Battle: Los Angeles Review

Battle: Los Angeles is a game based on the movie of the same name. Much like Independence Day, the movie/game explores the eerie scenario of what would happen if hostile extra terrestrials eventually landed and exposed themselves to the inhabitants of planet earth.

Battle: Los Angeles is a FPS game. How does it differentiate itself from many other FPS games out there? Is there even a multiplayer mode? Is this game even worth your time playing? Answers to these questions and more as we take a look at the HOTs and NOTs of Battle: Los Angeles.

HOT

Graphics
Amazingly for a Xbox LIVE arcade game, the graphics are on par with many other full FPS games out there. The graphics are comparable to that of even Modern Warfare 2. The Hollywood-style set pieces and explosions will appeal to those who love cinematic action. There are numerous times you will see alien spaceships flying overhead shooting and exploding everything in their path.

What’s also great about the game is that you can dish out explosive punishment to the aliens too. There will more times you will have to shoot rocket launchers at an alien ship resulting in some impressive looking fireworks. You can even shoot at a tanker that explodes on impact killing everything around it! If you like action than you won’t be disappointed by what Battle: Los Angeles offers.

Cinematics
Regardless of the poor voice acting and cliched storyline, the comic book style cinematics are impressively animated. They’re nicely drawn and are much like the illustrations seen in a graphic novel. The cinematics would not have been so interesting had the developer just used the in-game character models. The use of this these types of cutscenes should be used more often in my opinion.

Lots of Unlockables
Fans of the movie will love the amount of unlockable content that is available here. You will get to unlock bonus content such as artwork, trailers and movies once you complete the game in each difficulty setting. It’s a nice reward as some games offer you nothing of value once you complete th4e game. Fans of the film will love the amount of content that is on offer here.

NOT

Very Short!
Battle: Los Angeles has got to be one of the shortest games I’ve ever played. The first time I played through the game’s campaign it only lasted me 40 measly minutes! Usually games should offer you hours of fun but this experience barely even lasts even one hour. Unless you want to unlock the aforementioned bonus content of the game, there’s not even a real good incentive for you to even play this game more than once.

Sure the game can be fun at times, but the experience should last more than one hour. 40 minutes of gameplay is just too short for any type of game. There’s not even a co-op or multiplayer mode to try and prolong the longevity of the gameplay. All there is the minuscule single player campaign for you to play. It’s kind of a rip off considering the game costs 800 Microsoft Points. I’m sure there are PlayStation Mini games out there that last longer and are cheaper too.

Poor Man’s Call Of Duty
Sadly, Battle: Los Angeles is nothing more than another FPS game. All you have to do is follow a linear path and shoot and kill at every alien you see. There’s no varied missions or levels that allow you to explore and do other things than just shoot shoot shoot.

It’s much like a Call of Duty game but much worse. It even has the same auto aim system that allows you to lock onto enemies by snapping the left trigger. The gameplay can be fun at times, but it’s not very memorable. Much like the movie I’m sure in a few month’s time, nobody will even remember the words, Battle: Los Angeles.

Should Have Been A Different Genre?
The FPS genre has been done so many times lately that this game would have benefited more if it were a side-scrolling shooter instead. Most FPS fans expect to play a multiplayer mode so I’m not sure if anybody would even consider playing this game just for the 40 minute single player campaign. If Battle: Los Angeles was a 2D side scrolling shooter like Metal Slug, then maybe it would have been longer and more enjoyable to play. It could also mean that a co-op mode would have been inlcluded too. Sadly, this is not the case and it’s a generic FPS with a very short campaign…

Verdict

Battle: Los Angeles could have been a fun FPS game but its short longevity should not be ignored. Even fans of the film should take this into consideration. No video game should only last one hour long or so. I thought the game was quite fun for the first few minutes until it all ended abruptly. If you’re seeking to play a game that lasts you a long time then avoid Battle: Los Angeles at all costs!

[Editor’s Note: Battle: Los Angeles was reviewed on the Xbox 360 platform. The game was provided to us by the publisher for review purposes.]