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When I'd first heard that a Bourne game was on the way, I was a tad skeptical. When I'd heard Matt Damon refused his likeness, I was beyond skeptical. When I heard that it was going to distance itself from the films and focus on the books, a skeptical bird flew through my window and hit me in the face, knocking me clear out of my skeptical chair. But then I'd starting hearing things -- good things -- and my skepticism turned to curiousity. So how did it play out?
Despite attempts to distance itself from the films, The Bourne Conspiracy plays like an extended cut of the first movie. It tends to follow the plot of Liman's The Bourne Identity rather than the Ludlum book of the same name. Gone is the subplot of Carlos the Jackal (that later became the focus of the books) and the fact that Jason isn't actually an assassin. In it's place we're treated to combat, music and visuals that all seem to be lifted straight from the film. Even the iconic image of Jason Bourne floating in the water becomes the games title screen. Everything from cut scenes to costumes borrows heavily from it's big screen brethren.
That's not to say The Bourne Conspiracy doesn't feature original content. On the contrary, it seems to fill in some of the details and back story that the film only touched on in. The Wombosi assassination that causes Jason to spiral into forget-me-knot land is fleshed out over the first hour or so of gameplay. Other memories that were only hinted at become full fledged assassination missions. All in all, it's an excellent companion piece to the first film and a pretty solid action game in it's own right.
Pacing is a design element essential to crafting a successful action game, and it's often overlooked. Many games on the market that claim to be all about balls-to-the-wall action have you wandering around looking for the next checkpoint or gathering that next flag. Bourne nails it right out of the gate. Every moment of the game is pumped full of adrenaline. You barely have the opportunity to catch your breath moving from fight to fight.
The action comes in two basic flavors: hand-to-hand combat and gunplay. The hand-to-hand does an excellent job of recreating the insane speed and precision of Damon's ass-kicking performance. Standard button combos lead to vicious attacks and the better you perform the more adrenaline you earn. That adrenaline is in turn spent on performing special takedowns that let you dispatch an enemy in one fantastically cinematic swipe. Frequently those takedowns will be environment-driven, meaning that the photocopier might just get a head squished into the glass or that coke machine might have something a little larger than a quarter shoved into it.
Unlike the hand-to-hand combat the gunplay could have used some tweaking. In order to take out an opponent without engaging in hand to hand you'll need some distance. To do it without being riddled with bullets yourself you'll need a lot of distance. Lining up a shot without the aid of a scope or other device to improve your view of the target can become an exercise in frustration. Gun takedowns are available as well, and in my case were used frequently. An attempt to include something like auto-aim existed in the utilization of your "Bourne Instinct," a button that lets you get a bearing on your surroundings. Unfortunately the auto aim wasn't always available and only worked on occasion. It's a small complaint and for the most part didn't take away too much from the experience. If we get the inevitable sequel, gunplay is the one area that really needs to be improved upon.
Between moments of punching, kicking and shooting, the developer saw fit to include some contextual button moments (a la Resident Evil 4 or Indigo Prophecy), some driving, and some boss fights. The boss fights aren't that much different from standard hand-to-hand combat and usually come with an increased difficulty. All in all you should be able to wrap up your adventure in this linear-action romp in 6 or 7 hours. Some might argue that it's too short, but 6-10 hours is really starting to become the industry standard. I for one appreciate the industry's recent adoption of the "all killer, no filler" attitude.
In a lot of ways The Bourne Conspiracy felt like what John Woo's Stranglehold should have been -- a game that accurately captures the vibe of the franchise and truly puts you in the shoes of the series protagonist. Whether you're a fan of the films or a gamer looking for an action heavy title with minimal learning curve, The Bourne Conspiracy is worth checking out.
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