BREAKDOWN (M) (3 stars)
Namco
XBox
About 10 minutes into this title, when my character was vomiting into the toilet in first-person view, I was certain this would be an awesome game. Namco describes Breakdown as the most immersive first-person playing experience ever. And they're right. In the course of the game, you will shoot, punch, eat, drink, fall down, and yes, puke in first-person. And it's all done with extraordinary realism. After running for a moment, you hear yourself panting. Also, thanks to a series of frequent but brief in-game loads, the story is never interrupted by a level break or loading screen.
So why merely the "OK" rating? Breakdown is definitely awesome, but it's awesome in short bursts, with lengthy periods during which you walk down bland hallways and through open doors. There's a disappointing lack of environmental interaction. And the story, though peppered with cool plot twists, seems a little too Matrix-y at times, from the Trinity-like sidekick to the "what is reality?" concept. There is potential here for a kick-ass game though, so maybe Breakdown 2 will get it right.
TENCHU: RETURN FROM DARKNESS (M) (2.5 stars)
Activision
XBox
The biggest difference between this game and the PS2 version, Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven, is the title. The same game-play problems are here, so you'll constantly be spotted by enemies as you struggle with unforgiving camera angles. And the guards are so dumb, you need only walk away for a moment for them to forget they spotted you. But when you actually do manage to silently behead some unsuspecting ninja, it's pretty damn cool.
PITFALL: THE LOST EXPEDITION (E) (2.5 stars)
Activision
XBox, PlayStation 2, GameCube
Remember that old Atari game, Pitfall? Me neither. But apparently Activision thinks the franchise still has enough name recognition to justify a modernized, 3D-platformer version. To make your playing experience truly aggravating, they've thrown in an annoying, wannabe Indiana Jones as the lead, and enough backtracking to ruin three games. But slog it through to the end, and you can unlock the original game that inspired this forgettable title. Yay.
MTX: MOTOTRAX (E) (3 stars)
Activision
XBox, PlayStation 2
MTX tries to give motocross racing a Tony Hawk twist, with both trick-based freestyle competitions and free-roaming missions. The all-encompassing career mode is gloriously detailed, but the clunky controls lead to a bumpy ride … even for a dirt bike. If I wanted to do this many face-plants, I'd take up motocross for real.
Matthew Scott Hunter has been known to mumble, "Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start" in his sleep. E-mail him at [email protected].