- Publisher: Southpeak
- Developer: TimeGate
- Also On: PC
- ESRB Rating: “T” for Teen
- Genre: FPS
- Pros: Solid gameplay; multi-layered objectives; 32 players online
- Cons: Multiplayer focused; steep learning curve; so-so presentation
Section 8 is a multiplayer-focused shooter first and foremost. If you are a loner and/or don’t have Xbox Live, it isn’t really even worth considering. Sure, there is a single-player “story” mode and an instant action mode, but both of them are just multiplayer with bots instead of people. It is still fun, don’t get me wrong, but isn’t really how Section 8 was meant to be played.
Something that people always worry about with multiplayer-focused shooters is that there won’t be anybody online after the first week because everyone goes back to the big three. Don’t worry about it. We have seen on the Xbox 360 that well put together games tend to do fairly well long term. Chromehounds, Frontlines, Shadowrun, Battlefield, etc. are all multiplayer-focused games that still have a strong community years after release. And the best part is that the communities for these games are usually better than the communities for the bigger games since you have a smaller, more dedicated group of players that want to play the game the right way and have fun.
Gameplay
The core of the game is class, team, and objective-based, so you have to do things like shut down computers and anti-air turrets (so your team can drop in closer to the objective) and things like that. If you use teamwork and actually have a plan, the game is incredibly rewarding and fun. As you complete objectives you earn cash that you can use to drop vehicles and turrets and supply points to help your team out even more. It is a surprisingly deep and complex experience. There is a bit of a learning curve in figuring out how everything works (and the controls take some getting used to), but once you “get it” and find a good team, Section 8 is awesome.
Graphics & Sound
The presentation is a bit of a letdown in Section 8. It uses Unreal Tech and has a pretty familiar look, but it is just generic in every way. The characters are run-of-the-mill space marines and the environments are generally bland and uninteresting. There is a definite lack of detail and polish in the graphics. Thankfully, the game runs at a fairly smooth and stable framerate, so perhaps the trade off in visuals was worth it.The sound is similarly bland. We’ve heard the “epic” battle music before. We’ve heard these sound effects a thousand times over. And the voice acting can barely be called “acting”.
Bottom Line
