"MorphX" Review (Xbox 360)

From Mother Russia comes "MorphX" -- though you've probably never heard of it. It's a budget-priced action adventure set in a post-apocalyptic Moscow (like the infinitely better "Metro 2033") after a bunch of aliens done took over the world. To be honest, this isn't a terrible game (especially when you factor in the budget price), despite some asshole on a message board's proclamation that "'MorphX' is the Worst Game Ever" that I just happened to glimpse. It's also worth noting, however, that the game acclaimed some sort of award in Russia for its sheer greatness -- funny since the game came out of Russia to begin with, isn't it? Gee, perhaps someone there had a pro-national agenda. (Although if they and everyone else gave "Metro 2033" Game of the Year honors in 2010, also from Russian devs, I'd be in agreement. Just sayin'...)

As per usual, I'm ranting and raving here. Let's just say that it's my feeling, having played "MorphX," that it's a fairly decent diversion if your standards are a little lax and you, like me, can actually find yourself enjoying games that aren't AAA standard. I don't need to play "Gears of War" or "Halo" or "Call of Duty" twenty-four seven to have fun with a controller in my hands, and I don't need bleeding edge graphics and sound, or even a coherent storyline -- although that's definitely something I take into consideration when reviewing a game. But this is a budget game with some neat ideas that handles smoothely and offers a few elements of fun buried deep within its overall mediocrity -- but not awfulness.

First things first. Your character in "MorphX" awakens in an alien breeding ground with no memory of his past, like virtually every other video game protag we've ever seen. But just because amnesia promises moments of self-discovery and plot revelations, don't expect any of that. I dare say beyond the aliens take over the world motif the game puts on display, this game's plot probably doesn't even make sense in its native Russian. One moment you're killing aliens right alongside humans, the next the humans are shooting at YOU for some confounding reason. The plot is moronic at best, poorly acted by its voice-overs, and piss poorly presented aside from an okay rendered cinematic at the beginning of the game. Warning: if you're a plot gamer, avoid this one already. Hell, even "Quantum Theory" (my last reviewed game) told a better tale despite making not a lick of sense just because it was all so blissfully surreal. The plot of "MorphX" doesn't even have that going for it.

It's too bad too, because the basic idea behind "MorphX" is a good one. How much of your humanity would you sacrifice to save the world? That central theme could'a been a contender, but it doesn't play out in any sort of way that's truly interesting. It does make for the game's strongest gameplay conceit, however, in that by collecting 'biomass' you are able to take your character's inevitable mutations in several varying directions that you yourself have a direct hand in. Should you increase your melee damage or increase your character's overall health? These choices and many more await, and represent the game's biggest and brightest feature.

Other than these customization options, this is an old-school third person shooter whose engine bears an uncanny resemblence to the one used in "The Suffering" on last generation consoles. Yeah, the graphics are dated, but colorful. Lighting effects are nice despite an overall darkness that too often makes you rely on your "alien eye" night vision mutation, but I digress. The game doesn't look bad, just behind the times. And if you're expecting it to conform to more modern third-person action game conventions like taking cover and blind-firing at your opponents, drop those expectations now. This is a run-and-gun shooter the likes of which pre-dated "Gears of War" and even "Kill.Switch." And, honestly, I'd prefer that any day of the week to a third-rate ripoff like the aforementioned "Quantum Theory," which, while okay, completely lacked an identity of its own.

But speaking of lacking in identity, "MorphX" unfortunately falls into this trap a few times itself by offering badly designed, generic, and vaguely Giger-esque aliens to kill in droves. One wishes these off-world creatures had more personality, but instead make you long for the diverse group of foes presented in games like "Half-Life," or even the less-than-diverse but still personality-charged gang from "Halo." These baddies aren't scary, they aren't cool, and I really feel like an opportunity was lost to provide them with anything except the most generic video game villain traits, like cloaking and shielding attributes. But hey, at least there's a giant one that's almost cool -- at least until you face it again at the end of the game as a boss and realize it'd be a giant pussy if it didn't have so much backup.

The depth of "MorphX"'s customization options is what really makes the game worthwhile despite very functional but uninspired gameplay mechanics. Mission objectives and puzzle-based elements can be obtuse to a point of annoyance, the music sounds like an 80's Genesis album (listen to that track on the title screen and tell me I'm wrong!), and the third-person action is generally about spamming melee buttons or blazing away at your enemy while standing in the open with no concern for tactics. This game just oozes a retro vibe that I can't honestly say I minded, but by not even trying to keep the pace with more current games it deserves its inevitable place in obscurity.

Final Score: 6.6