Warpath

Gary's suddenly feeling rather alone...

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I've got a bit of a soft spot for Lighthouse Interactive. They're a little smarter than your typical publisher, having built a successful business plundering their way through existing genres, chopping bits of games together and innovating only where necessary. Now there's no law, in gaming at least, which says you can't rely heavily on what has gone before to form the basis of your game (GTA clones hold testament to that). In Warpath, however, we're essentially treated to Unreal Tournament with lipstick. And Quake.

Warpath is a multiplayer game. That has to be clarified. If you want an engrossing FPS with narrative then go elsewhere. This is not to say that developer Groove hasn't attempted to cater for off-line - they have - just without any real success. There's a back-story involving a conflict between three races (why is it always three?), all bent on destroying the other two. A slightly more original narrative would have been nice, but like I said, it's not about innovation. There's a bodged mission system that sees you target specific zones of the enemy, it looks bit like the Blockbusters board, although without Bob Holness. You take turns moving into enemy zones 'attacking' where you see fit. The enemy can then move to attack one of your zones that you must then defend. It's not exactly a tactical minefield but it at least it offers something by way of theory. Still, what you're actually left with is round after round of Unreal-style battles. Four-a-side affray with awful AI (especially in Capture-the-Flag games) are uninspiring dull affairs that see your men run blindly at a hail of bullets after catching the merest glimpse of the enemy flag. After a few games you'll realise that two team-mates have been coded to defend and one to attack...regardless of what the enemy is doing.

So, the single player is a multiplayer game with awful AI. If anything it is a bit of training to get you used the controls (and overly sensitive mouse settings that can't be adjusted without quitting the game and adjusting through Windows) so that once you've ventured online you're well versed in rocket jumps, et al. Online we go, then...

Upon writing I could access, from my London suburb, a handsome total of eight servers, five of which were official, all of which were empty. I logged off. A multiplayer game with no players equals no point. Is Warpath destined to a life of nothingness? Still worse, leaving a hole in the pocket of those tempted enough to buy it?

I did venture back a few times, at various times of the day coinciding with US peak-play times, but I only ever found one player on there: Ahmet. Ahmet didn't really improve the situation, he didn't or wouldn't speak despite my attempts at communication. And he was pretty rubbish, so caning his arse with my Violator (I beg your pardon - Ed) was of little distraction. Needless to say this wasn't as satisfying as it might sound. There was one peculiar moment worthy of note though:

Five minutes (or so) had passed and I hadn't seen Ahmet. I knew he was in the server as his name was showing in the score table, but I couldn't find the fellow. I went everywhere, down the corridors, behind the barrels and boxes that litter the place, into the central section of the map (you know, the bit on every multiplayer map where most of the fighting takes place), but Ahmet was nowhere to be seen (Warpath has no radar or enemy indicator). Then I realised that Ahmet had changed team, he'd joined me on a quest for nothing. My only opposition had defected, worse still when we did finally bump into each other he took to following me. Every five seconds I'd turn and there Ahmet was. He'd also started copying me, jumping, firing, anything I did he did, until I fell-off a platform into an abyss - Ahmet wasn't pleased, or so I reckon. We ran around for a bit more and then he left, he left me alone after we made such a bond. Still, at least I had a little company for a while.

Ahmet might have enjoyed himself, but I found Warpath a waste of my time. I'm glad I didn't part with my cashola for what is a rehash of the games mentioned in the opening paragraph. With more players I'm sure it will hold up against the big boys of the run-and-gun multiplayer world, certainly looking better than most. But without the players to fill the rooms, Warpath is pretty much meaningless. Ahmet, wherever you are my love, I miss you.

Although this is a bit unfair as the servers were empty.

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By Gary Flavell