[PARTIAL REVIEW] Boxes & Barrels 2: Episode One

[pinbacker]

I have to say, I am really not enjoying this. B&B 2 was, while not living up to its predecessor in terms of fun and design, a revolution in FPS gaming, and had enough new, crazy shit right around the corner that you could not help but be propelled through to the confusing, unsatisfying ending.

Sure, there were way (way) too many Boxes & Barrels, but once a segment began to get tiresome, it was on to some new discovery, something more interesting.

I can't imagine I am even 1/3 of the way through Episode One, and here is what I've come up against:

1. Halo-like repetition as we shoot energy balls in unsatisfying ways at various people and things in same-looking rooms.

2. Moving cars on top of holes in the ground.

3. Moving MORE cars on top of holes in the ground.

4. Just to make sure you get the point, here's ANOTHER scene involving moving cars on top of holes.

5. Box puzzle.

6. Barrel puzzle.

7. Box & Barrel puzzle.

8. Moving nondescript room to nondescript room shooting either 1) zombies or 2) soldiers.

9. Finally, FINALLY breaking out of the monopoly and getting to the surface, where we are faced with:

10. MOVING CARS ON TOP OF HOLES IN THE GROUND.

Where's the creativity? Where's the non-boring part? Where's the part where it stops sucking?

This got even better reviews than the original Boxes & Barrels 2, which is shocking to me, unless it seriously picks up the pace, but soon.

[hygraed]

So is Boxes & Barrels a euphemism for Half-Life? If not, I can't imagine a company naming a game "Boxes & Barrels."

[Worm]

Crack the code!

[Lex]

I would like to see your review of Boxes & Barrels: Diving through Dimensions.