By the time you've managed to make it upstairs, your ammunition can be severely depleted making it hard to progress through the game without constant recourse to the quick save key. In the second realm, spawn points have been placed on upper levels, which doesn't stop the creatures from dropping down and attacking you while you're trying to deal with bigger problems. The way the levels have been designed, it's sometimes extremely hard to reach the spawn points. Instead you have to destroy the nests before trying to clear the screen of your adversaries.Īs mentioned, this does lead to a small problem. These contraptions spew out smaller creatures (up to the rotten Gasbags) by the bucket load, so you can't just dig in and keep shooting, otherwise you're going to run out of ammunition just before you get overwhelmed. The strategy that you have to follow is dictated by numbers and actually find yourself M halfway through the game I before realising that you haven't even had time to stop and think about the Al.Īnother new strategy is introduced via the spawning points. However, with a level tull of creatures that can follow you wherever you go, and taking into account the mix of flying and ground-based creatures with melee or long-range attacks, it doesn't matter. It's not quite as bad as the disastrous Daikatana, but you won't find anything displaying the tactical awareness of the Half-Life troops. Even on a mid-end system we didn't suffer any slowdown, despite tackling dozens of creatures, from scuttling the Headless to Flaming UniPsychos and Fat Ladies.Ĭleverly, all of this frantic action disguises the fact that the AI in the game isn't really up to much.
#Kiss psycho circus game download full
Now we've played through the full game, we're pleased to report that it's in place and it works a treat. If you've read our preview then you'll know that the one feature we were looking forward to was the Horde technology, which promised swarms of creatures on-screen at once. But that's something we're willing to forgive. The LithTech engine also delivers the looks that we've become accustomed to (Daikatana notwithstanding), although it does sell us short on water and, with next-generation blasters like oyagenmminent, it's going to look dated before the boxed copies hit the shelves.
#Kiss psycho circus game download code
It's something that id has never been able to code into its admittedly superior Quake engines and it suits the style of this game perfectly. Before you know it, you're in charge of saving the world, through four distinct realms of the Psycho Circus You have to play all four characters through all four realms, and, although there's a suggested order, you can tackle any of the realms at any time.īy choosing to build the game around the marvellously flexible LithTech engine, Third Law has been able to flex it's muscle by designing levels that move from claustrophobic corridors to massive landscapes, canyons and ravines. Four members of a band turn up at a seemingly deserted circus and are accosted by a man-woman with a crystal ball. (Take note John Romero).īefore we look at these in closer detail, let's just fill you in on the basic storyline. Get these secret ingredients in place H and you're in a no-lose situation. Circus is a blast for three very important reasons: level design, monsters and weapons. Behind our cries for realism and human-like Al, one important point can get overlooked: games are supposed to be fun.
Despite the fact that Psycho Circus is almost completely devoid of innovation, from the distinctly unremarkable AI to the Doom homage in the second realm and secret hiding places, it's an entertaining game that's well worth $35 of anyone's hard-earned cash. Flip the coin over and you've got a title that's likely to be ignored by die-hard gamers who know that these sort of licenses are often a way of hiding utter trash masquerading as entertainment.īut not in this case. On the one hand it's going to sell to die-hard fans who must, simply must, own everything connected to their idols. What's the first thing that comes into your mind? Now that's not very complimentary is it? And if we printed words like that then we'd be taken off the shelves at Will Smiths.īasing a game around rock dinosaurs like Kiss is a risky business. Ready? Ex-Daikatana developers leave Ion Storm and start creating their own first-person shooter based around the exploits of sad supergroupers, Kiss. Let's have a quick game of word association.