- Play as a supernatural with the ability to "brainjack" characters.
- Includes 20 levels of action running at 60 frames per second.
- The story features seven possible endings.
Product Description
-------------------
With exciting first-person combat and an engaging
storyline with multiple endings, Maken X is one of the most
unusual action- adventure games to hit the Dreamcast. Players
assume the role of Maken, a supernatural entity that can
"brain-jack" the minds and bodies of other characters to utilize
their particular strengths and knowledge. Not a bad skill,
especially given the evil and gruesome baddies that Maken must
overcome. Using a unique lock-on system that targets an
nent's weakest area, Maken takes advantage of a variety of
hand-held weapons. As the story unfolds through 20 massive
levels, your specific actions will decide your gaming route (as
well as which ending you'll uncover).
.com
----
First-person shooters--the kind of game where you run around
shooting everything in from a first-person perspective--are
commonplace on most gaming consoles, except (for some odd reason)
on the Dreamcast. Maken X is one of the few first-person shooters
for the system, but it is so unconventional that it ultimately
deserves a category all its own.
In this game you play Maken, which is best described as a
futuristic that has the power to possess people. The
characters you control run around the graphics-rich levels,
slashing their way through countless bizarre enemies as the plot
unfolds. As the game progresses, Maken can "brainjack" some of
the other game characters, and that ability to possess others and
play the game from their viewpoint is Maken X's real draw.
Another strong point is the game's capacity for multiple endings.
The conclusion is determined by the character that you choose to
follow, which allows you to play through the game several times
without the gameplay feeling stale.
Characters are very easy to control, which is a big plus given
that most combat takes place within range of an enemy. At
times, it feels like the game would play better from a
third-person perspective, but the first-person gameplay is easy
to get used to. --T. Byrl Baker
Pros:
* Beautiful graphics that are free from slowdown
* Multiple endings
* Unique gameplay Cons:
* Horrendous voice acting
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Review
------
The name Atlus is often associated with all things freaky, from
its unique RPG series, Megami Tensei (known in the US as
Persona), to games like Torico and even strategy games like
Kartia. What it is not known for is its first-person shooters.
But that hasn't stopped the company from trying. While it hasn't
exactly created a first-person shooter, it has put together a
tidy little first-person hacker known as Maken X. Sharing the
name of the evil on which this game is centered, Maken X
thrusts you into a completely bizarre world through which you
battle via a diverse cast of characters, whom you possess via a
process called the "brain jack." Brain jacking is exactly what it
sounds like. A hijack, a carjack, a brain jack. Between levels,
you meet various characters in cinematics scripted with the
game's graphics engine. You can opt to brain-jack these
characters, and should you do so, you can use their specific
abilities in the levels that follow. For example, one early
character you can brain-jack is actually pretty weak, but he has
a stun club that immobilizes your enemies for a moment, allowing
you time to smack 'em around. Another brain-jackee has the
ability to shoot knives from his tongue for a handy long-distance
attack. Control consists of strafing controls, lock-on functions,
and a charge-up attack. You can also jump and duck, and while
there are some platform elements, they are not too frustrating to
complete. Your game experience, minus the cinemas, usually
consists of navigating hallways and slashing whomever attacks
you. It's pretty standard, except that the enemies all have
fairly different attacks, meaning your approach to each one had
better be different, or you'll be pushing up daisies in no time.
Something you won't find in Quake III or Unreal Tournament any
time soon is the "jump over your nent and slash him in the
back of his head" move. Once you get this little move down,
you'll save yourself a lot of agony. While control is generally
efficient, it can sometimes be troublesome when you find yourself
surrounded by enemies. The problem is that people used to the
usual mouse/keyboard combo will find the DC controller
inappropriate for games like this. The biggest problem is when
you want to back up and pivot at the same time, something that is
impossible with the analog controller alone. Instead, you'll turn
around and then back up, or vice versa. Either way, it's less
intuitive than some would like, and that's a shame, because it
keeps Maken X from being as exciting as it could have been. It's
a significant point, but not one that ruins the game by any
means. On the contrary, this game is a very unique and rich
experience that gets more interesting every time you play it
through with different characters, which results in different
endings. While Koji Okada's first Dreamcast project has been in
development for what seems like years, it is rare that a
first-time genre attempted on first-time hardware so very nearly
gets everything right. The graphics in Maken X are, for lack of a
better word, awesome. Running at a rock-steady 60fps, this
Windows-free game engine is an absolute wonder. Developed by the
same team that had developed the strictly 2D Persona, it is a
technological beast that renders high-resolution environments
with high-polygon-count characters, without a glitch in the
action. swinging is fast and furious, as Maken X assumes
different forms, depending on the character who has been brain
jacked. Each defeated enemy leaves behind an ampule, which, when
you pick it up, enhances your stats in a light RPG sort of way.
The enemies are all well designed by the character designer who
worked on RPGs like Persona, Devil Summoner and Soul Hackers.
Creatures beyond description stalk the hallways and make life
generally difficult for you, while the light puzzle elements add
a touch of thinking to the proceedings. While a lot of the
controversial elements (Nazi symbols, Teutonic design) might have
to be altered to avoid offending the easily upset American
public, Maken X would make a great addition to an already strong
library. It's not every day that a game as unique as this one
comes along. A solid game in its own right, Maken X gives you the
impression that great, great things could happen in a sequel, if
its designers really put their minds to it. As it stands, Maken X
is definitely worth importing and absolutely worth localizing for
the US. Bring it on, Sega, bring it on. --James Mielke
--Copyright ©1998 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction
in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written
permission of GameSpot is prohibited. -- GameSpot Review
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