Kill.Switch

Graphics: 8/10
Some people say that graphics are what makes or breaks a game. I don't necessarily agree. It's a good thing this doesn't apply to Kill.Switch. As far as graphics go, the small third-person shooter genre really get's the short straw. Kill.Switch, on the other hand, is actually quite beautiful for what it is. What really suprised me was the level of detail that was put into the game when the gameplay doesn't really encourage you to stop and admire the pretty models. Walls take bulletholes, (lots of them!) and wood splinters as combat chaos unfolds during a firefight. The models are what take the biggest hit in this category, however. Considering you spend all your time looking at Bishop's backside, they only felt it necessary to put a moderate amount of detail here. Of course this isn't always important since your eyes are always focused on the tiny specs shooting at you from off in the distance, but it would be nice to have. Overall, the graphics, while not the best in the world, are very nicely done. 8/10.

Sound: 7/10
Nothing gets my adreneline flowing like the sound of tiny metal bullets wizzing past my ear and slamming full-force into the stone wall behind me. The sound effects in this game really give you that "Holy crap. I'm in trouble!" feeling. The music is far from anything I'd call epic but it fits the game very well and does it's composers justice. However, I did find myself playing my own mp3s over the game's music on more than one occasion. This is a bad thing. The cutscenes feature some so-so voice acting to help play out the almost nonexistant storyline. All three or four characters voice's are very well done, though. (Yes, I said three or four characters.) So overall, the sound is very good. 7/10.

Gameplay: 8/10
Ah, the meat and potatos of any good game. What good is flashy graphics, an epic soundtrack, and disgustingly amuzing ragdoll physiscs, if you can't enjoy the gameplay? Kill.Switch, while a very unique game in it's own right, is very, very simple in design. The entire game revolves around ducking behind an object, waiting for your enemies to reload, pooping out, and blowing their heads off with a short burst of automatic death. Is this a bad thing? No. This style of gameplay is what sets Kill.Switch apart from other shooters. You won't find any stealth missions here. Non-stop action is truely this game's selling point- and if there's anything I love, it's non-stop action. 9/10.

Controls: 9/10
I'm going to talk abut controls for a bit. Controls are a very imporant element in any game. If the game features bad controls, then the player can't fully dive into his character and thus, cannot enjoy the game to it's full potential. How does Kill.Switch handle, you ask? Like a bullet train on autopilot, my friend. The simple gameplay concept makes for some very simple and easy to handle controls which in turn make for a very quick learning curve, It literally takes only three minutes on the training course to master the controls. You run up to an object, such as a crate, and right-click to duck. Then, it's just a matter of letting go long enough to click your enemies heads from their bodies. By default, the game uses a WASD movement scheme so any veteran shooter should have no problems here. My finger occasionally missed the [TAB] key while I was tring to throw a grenade but that's about as far as control issues go. Again, simplicity proves to be this game's strongest feature. 9/10.

Story: 5/10
Yikes. This, unfortunantly, is where Kill.switch takes a hit. What could possibly be wrong with the story to bring it down to a 5/10, you may be asking? There isn't one. Well, that's not entirely true. There is a story, but it comes in the form of tiny cutscenes between missions. The storyline in this game has a whopping ONE plot twist. I'll be it a very good one, sure... but it's not enough to save the ship. I would have given a 3 or 4 in this area had it not been for the fact that this Kill.Switch really doesn't need a story. As I said before, this game's highest selling point is the non-stop action and a deep, complicated story would only serve to take away from that action. No es bueno. 5/10.

Overall: 7/10
Kill.Switch is a great game and in my opinion, the best third-person shooter out there. The game is near perfect in almost every area save for the almost nonexistant storyline. If you're a fan of shooters, or just a fan of killing in general, this game is for you. I do not, however, recommend that you buy this game. It's so short, I was able to complete it in about four hours. Sure, it's fun to play through some of the levels again, but there's really no need to. I give Kill.Switch for the PC an above-average 7/10.