Conker: Live and Reloaded (Xbox)

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Online is a whole new ball game

Conker's adventure is a flawed, but enjoyable single-player experience, but that isn't all this Xbox remake offers. In fact, it could be said that the main focus of the game is its third-person shooter multiplayer mode. The class based action plays like a cut-down version of Battlefield, with the Teddiz and the SHC (selection of furry animals) going at each other over large maps, using a variety of weaponry and vehicles.

To get you into the spirit of this online team-based gameplay, Rare have included something called Chapter X. This is a single-player semi-campaign that uses the multiplayer levels and gameplay. You are playing with bots, against bots, but there are objectives and CGI to make more of a game out of it. While not essential to play, it will get you ready to play online.

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Online (or via system link) you have two basic game types to choose from: Objective based or deathmatch. Whichever you choose, your choice of class is very important. Each class has its own set of weapons and skills and finding which one works best for you is an important step to enjoying the game. Some classes are best at running and gunning down the enemy, while others move slowly and pack more force, allowing for far more destruction. Certain vehicles are also restricted to a certain class type, which is a little annoying, but something you get used to.

It's worth pointing out that despite its simple look, the multiplayer mode Rare have created is pretty complex, and not something that is easy to get into. Early impressions won't be good, as you'll die far too often for your liking and won't be able to inflict the damage you want to. This will probably be down to your underpowered weapons. In order to do more damage you need to upgrade your firepower by picking up upgrades that are dropped by dead enemies, or by using the ordinance terminals scattered around the levels. Once you learn how to play using your chosen character class and start to upgrade your weapons, things become a lot more fun.

Sadly, there are still problems that prevent the multiplayer action being as fun as it could be

Sadly, there are still problems that prevent the multiplayer action being as fun as it could be. The character classes seem rather unbalanced, with a distinct advantage going to the Demolishers. While you are trying to carefully pick off enemies, a bazooka shot in your general vicinity will take you down, often making playing as other classes pretty pointless. The Sniper class also seems hampered, with headshots not being enough to take down enemies. In order to achieve a one hit kill you need to bring up a laser sight, making your intent visible to all. You can change your class during a match, but you're left on the map, spawned, open to attack, but immobile. While the counter counts down, kind souls can take you out even before you have got back into the game. I'm sure Rare will sort this out in future updates, but for now it's very annoying.

As mentioned earlier, Conker's online play isn't as simple as it seems, and the weapon selection and related options is another example. You have different menus for everything from your weapon fire type, to your specialities. It just isn't as simple as you want it to be, and adds another level of complexity to the already complex game.

The depth to the online play may put off some players

I expect that most people simply won't be expecting the kind of experience that Conker's online mode actually delivers. It really isn't something you can hop in and out of. To get anything out of it you need to keep at it. Doing so will improve you character stats, giving you better skills, an improved rate of fire and the ability to hold more grenades. If you enter the game knowing what you are getting in to, and like the sound of it, you are far more likely to enjoy it. It would have been nice for Rare to include a more appealing, simplistic online game mode that people could simply pick up and play, as well as the more advanced game for those who wanted to get stuck into it, but they haven't. I still expect a strong community to build up for the game as a lot of people will appreciate the depth of the experience.

Conker is a game with a lot to offer. The single-player campaign will take up to ten hours (more if you are often confused about what to do) to complete and is a genuinely enjoyable experience, despite the number of problems that raise their ugly heads throughout. It is just a shame that the core game wasn't ported to this generation in the same way that the visuals have been. Online play will be loved by some and hated by others, with only the dedicated really getting anything out of it. If you don't like the look of the online play, and have already played the original game, it will be hard to get much from this new version, but newcomers to Conker will find a fun game that could have been so much better.

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