Review: Section 8 (PC & XBox 360)

September 16, 3:38 PMVideo Games ExaminerJason Evangelho

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TimeGate & SouthPeak Interactive's "Section 8"

As gamers, most of us want to be able to jump in, grab some instant action, and emerge satisfied. Sometimes a casual FPS like Halo (yes, folks, Halo is a casual FPS) will do the trick. Other games have inherent benefits that reward you for investing your time (Monster Hunter: Freedom Unite comes to mind). Though you wouldn't think so, TimeGate & SouthPeak Interactive's Section 8 is the latter. It's a deep multiplayer strategy FPS that grows on you the more time you spend with it.

Lone Wolves Need Not Apply

There's one thing I can't overstate: This is not a single player game. Sure, there's a single player campaign on the DVD, but it's a very short, underwhelming mess and feels tacked on to an otherwise fantastic multiplayer experience. Your first clue? The first three options in the main menu concern multiplayer, with "Corde's Story" tucked underneath. Treat it as a lengthy tutorial, and you won't be as disappointed. (Fortunately, the developers have included bots, so even without Xbox Live you can jump into some multiplayer action.)

Before jumping into my thoughts on multiplayer, I want to hand out some general praise and criticism for how Section 8 feels in general. Because you're equipped with futuristic (and one has to assume heavy) full body armor, your default foot speed is just a notch faster than a snail. Clicking in the Left Stick activates your sprint, which should have been the default speed. Holding your sprint for about 5 seconds ignites your Overdrive Capacitor, which turns you into The Flash allowing you to traverse the gigantic battlefield quickly, but without the ability to fire any weapons. With no "always sprint" option, you'll be constantly clicking the Left Stick to get anywhere, which is disappointing and a bit uncomfortable.

In contrast, the weaponry in Section 8 is absolutely stellar with visceral and responsive gunplay to match. The assault rifle has a blistering rate of fire, with a satisfying reload animation. While no means a one-shot kill, the pistol simply feels great while the rocket launcher holds 6 at a time and boasts a lengthy traveling distance. Assorted support weapons like DET Packs (think Remote Mines from Goldeneye!) and auto-adjusting mortar launchers bring the heavy firepower. Your in-hand weapons are high-tech, but I honestly expected them to be more futuristic. That being said, We'll gush about the mech suits, anti-personnel turrets, and heavy tanks later...

Sweat Equity

Rock Em Sock Em MECH SUITS!

Whether you choose Instant Action or jump into a 32 player online match, you'll first choose a loadout to suit your style. It's awesome to have 6 classes (Assault, Engineer, Infiltrator, Recon, Guardian, and Artillery) available. It's flat-out delightful - especially to gearheads and customization freaks - that you can fully tweak not just your weapon selection but also passive modules in your armor suit. We're talking armor plating, shield boosters, deceptor plates, stealth options, anvil rounds, etc. Match your passive modules to your preferred loadout type, and you'll notice a difference.

Again, invest the time and you'll be rewarded.

Layers

Section 8 has retooled spawning as 'burning-in' which amounts to you hurtling towards the planet surface and braking just in time to pinpoint your landing location. Beforehand, you can choose whether to free spawn or spawn with your squad mates. (Tip: ALWAYS spawn with your squad mates! There are no easy firefights in Section 8, and kills are less important than your overall team score.) similar to the Battlefield games, the main goal of multiplayer in Section 8 is hitting a set number of victory points before your enemies do. To do this, you fight your way into a neutral or enemy area, hack its control point, and then defend your newly gained turf for a few minutes. From there, the game continues to distinguish itself with well implemented Dynamic Combat Missions, and a full range of Deployables you can purchase and activate immediately on the battlefield.

Don't run for cover - your powered armor suit will keep you shi

Initially your squad is tasked with a singular mission: Capture control points. But as the match wears on, Dynamic Combat Missions (DCM's) are introduced which add variety and strategy to the gameplay. Unlike Halo, you'll need to actually communicate with your team to have a shot at victory. Who will hack the enemy control point, and who will splinter off to steal the enemy intelligence while yet another portion of your squad is deploying and defending a friendly outpost? Over time, the DCM's become somewhat predictable, but still function as a nice layer of complexity on top of a solid multiplayer experience.

The icing on the proverbial cake is the Deployables system. Based on your performance, you'll get cash to spend on in-game items that you can instantly launch. You can be selfless and throw down some tactical units like supply depots or sensor arrays. You can also blow fools out of the stratosphere with heavy tanks that utilize three different weapon seats. Anti-air turrets blast enemies who are burning in, while minigun turrets and automated rocket launchers cut through them on the ground. Then, there's the slow but immensely satisfying mech suit. Again, I come back to the word 'layers.' Section 8 succeeds at a deep - but not difficult - multiplayer experience.

For those of you interested in eyecandy, Section 8 is powered by the aging but still competent Unreal Engine. The graphics won't blow you away, and the landscapes are forgettable, but you can tell TimeGate paid attention to the important details - mainly the chaotic action, weapon effects, and lighting. I should also point out there was significant slowdown during crowded firefights in the single player campaign, but the multiplayer has been happily stutter-free.

THE VERDICT:

Hopefully Section 8's deep, thoughtful multiplayer experience isn't marred by the same 'community' that has ruined multiplayer Halo and others like it (you know who you are). If you play this game without a headset, and act like a lone wolf, you'll be sorely disappointed. . At full price I can't recommend this title to everyone, but if you want a solid multiplayer experience that rewards the time invested and emphasizes strategy and teamwork, I wholeheartedly recommend Section 8.

SEE IT IN ACTION (Because Screenshots are so 1999):