The Bourne Conspiracy by Sierra is one of those games that provokes immediate red flags in a buyer’s mind. For one, it’s a hybrid game attempting to blend a myriad amount of popular gametypes into one game… usually, this ends badly.
Secondly, it’s a movie license adaptation, and those typically fare worse. It’s no surprise given the track record of these two types of games that this one would be approached with trepidation.
Surprisingly, this title delivers a compelling and engaging experience despite not reaching the heights it was aiming for. It helps that the license is a good one to bring to a gaming platform, as the action and pace of the movie lends itself very well to a prototypical action game. It also helps to have Unreal-engine powered graphics.
I’ll begin with the praise of the graphics. This game is absolutely gorgeous both in raw graphic power and in the art direction of the set pieces and backdrops. There is a great deal of standard corridor action here, but some of the outdoor backdrops that the action is set against are absolutely breathtaking. Environmental damage is equally impressive, and really adds to the satisfaction and fun factor of the brawling and shooting elements.
Those brawling and shooting elements of the game are by far the best executed in terms of control and fun to play. There is a stealth element incorporated here, but it is so basic and poorly executed that there’s really no point in exploring it. It is far better to play the game as a run and gun brawler and forget about the sneaking.
The action portions of the game are best compared to Gears of War, with significantly poorer (albeit playable) controls. There is the same emphasis on cover here as in that game, though some sections require sprinting and killing through timed sections. Targeting is rather sluggish, which is then compensated for by an overgenerous auto-aim. Still, blazing through the game is a satisfying, though a flawed experience.
The brawling portion of the game is a very simple two-button combo system, with a block and takedown mechanic thrown in for good measure. The crunchy, brutal fight scenes of the movies are presented well here and are very visceral and satisfying. The takedowns in particular, available when an adrenaline gauge is filled by landing enough melee blows or gunshots on enemies, are spectacular. They flow within the combat seamlessly and vary greatly in how they are implemented depending on what is going on in the fight at that moment. They also take advantage of an interactive and destructable environment system in a way that really is addictive. The simplicity of the combat system does wear a bit thin after a lot of repetition, but the takedowns never really get old.
There is also a driving portion to the game, which is almost as much of a throwaway as the stealth components. It works fine, but it’s oversimplified and very easy. Still, I’d rather have tepid driving levels be easier to get past than insanely difficult, but these levels become a routine rather than the thrilling experience they should have been.
Bourne Conspiracy also relies heavily on context button presses in nearly every phase of the game, especially cinematics and fight scenes. This helps generate the cinematic quality of the source material, and plays an interesting mechanic in the brawling sections, essentially working as a counter in boss fights to create openings to start combo chains.
The game also does a spectacular job of setting up some amazingly intense sequences and situations, particularly a run and gun portion through an airport stuffed with terrorists and the escape from the Embassy, both taken directly from the first movie.
Fans of the franchise will likely love this game, as it faithfully adapts a narrative-abridged version of the first movie, while also giving “prequel” type storylines. This allows the player to control Bourne through flashbacks from his past that were not outlined in the movies.
Bourne Conspiracy gets high marks for faithfully recreating the frenzied pace and action of the movie with a spectacular aesthetic presentation, hampered only by flawed game design of varying degrees in the different gameplay mechanics. It is well worth the time to check out for any fan of shooter/action games as well as fans of the movies.
