Ghost in the Shell

Ghost in the Shell is one of my favorite movies. Its an anime, based on the manga by Masamune Shirow, that tells the story of several cyborgs in a "law enforcing" unit -- mainly that of Motoko Kusanagi. The game really does not follow the manga, but the movie doesn't really either. The game, however, is more of a side story of a possible mission that Kusanagi and her friends went on.

The developers of the game did not want this to turn Kusanagi into some sort of action hero, like Lara Croft or whoever, so decided to make a shooter in which the characters all ride around in small robotic tanks known as Fuchikoma. The cool thing about the Fuchikoma is their ability to cling to walls, some what like a spider... you can ride up and down walls and ceilings, and it can get quite confusing sometimes. The story is told by some very beautiful anime sequences, and I dare say the opening FMV of the game is the best FMV in any game I've ever played. The best thing about the movies in the game are that they look more like Shirow's original characters from the Manga, rather than the altered one's seen in the movie. The dubbing for these movies is also done well, and uses the same voices as the movie did when it was released over here.

Graphics: The graphics are really nothing special. They are kind of boring at times, but some of the bosses are pretty cool. They are not bad per se, but the game looks a little dated... even when it was first released. The menus and FMVs in the game are the best looking parts, and are very very nice.

Sound: The music is mostly techno, and it is pretty good. All techno gets old to me pretty quick however, and the music in this game is no exception. It fits the game, but just feels overused sometimes. The sound effects are pretty good though, and as I mentioned above, the voice acting is really good for a game.

Play Control: I really like the play control in this game, although it does take some time to get used to. Its rather easy to climb buildings and jump from wall to wall, and its actually a lot of fun to do. The play control is excellent, and I'm rather surprised they pulled it off so well.

Theme and Fun: There is really no strategy involved in this game... you just go where you are told and collect things and shoots whatever moves. It is fun, however, and its nice to sometimes just play a simple game where you can just blast stuff.

Replay Value: There are several videos you can unlock in the training sessions; which one you get depends on how well you do. Other than that there is really no reason to play the game again, other that the fact that its fun... and that's enough to me.

Challenge: Easy as hell and way too short. It would've been nice if there were a few more stages, but oh well...

Overall: I bought this game the day it came out, expecting the most amazing things. It didn't amaze me, but it is a good game, and is certainly a lot of fun. If you love Ghost in the Shell pick this up, and it you want a different 3D shooter you may want it as well.