Dark Brutal Game

Author's Rating:

Pros: Top-Notch Graphics
Great use of Light and Shadow
A.I.
Interesting NPC's

Cons: A few graphical anomalies
Excessive load-times
Harsh language (doesn't bother me, but does some people)

Author's Review
Let's just get to the gist of what this game has; probably the best graphics to date I've seen on the XBOX, excellent use of light and shadow for stealth, very good enemy A.I., brutal language, sound, and imagery (exactly the type of stuff you'd expect in a vicious prison environment), and an involving storyline. There were a few graphical anomalies here and there (e.g. “seams” visible in some character models, mouth movement not very articulated in some scenes) and load times can be a little annoying, but these really take nothing away from the overall presentation and game play elements. Using shadows as a means of ambushing an approaching sentry is one of my favorite game play elements so far.

I’m only about an hour into the game, but thus far, Butcher Bay has been an incredibly visceral and exciting experience. This game is easy to recommend to anyone who’s into the action and/or stealth genres (think Splinter Cell meets Halo for a general idea).