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Nothing beats a good journey back in time. A time when games were simple, fun, and addicting. A time when you were able to sit down on a Saturday afternoon and complete a game in one sitting. Games like Spy Hunter came from this nostalgic age and are one of the franchises that received a facelift for the current generation of gamers. The first two were great as they recaptured the simplicity of the arcade classic, yet was deep, visually stunning, and looked the part compared to games competing against it. Turn the clock to 2006 and we have a 3rd installment. This time not only does the game take place partially outside your legendary transforming vehicle, but it also stars former WWE Champion turned action star, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. This addition makes sense if the franchise was a failing one, but to re-create a genre that feels like a substandard Bond title is not what I call moving in the right direction. Nevertheless Midway has allowed Terminal Reality to do just that, which is apropos of a name if it succeeds in killing off a franchise due to lack of sales and interest. Not that Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run is a horrid title, actually that could not be further from the truth. The fact of the matter comes from the feeling of mediocrity while playing. That “been there, done that” feeling comes more often than not, whether it’s the cheesy bond-like story line and action sequences, the ‘burnout’ like stunt scenes, or simply the fact that this doesn’t really feel like Spy Hunter at all, with the exception of a few race points. Cut scenes of cool stunts would have been better if you could have actually controlled them, though the repetitive and clumsy third person action portions of the game unfortunately break these up too often.
Sure, they scanned, mapped, and have “The Rock”’s look down; from his sideburns to his famous rock bottom (which is actually a special move in the game). The animations are spotty at best, as the game only looks really decent during the driving sequences, but even then, you are hampered with moments of slowdown, blurry textures, and fair lighting effects. Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run really feels like a bargain effort, especially in the sound department. While the game supports 5.1-surround sound, the cut scenes are in stereo. I mean, what gives? In the end, it really seems as if the budget of the game was spent more on the likeness of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and less on the development crew who have turned a lovable franchise into the same old song and dance. If you like spy/action titles and you cannot wait for the next Bond game to come around, then you may be happy with this game for the short amount of time it lasts. Otherwise, Spy Hunter fans should avoid this, as it will only taint any fond memories you may have of the series.
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