Putting aside the underwhelming feeling the pre-release demo left me with, I had such high hopes for Turning Point: Fall of Liberty. The WWII branch of the FPS genre has been growing increasingly stale over the past few years and Turning Point’s unique, alternate-history narrative premise, a storyline in which Winston Churchill is killed while on a trip to New York and Hitler’s German war machine is left unimpeded to seize control of Europe and invade the US, really had me believing that the game would deliver a refreshing FPS experience. Unfortunately, that just didn’t happen and my hopes were crushed in the process.
I guess my main beef with Turning Point is that the cool story that sounded so intriguing on paper actually turned out very dull and uninspired. In the game you play as Dan Carson, a construction worker who is up on the high steel when the Nazi forces waylay New York City and pretty much by accident becomes a freedom fighter in the US resistance against the invasion. The problem is that it doesn’t seem like any effort was put into developing Carson as a heroic figure you feel any sort of emotional investment in playing. He’s essentially a nameless, faceless protagonist with no backstory or character development. And the storyline is equally thin and forgettable. You simply run and gun through a series of missions — totaling no more than 4-6 hours, by the way — with a cut scene of little significance sprinkled in along the way.
My other disappointment stems from the overall gameplay design. Spark Unlimited, a studio founded by former developers responsible for the hit Medal of Honor franchise, has proven great know-how in making WWII shooters in the past, but for whatever reason the team just didn’t push the envelope over what they’ve done in previous works. Honestly, Turning Point plays very much like one of first Medal of Honor games, it’s just that dated. The levels are linear, the enemy spawns are predictably scripted, the AI routines are rudimentary, and the shooting model is as run of the mill as it gets. I did think the third-person human shield and environmental/melee quick-kill mechanics were pretty neat, though, but not neat enough to rescue the rest of the game from its overall generic ways.
The presentation is painfully dated, too. Aside from a sweeping, beautifully composed musical score and some interesting weapon designs, everything else falls flat. Textures are bland, the environmental geometry is basic, particle effects for explosions and smoke look very glitchy, the animations (especially during third-person actions like climbing ladders and shimming across ledges) are laughably rigid, and worst of all the frame rate is extremely unsteady (at least in the PS3 version I played). So many of the set pieces that were meant to be so epic and memorable, like the opening sequence of NYC being invaded and the continued stages through the city streets seeing notable landmarks and buildings in rubble, simply don’t resonate as intended because the graphical quality isn’t up to snuff.
So yeah, there you have it. For all its promises to not be just another generic WWII FPS, that’s exactly what Turning Point: Fall of Liberty has ultimately turned out to be. Even the multiplayer was half-assed. I mean come on, Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch with four maps and that’s it, what the hell is that all about!?
Unless you simply must have another FPS to play, I’d say save your time and money for more fulfilling games.
Pros:
+ Great musical score
+ Human shield and melee mechanics are pretty cool
Cons:
– Storyline falls completely flat despite its compelling premise
– Archaic game design – it’s just another WWII FPS
– This game runs on Unreal Engine 3!? I sure as hell don’t see it…
– Weak, tacked-on multiplayer mode is an embarrassment
Game Info:
Platform: Reviewed on PS3, also available for PC and Xbox 360
Publisher: Codemasters
Developer: Spark Unlimited
Release Date: 2/26/08
Genre: FPS
Players: 1-8
Now join with me in reciting the Star Spangled Banner:
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Today, Codemasters has launched a nationwide pre-order campaign in anticipation of its upcoming alternate-history WWII FPS Turning Point: Fall of Liberty. If you’re already planning on picking the game up when it ships later this month, head on over to your local GameStop, GameCrazy, Blockbuster (Game Rush) US or other game retailer and reserve a copy now to secure an assortment of goodies. For the early adoption, you’ll receive a special pre-order pack containing war propaganda post/art cards, exclusive cheat codes, a 1931-53 timeline poster, and the obligatory bonus DVD loaded with behind-the-scenes videos, concept art and trailers. Certain retailers will also be offering other exclusive pre-order items, so scout around and see what you find.
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This is turning into one hell of a week for game demos. Yesterday it was The Club, coming up tomorrow it’ll be Devil May Cry 4, and today its Turning Point: Fall of Liberty, the upcoming PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 alternate-history WWII FPS from Codemasters and Spark Unlimited. The 1.2 GB demo is currently only available in 360 form on the Xbox Live Marketplace, with no word given on releases for PC and/or PS3 demos. If you own a 360, here’s what you’ll find in the demo, per Codemasters’ press release.
Turning Point: Fall of Liberty opens as the sun rises over New York on a September morning in an altered vision 1953. Without warning, the undefeated Third Reich launch an explosive attack on the gateway to the United States and, sending a very clear message to the city, razes the Statue of Liberty in a devastating bombing run.
As this hell breaks out, the demo sees players assume the role of Dan Carson, a New York City construction engineer, at work on the girders of a skyscraper. The invasion intensifies and, as the skies fill with Zeppelins, jet aircraft and assault blimps, the skyscraper takes several direct hits. With the building collapsing around him, Carson must run for his life, dashing along girders, finding ladders or, as players head towards the lower levels, leaping from girder to girder to safety.
Players come face to face with the enemy as paratroopers descend on the building. Players can make use of Carson’s strength to grapple with opponents Krav Maga-style, disarming and dispatching them off the side of the building in dramatic environmental kills.
Just wrapped up a quick once-through of the demo myself, and it seemed decent enough. Certainly didn’t knock my socks off, but with a little extra tweaking it should be a fun ride come launch time, currently set for February 26th.
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“In scoring the soundtrack, it was all about finding the emotional center of the game, which is the story,” explains Michael Giacchino, composer, Turning Point: Fall of Liberty. “To present an America that we recognize, but in an altered reality setting, we changed the make up of the orchestra and removed trumpets from the brass section. In a traditional WWII game or movie, trumpets are used to give an American flavor, however, to mirror Turning Point’s major theme, we’ve stripped that layer of Americana away.”
“Michael has created a series of truly evocative pieces that challenge WWII-themed soundtrack preconceptions; this fits to our alternate-reality subject matter perfectly,” said Scott Langteau, Chief Operating Officer, Spark Unlimited. “It’s a fantastic primal score, full of chaos and energy and Michael’s use of staccato sounds delivers an incredible level of intensity throughout.”
Turning Point: Fall of Liberty is an alternate-history WWII FPS from Codemasters and developer Spark Unlimited. It is currently due out for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 in early 2008.
]]>]]>Dealing with a turning point in time, one that begins with Churchill being killed in a car accident that ultimately leads to the Axis invasion of the U.S, Turning Point: Fall of Liberty‘s story also deals with the ‘turning point’ for the game’s central character, Dan Carson. The game opens with Carson, a New York City construction worker, high up on the girders of a partially built skyscraper in downtown Manhattan as he bares witness to the initial invasion; battleships breaching New York harbor, and the skies filled with Zeppelins, assault blimps, jet aircraft and German paratroopers.
Turning Point: Fall of Liberty gives players a unique sense of empowerment as they take the role of Carson, a civilian caught in the middle of this new battleground. As a man on his own, with no immediate plan for escape and no weapons other than those that can be scavenged, Carson runs for his life, trapped in New York City under a devastating attack from advanced Nazi military technology and firepower.
Climbing and leaping from level to level, Carson attempts to escape the building and make his way down to the ground before it’s too late. As German paratroopers descend onto the structure, Carson must deal with them as best he can in hand-to-hand combat. During these sequences, Turning Point: Fall of Liberty‘s unique grappling system will play out from a third-person viewpoint, showcasing the brutal tactics Carson will have to employ to stay alive – some of them taking advantage of the surrounding environment.
As Turning Point: Fall of Liberty‘s opening sequence unfolds, Carson eventually reaches the relative cover of street level and reluctantly joins forces with the U.S. resistance – Carson’s own ‘turning point’ as he becomes part of the underground defense initiative. From here, in this dramatically changed WWII experience, players will fight on the other side of war – one where they’re not part of the invading superpower’s army, but instead as a resisting force on their home turf and reliant on wit and guerrilla tactics to survive.