut scenes in between missions don’t really help much either.

However, flaws aside, you’ll still get an adrenaline rush from the game as you try to outwit your enemies. By using the many different maneuvers, such as sneaking, walking and running, Lieutenant Cole can avoid enemy detection. You can get an idea of how close you are to being detected by looking at the blue circle in the radar at the top left hand corner of the screen. The bigger the circle, the more likely an enemy will spot you.

You are also able to search the bodies of downed enemies mainly for ammunition and first aid kits. After cleaning them out, you’ll have to hide the bodies to prevent their comrades from discovering them and sounding the alarm. This does add some much-needed realism into the game since the bodies don’t dissolve into thin air like in other games.

If you’re familiar with the genre, you should be able to adapt to these controls and the game easily. But if necessary, there is a Virtual Training (game tutorial) option available. This tutorial comprises of lessons on basic movements, as well as how to operate the various equipment and weapons available to Lieutenant Cole.

Guns and Gadgets

What’s a tactical stealth operation without the cool gadgets? Lieutenant Cole is equipped with weapons differing in fire power, accuracy, rate of fire and the amount of noise they generate. Some examples of the weapons would be the paralyser, pistol, shotgun and sniper rifle, each with its own pros and cons.

Other than weapons, Lieutenant Cole has his portable computer, binoculars, torchlight and gas grenades (which render enemies unconscious).

Graphics and Sound

Gorky Zero scores very well in these 2 fields, with its excellent choice of music and graphics. You’ll feel the intensity of the situation from the start, as the music casts a solemn feel to the game. Even the loading screens are well designed with the Gorky Zero logo and a loading bar giving you a good visual experience.

The 3-D environment Lieutenant Cole operates in is also quite believable, be it hiding between boxes, waiting to ambush an enemy with a sniper rifle, or hand-to-hand combat with opposing forces. The enemies’ facial expressions will even change when they spot you! You’ll enjoy the little visual details Typhoon Games have paid attention to in the game.

Bring it on, soldier

Overall, Gorky Zero is passable as a tactical stealth engagement game. You’ll still get that adrenaline rush from playing the game, and not have to worry too much about learning the game’s complex controls. However, although beginners may fancy this game because it’s fun and easy to pick up, veterans of the genre will be sorely disappointed with it, because of some of its glaring flaws such as not being realistic enough and its overall slow pace.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

PC Requirements

Minimum Recommended
CPU Pentium III 400MHz Pentium III 800MHz
RAM 128MB RAM 256MB RAM
Graphic Card 16MB DirectX 8.1 compatible 32MB DirectX 8.1 compatible
Sound Card
OS Windows 98/Me/2000/XP
Harddisk 500MB

Pictures courtesy of Innovative Distribution.