Gamertell

Title: C.O.R.E.
Price: $29.99
System(s): DS
Release Date: August 11, 2009
Publisher (Developer): Graffiti Entertainment (NoWay Studio)
ESRB Rating: “Mature 17+” for Blood and Gore and Violence
Pros: Easy to use controls, looks pretty good for a DS game, adds to an under-represented genre on the system(FPS). Great when played with friends. Music’s good and interesting to listen to. There is four player, single card multiplayer. Story Mode can be challenging.
Cons: Story’s so-so and not really a factor. No Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection support. Only 10 maps. Gets boring if you play single-player for too long. Some environments and areas are really dark and difficult to see in.
Overall Score: Two thumbs sideways, 70/100, C-, * * out of 5

C.O.R.E.‘s a tad delayed. Well, more than a tad. It was originally supposed to come out in 2008, but fell victim to multiple delays. Finally, NoWay Studio and Graffiti Entertainment have released this highly anticipated first person shooter. Unfortunately, it isn’t exactly what everyone expected. That isn’t to say it’s bad, but it’s the sort of game only a select group of gamers will enjoy and appreciate.

It came from outer space.

In 2028, a meteor landed on Earth in the Mojave Desert. The government built a huge facility, called C.O.R.E. around it. For 20 years, the meteor was studied in there, as its presense is doing strange things to those around it. It is now 2048, and something has gone horribly wrong at C.O.R.E. The workers and researchers stationed there aren’t responding, so an elite unit has been sent in to investigate. Unfortunately, upon reaching the station, you are separated from your fellow agents and have to fend for yourself.

And, that’s it. That pretty much covers the entire introduction. It’s a brief video that lasts 20 seconds, maybe 25 seconds. After that, you’re sent right into Story Mode with no other information. You can collect additional information as you progress, but it isn’t that crucial. Most people probably aren’t playing C.O.R.E. for the story after all.

Shines when it comes to multiplayer, but a tad dull in other areas.

There are two groups of people who are going to love C.O.R.E. - those who appreciate any FPS that finds its way to the DS and those who love getting together with friends for multiplayer games. Everyone else might be a bit disappointed.

First off, the controls work perfectly for the game. You use the L button to fire, the R button for alternate firing options, the D-pad to move and the touch screen to look around. You can jump by either double tapping the touch screen or by pressing A. I recommend pressing A, as the touch screen controls are very sensitive and you could unintentionally jump. This is a definite plus for FPS players, and really anyone who wants to play C.O.R.E..

Second, the multiplayer is pretty awesome. True, there’s no online multiplayer, but the fact that there’s four player, single card multiplayer helps soften that blow. The game actually seems to run better in multiplayer mode, as you’re able to move faster. It’s also a lot more interesting and fun, since you’re playing against intelligent human players. There are three modes, Deathmatch, Team Arena and Capture the Flag, which are all FPS standards. You atutomatically have 8 weapons available and you get to see your overall stats after playing a match.

Sadly, the Story Mode of the game falls short. And when I say short, I also mean it literally. You’ll probably be able to beat the game in around three or four hours. It isn’t difficult to figure out enemy AI patterns, you have to wait to get certain guns, your character moves slower and the story’s dull and practically non-existant. I found it boring and lackluster compared to the multiplayer modes.

Perfect for FPS fans with lots of DS owning friends.

While C.O.R.E. may not be the ideal FPS game DS owners have been dreaming of, it’s more than adequate. And, considering the genre is woefully under-represented on the DS, that will make fans enjoy it that much more. At the very least, it’ll give you something to play after finishing Moon. Just make sure you gather some friends to play it with you, and don’t start playing expecting the game to be as good as Metroid Prime: Hunters.

Site [C.O.R.E.]