User Review : Section 8: Prejudice

Section 8: Prejudice is a First-Person Shooter set with a science fiction, futuristic style.

Section 8: Prejudice is a First-Person Shooter set with a science fiction, futuristic style.
The game's visuals, sounds and controls are pretty solid. Add a great-sounding assortment of audio enhancements to wrap up the whole experience and you wind up with a beautiful package.

The game includes a single-player campaign, as well as a few different types of Co-Op and multi-player. The plot is little more than "Kill all the bad guys!!!", but the game-play makes up for the lack of interesting story. If you've ever played the original Section 8, then you probably know (for the most part) what to expect here. Section 8: Prejudice improves upon its predecessor in a few ways, but the overall feel for the game is still there, plus a few nice tweaks to make it better.

The first thing that separates Section 8: Prejudice from the rest of the hum-drum FPS's out there is the drop-ship spawning. If you are killed in battle, you take control of a new character that skydives into action at terminal velocity. You can control your character's flight during decent, which means you can approach every spawn from a new angle, so as to not ware your patience thin from repetition.
Primary functions of your character are shooting (of course), creating & repairing turrets, and hacking enemy terminals to turn their own hardware against them.

The game is linear to some extent, but not as closed-in as, say, Call of Duty. The progression of the story will take you from one large map to another, so it can have the illusion of being slightly open-world, but you can never back-track once a previous map has been cleared. If you choose to venture into a previous area or an area you are not cleared to enter as of yet, your suit will set off an alarm suggesting that you make your way back to the fight - kind of how Battlefield Bad Company 2 keeps you on track.

The second unique thing that stands out about this game is that there are load-out crates dropped onto the battlefield in key locations. Now before you go quoting game titles that previously included load-out crates, let me make some key distinctions. The load-outs in Section 8: Prejudice not only allow you to choose your favorite weapons and restock on ammunition, but you actually get to assign point values to your character in an RPG-esque perk-based system. You will be allotted a certain number of points to distribute as you please every time you encounter one of these load-out drop crates. Options include adding points to armor, faster regenerating shields, higher weapon accuracy, faster speed when running, etc. It actually gives you a true sense of role-playing control over exactly what kind of character you feel you should be. If you feel you've made a poor set of choices, well then the consequence isn't game-breaking. Simply walk up to another load-out, and redistribute all of your points in another fashion. All of the points you have can be assigned and re-assigned at will, so long as there is a load-out crate to do it at. Some people may be harder to kill because they choose nothing but armor and shield perks at load-out, but you can stock up on accuracy and bullet damage perks to balance those guys out! It's brilliant.
During multi-player, you'll get to choose from your favorite preset load-outs every time you spawn.

Lastly, your character has a power bar that can be used for elongated, extremely fast sprints across vast distances, or you can use that same energy supply to make quick, but efficient, flights with a jet-pack.
Also on a rechargeable basis, you can "lock-on" to an opponent. The auto-lock feature will never score you a head-shot, but you won't miss a shot either. This feature takes a considerable time to re-charge, so it's no more of an unfair advantage than your turret was in Borderlands. The lock only lasts a few seconds - but try speed-running at at an enemy, flying over their head, locking on to them, and taking them out with a sniper rifle from MID-FLIGHT! and now you're talking about an experience you simply will_not_get anywhere else. Period.

Now, I read in a forum one time, "If you don't like shooting guns while flying around with a jet-pack, then there is something sincerely wrong with you." I don't remember who to give credit to for that quote, but I'll never forget the opinion. I entirely agree. I wholeheartedly believe that any FPS fan out there with an extra $15 should buy this game. I realize this game isn't going to break global record sales. I realize this game isn't going to change the face of gaming as we know it - but you know what? I think the developers know that too. They've added some *really* cool features to a genre already thriving, and the game runs absolutely, undoubtedly rock_solid.
In an era where most five-hour-campaign multiplayer titles cost an average of $70, you should stop and ask yourself, "How is Timegate Studios is able to give away the same thing for only $15?" They clearly put just as much time into this game as anyone else puts into a Triple A title.
With the price tag set so low, I hope this game turns enough heads to possibly start setting some precedents. We pay too much for games nowadays and we receive too little in return.

To be fair, I've had a couple of frame-rate issues and one crash. Now, mind you, I have a very nice PC, but it isn't by any means the best PC out there. I am playing Section 8: Prejudice with every setting all the way up, and I am at the highest resolution. This game is not the only game to crash on my system, so it's possible it's my machine. If the story were a bit more clear, and the voice actors were more memorable, I think this game could've been a perfect 10.

In closing, Section 8: Prejudice is a solid-as-a-tank, testosterone-filled, legit experience. Whether you prefer to play single player or multiplayer, this game will deliver - and at a price like $15, you're almost looking at a no-risk investment. I'm willing to wager however, that while this game won't change your life, you are most certainly going to have FUN. What more can I say? Go play!