Developed by Beam Software and published by Acclaim Entertainment in 1995. Follow me on Twitter:
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Foreword: I wasn't happy with the original video, so this is a re-upload of the original video, only in much better quality. True Lies is the video game tie-in to the James Cameron blockbuster released in cinemas during the previous year. It's generally accepted that games based on films are almost always terrible, but True Lies is an exception to the rule. The game is a action-shooter that requires the player to guide Harry Tasker throughout various levels based on locations from the film (as well others created specifically for the game). The action is viewed from a perspective very reminiscent of that used in The Chaos Engine; a hybrid between an isometric and overhead perspective. In fact, the art style bares a resemblance to that created by Dan Malone for Bitmap Brother's game, but it's by no means plagiarised. Each level has an objective for Harry to achieve and these typically involve collecting or destroying things. Some levels have added complications, such as civilian bystanders who mustn't be harmed by Harry (although it's perfect acceptable for a terrorist to kill them; absolutely no penalty is given there...), which can be difficult given that bullets and grenades travel further than the edges of the screen would suggest. The levels are fairly linear, but there are plenty of optional areas to explore that branch off the main path. There are also secret areas to be found, with entrances concealed behind objects or parts of the scenery leading to caches of health and extra weapons. The size of the levels is commendable, but I have to admit that they start to feel slightly too generic by the time you reach the Refinery and I found myself wanting the levels to be over. The combat is the game's main success. The weapons are well designed, sound great and the variety on offer means that Harry can deal with enemies in a tactical manner, rather than wading in all guns blazing. In fact, this approach is fatal, especially at higher difficulty levels where enemies are stronger and deal more damage. It's worth noting that despite being invulnerable to their own bullets, they are not immune to fire or explosions. It's possible to conserve ammunition by luring enemies into explosions caused by their allies, or lure them on to land mines. One cool feature is that shooting an enemy who is preparing to throw a grenade will cause him to fumble it. The dropped grenade will then blow up the unfortunate guy who dropped it, as well as anyone else nearby. The game is surprisingly visceral given that it carried an 11-14 minimum age rating. Enemies die in a number of gruesome ways, with the most violent being the blood soaked ribcage left behind by the suicide bombers when they die. In terms of faults, my chief complaint is the over-fiddly controls. Harry can shoot in all eight directions supported by the D-Pad and it's possible to lock the direction he faces by holding down the A button; this allows the player to side-strafe backwards and forwards whilst firing in the same direction. Once you start factoring in the ability to roll, changing weapons and the speed and aggressiveness of enemies, I kept finding myself getting locked facing in directions I had no desire to be facing and losing health as a result. This isn't a deal breaker by any means, but I did find myself cursing in the later stages of the game where the difficulty curve takes a sharp increase. I rented this game on both the Mega Drive and the SNES on release. The Mega Drive version is no slouch, but the SNES version has substantially better sound. I'll probably look at playing that version at some point. True Lies is a tough, but enjoyable game that is easy to recommend and has enough content for several hours of gameplay. #retrogaming
