Rogue Trooper Review

As the generation winds down and PlayStation 2 prepares for a late retirement, game releases have become increasingly slow. The game release spicket has almost run dry on the original Xbox in favor of next-generation Xbox 360 game, with Microsoft cutting and running from the current-generation early, in the fall of 2005. It is now up to third-party developers and publishers like Eidos to keep software support alive on current-generation systems.

Rogue Trooper is one of the late-generation games that could have been something several years ago, but falls flat today. Case in point, the graphics are hardly up to the standards that PS2 set in its prime. Games like God of War and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater put even most Xbox 360 games to shame. From the looks of its textures and waveless water, you would think that Rogue Trooper was a game released in 2001, alongside Medal of Honor.

Graphical potshots aside, the aspect that matters most in any game, the gameplay, is actually pretty good. A steady amount of action, mix of gameplay and timeout for cut-scenes are the usual makings of at least a decent game. I’m under no illusion that Rogue Trooper is a spectacular game; it’s competent enough, making it worthy or your time, money and consideration. Other than that, it’s your run-of-the-mill third-person shooter.

The name of the game implies that you are a troop; not just any trooper though, you are a genetically engineered troop by the name of Rogue. Your comrades in combat get eliminated in battle and you find yourself with their bio-chips. These chips give you special abilities like radar, hologram, a turret, health repair and weapons manufacturing/upgrades. There is nothing new about these features in third-person shooters, but for instance, if the chip on your helmet is busy opening a door, you lose your radar. You can also lose radar from radar jammers.

Another unique aspect of gameplay is how weapons and ammo are manufactured. Scrap metal from soldiers needs collected throughout the game in order to manufacture everything from ammo and weapons to health and upgrades. It is a way the game gets set apart from others in the genre, but it also adds a feeling of unnecessary work. You should never really run too low on scrap that you won’t be able to fill your gun with ammo or buy a health kit, but it’s another dimension of the game that feels tacked on.

Most people buying $30 for Rogue Trooper, a discount that can partly be attributed to next-generation Xbox 360 pricing and rising demand, shouldn’t expect a Metal Gear Solid 3 or Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter. What you should expect is an inter-generational game meant to help keep revenue steady while Eidos prepares for WWIII (i.e. PS3 vs. Xbox 360 vs. Wii). If you’re thirsty for a third-person shooter on your PS2 or Xbox, by all means, give this game a try. You may rather just spend that money towards Hitman: Blood Money though.