| Back in the day, the term Bounty Hunter referred to the concept of being paid for the capture or killing of any articulated person - got to be up there on the top ten ace jobs list, along with mattress tester and chief taster for Walker's Crisps. These days, a quick spot of research brings about the discovery that they're now referred to as 'bail enforcement agents', which somehow doesn't quite sound as cool. However, if Warthog's latest futuristic adventure is to be believed, Bounty Hunting is set to get glamorous again soon.Taking place hundreds of years in the future, in a time where both human and alien settlers are rapidly colonising the galaxy, Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter casts players as (rather predictably) Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter and plunges them into a universe of huge corporations, strange religious sects, and futuristic gun-slingers. As the story has it, ex-Special Ops officer Mace finds himself framed for the murder of his comrades. On emerging from the resulting ten-year prison sentence, he decides to become a bounty hunter, in order to acquire access to classified information that will enable him to find the people that framed him.The game itself is built up of a series of objective-based missions, each demanding a great deal of exploration and investigation. In his quest to unravel the truth, Mace travels across a host of both space and ground-based locations, fulfilling such objectives as destroying a space station, preventing rustlers from stealing alien super cattle, salvaging smuggled technology, and protecting a crime lord.Being set in the future, it's only to be expected that there should be plenty of hi-tech vehicles to get your hands on throughout the game. Thankfully, there are - along the way you have the opportunity to pilot a total of six different space ships, ranging from powerful alien fighters to massive cruise liners. The ships all come equipped with an array of explosive weaponry, which comes in particularly handy during the game's high-action space combat sequences. Alternatively, for the ground-based elements of the game, there are a total of ten different weapons to get your hands on.It's clear that emphasis has been placed on delivering a cinematic experience during the development of Mace Griffin. An involving storyline holds everything together, featuring strong narrative and, best of all, voice-over by the legendary Henry Rollins. Also, throughout the game, lifelike computer-controlled characters behave convincingly, reacting in accordance with their individual intelligence, bravery and health.If you fancy a stint as a bounty hunter then you might well want to give this game a bash - it certainly sounds more fun than enrolling as a bail enforcement agent. |
