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Fear Factor Unleashes onto the GBA, but... where's the fear?
November 28, 2004 | 10:59 PM PSTby: Agustin Olvera
Video games have often times captivated us and brought new forms of gaming experiences like none before them. They have created vast worlds to explore and unique methods of gameplay. They have even created a mood and established an emotional unity and form of expression. Fear Factor has done none of these. Well, except for bringing up a form of expression which is undoubtedly boredom and frustration.
The Facts:
Right when the game starts, you are shown an FMV of the show's actual beginning. The scream that accompanies this FMV is sure to surprise you, maybe even startle you. One of the few, if not the only, moment in the game that will cause this. Also, something I found to be very funny is that a message appears saying: "These stunts are made for a video game only, and are dangerous. They must not be attempted by anybody, at any time, in real life." I just found it interesting that people would actually go out and do these things, or for that matter, that people are actually faced with these kind of challenges in real life. Have you ever been tied down to a railroad track while a train is heading your way? Well, go out and try it but be careful, you should'nt do it! Or, have you ever been to a race track suspended 300 feet off the desert floor with no siderails? Don't be a wimp, do it but be careful, you shouldn't attempt to do this! Well, there should always be precautions, I guess, so it is for the best.
Now, upon starting the game, you must personalize your character. You create a name, select the hair color, skin tone, and the color of your clothing. There aren't many variations to choose from, and the selectable options are sub-par, so either way your character will never look like you. Next, you are given 20 points to distribute between four attributes: Steadiness -- pick locks and balance with ease, Nerve -- Keep a cool head in the most difficult situations, Stomach -- Eat the foulest things without breaking sweat, Stamina -- Keep your cool during demanding action stunts. Once you have created your Profile, you can begin playing the game.
Fear Factor: Unleashed contains twelve challenges that coincide with the four characteristics aforementioned. During the main portion of the game, you are playing against five other competitors to try and win the virtual $50,000 Grand Prize. Now begins the painful part of the game: the wait. For every character playing, you have to sit through their turn and see what happens. This is great for a while, allowing you to see exactly what to do on the challenges, but once you've played them all, they just aren't necessay. The only way to get around this is to continuously press A until it is your turn, but that, too, should not have to have been necessary.
Once the challenge begins, you are greeted with a four second FMV that relates to the challenge you are about to try. These FMV are great, but the sound cuts off abruptly which ends up ruining the mood. Now, the most disappointing aspect of Fear Factor: Unleashed is surprisingly the part that matters most: its minigames. With only 12 challenges to choose from and of these 12, half of them being slight moderations of the other, there really isn't much inspiration to these challenges that make them stand out. Thus, the game quickly becomes repetitive and boring, and leaves you feeling cheated and unsatisfied. The inclusion of the Fear Meter was an attempt to keep the player in suspense, and add a sort of fear to the gameplay, but it simply adds more frustration instead. This bar must be balanced by pressing the L and R buttons, but this distracts from completing the stunts which in turn creates more frustration, too.
The graphics in FFU are a mixed bag of good and bad. For the most part, the levels are nicely detailed and polished, and the FMVs are great, too. However, the character models are so horribly animated that they look disfigured and awkward. Definitely not the best on the GBA. Sound-wise, Fear Factor Unleashed is a decent aural presentation. From the intro sequence's scream, to the repetitive menu theme, you will be satisfied with the musical selection presented in this game. Of course, it's nothing revolutionary or outstanding, but it is just enough to make it good.
For those who finish the game (which shouldn't take you more than an hour), there's two more modes of difficulty that are available. While these do add some replay value to the game, you just won't find yourself wanting to go back and try out these new settings. The multiplayer aspect of FFU, however, is what keeps its replay value from suffering, although it doesn't help it enough. You can get five of your friends and create profiles for each, and then play the game against them by taking turns with each respective player. This will be fun for those who compete with their friends, and see how they compare to one another, but even this gets boring... FAST.
Overall, Fear Factor Unleashed leaves players with more to be desired, and will leave many gamers dissatisfied. The only frightening thing about this game is... the game itself; not what you do in the game. Like most Movie/TV show licenced games out there, Fear Factor Unleashed lacks the quality and gameplay necessary to make a lasting appeal on the market.
The Facts:
- 6 player support, play against your friends!
- 12 stunts to prove yourself in
- Based on the hit TV show: Fear Factor
- Uses actual video clips from the show
- Surprisingly rated T for "Mild Violence"
Right when the game starts, you are shown an FMV of the show's actual beginning. The scream that accompanies this FMV is sure to surprise you, maybe even startle you. One of the few, if not the only, moment in the game that will cause this. Also, something I found to be very funny is that a message appears saying: "These stunts are made for a video game only, and are dangerous. They must not be attempted by anybody, at any time, in real life." I just found it interesting that people would actually go out and do these things, or for that matter, that people are actually faced with these kind of challenges in real life. Have you ever been tied down to a railroad track while a train is heading your way? Well, go out and try it but be careful, you should'nt do it! Or, have you ever been to a race track suspended 300 feet off the desert floor with no siderails? Don't be a wimp, do it but be careful, you shouldn't attempt to do this! Well, there should always be precautions, I guess, so it is for the best.
Now, upon starting the game, you must personalize your character. You create a name, select the hair color, skin tone, and the color of your clothing. There aren't many variations to choose from, and the selectable options are sub-par, so either way your character will never look like you. Next, you are given 20 points to distribute between four attributes: Steadiness -- pick locks and balance with ease, Nerve -- Keep a cool head in the most difficult situations, Stomach -- Eat the foulest things without breaking sweat, Stamina -- Keep your cool during demanding action stunts. Once you have created your Profile, you can begin playing the game.
Fear Factor: Unleashed contains twelve challenges that coincide with the four characteristics aforementioned. During the main portion of the game, you are playing against five other competitors to try and win the virtual $50,000 Grand Prize. Now begins the painful part of the game: the wait. For every character playing, you have to sit through their turn and see what happens. This is great for a while, allowing you to see exactly what to do on the challenges, but once you've played them all, they just aren't necessay. The only way to get around this is to continuously press A until it is your turn, but that, too, should not have to have been necessary.
Once the challenge begins, you are greeted with a four second FMV that relates to the challenge you are about to try. These FMV are great, but the sound cuts off abruptly which ends up ruining the mood. Now, the most disappointing aspect of Fear Factor: Unleashed is surprisingly the part that matters most: its minigames. With only 12 challenges to choose from and of these 12, half of them being slight moderations of the other, there really isn't much inspiration to these challenges that make them stand out. Thus, the game quickly becomes repetitive and boring, and leaves you feeling cheated and unsatisfied. The inclusion of the Fear Meter was an attempt to keep the player in suspense, and add a sort of fear to the gameplay, but it simply adds more frustration instead. This bar must be balanced by pressing the L and R buttons, but this distracts from completing the stunts which in turn creates more frustration, too.
The graphics in FFU are a mixed bag of good and bad. For the most part, the levels are nicely detailed and polished, and the FMVs are great, too. However, the character models are so horribly animated that they look disfigured and awkward. Definitely not the best on the GBA. Sound-wise, Fear Factor Unleashed is a decent aural presentation. From the intro sequence's scream, to the repetitive menu theme, you will be satisfied with the musical selection presented in this game. Of course, it's nothing revolutionary or outstanding, but it is just enough to make it good.
For those who finish the game (which shouldn't take you more than an hour), there's two more modes of difficulty that are available. While these do add some replay value to the game, you just won't find yourself wanting to go back and try out these new settings. The multiplayer aspect of FFU, however, is what keeps its replay value from suffering, although it doesn't help it enough. You can get five of your friends and create profiles for each, and then play the game against them by taking turns with each respective player. This will be fun for those who compete with their friends, and see how they compare to one another, but even this gets boring... FAST.
Overall, Fear Factor Unleashed leaves players with more to be desired, and will leave many gamers dissatisfied. The only frightening thing about this game is... the game itself; not what you do in the game. Like most Movie/TV show licenced games out there, Fear Factor Unleashed lacks the quality and gameplay necessary to make a lasting appeal on the market.
November 20, 2009
