Techtite's Bargain Bin Binge

Ubisoft's Action Adventure Collection

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As little as half a decade ago, nobody would've known what you were talking about when you said "Ubisoft." Then they released some major staples of modern gaming. Among their three biggest hits are: the original Splinter Cell, the critically acclaimed Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, and the horrifically under-appreciated cult hit Beyond Good & Evil. Have you played all three? If you haven't, you can presently get the whole trio of games for under 20 bucks. Even if you only missed one of the above games, that's one whale of a bargain, and a more than worthy candidate of the latest "Bargain Bin Binge" selection.

The Ubisoft Action Adventure Collection could be called a great bargain for any one of these titles, especially, in my opinion, Beyond Good & Evil. For whatever reason this amusing action-adventure never sold well, and was sold for just 20 dollars all by itself some months back. You can read the full review when originally released, here, but basically what sold me on this game, aside from its awesome storytelling (and more on that later) is how your character is into stealth to the highest degree. Yes she can go in with guns blazing, though what's more; she can use one thing most heroes never consider: the press. Sneak up to unsuspecting enemies and take photos of their wrongdoings, and suddenly you're no longer a renegade as much as the hero. NPCs react to you accordingly as the game slowly progresses. That was cool.

What's nice about the whole "sneak around taking photos" gaming style is...flawed puzzles of similar action-adventures are abandoned. There are no jumping puzzles here: YAY! There is no enemy that is unrealistically strengthened to super-human unfairness: double YAY!...In fact, this game often takes great strides to feel very "real," fictional planet notwithstanding. I particularly liked how the game remembers the photos you take, so when these photos show up in the local paper, your photo is shown, not a stock photo stored within the game. This was a nice added touch.

---from the original Techtite game review, Beyond Good & Evil.

I don't think I have to say much about the original Splinter Cell, aside from the fact that it's a game less than four years old, and already they've made at least two sequels to the thing. In my review, I was admittedly more harsh than other critics, if just because its "stealth" was a little too unfair at times. In a more recent game like Thief: Deadly Shadows, what you do to NPC's in a level is remembered, so that if you knock out everyone in a level, you can basically roam the level at will. Splinter Cell would penalize you for leaving a body out in the open, even if you were certain to eliminate all security cameras, all security guards, and all security as a whole. Some felt this was half the fun, however, so the game is now a smash hit series. Not that I don't agree:

People who prefer the standard brainless shooter should be warned that this is a thinking man's FPS, to the extreme. In fact, it is far less a First Person Shooter, though rather a First Person Sneaker, in that the best solutions to any problem require brains, not brawn. After all, it is far more fun to steal an item right from under an enemy's nose instead of resorting to fisticuffs to get it. In such situations, silence is more golden than a rail gun. It's challenging --very challenging-- though that's the whole point.

---from the original Techtite game review, Splinter Cell.

Rounding out the big trio is Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Again; my full review is here, so I won't repeat anything already said...or for that matter, already known, due to all the awards this game received. But come on: didn't those cool ads sell you already? Fall to your death and rewind time back to before the mistaken jump. Get killed due to a poor battle move and rewind time back, say, 10 seconds, giving you another chance. The time-altering fun of this game never ended, making it still a prominently worthy winner of Techtite's Game of the Year Award for 2003.

As for enemies to fight; they are all enchanted, making them an ingenious challenge, time-powers or not. As products of the sands of time, one cannot simply "kill" them, though rather you must knock them off their feet, then use the dagger of time to absorb their power, as they "poof" into sand dust. The problem...? These enemies are no fools, so they attack in multiple numbers, preventing you from using your dagger easily. Fortunately, you have those cool time-tricks at your side, which can freeze time, slow down time, and even rewind time, all within the thick of battle. Coooool.

---from the original Techtite game review, PoP: The Sands of Time.

If there's a compliment befitting all three games, however, it's the storytelling element. You actually feel for all the characters in the above games. When Mr. "Splinter Cell" (as it were) is talking to his teenage daughter upon the finale, you enjoy the moment because his character is so well developed by that point, aside from some nameless drone in the typical first person "snoozer." When a love story evolves in Sands of Time, you truly hope for the fair Farah to wind up with the dashing Prince, but...well, I will reveal nothing here, in case you missed it. Then there's the lead character of Beyond Good & Evil, who is so well developed, I'm actually quite surprised that she has such a minimal following online, compared to, say, "Lara Croft" or "Blood Rayne." Watch the moment where Jade sits with her pet dog, wondering if she can do what needs to be done, and you tell me you don't feel anything for this character. Why didn't this game sell well...?

The answer to that last question is immaterial. All three games are now sold together for a bargain price, making this the perfect gift all around. If you don't know what to get a gamer for their birthday or other holiday event, why not this? There's every chance they've not played at least one of these games (most likely, though regrettably, Beyond Good & Evil), and even if they played all three they'll appreciate the kind gesture. If they haven't, be sure to receive a big thank you card, even if not right away. These aren't the kind of games you can put down right away. As you'd expect, that is half the fun.

	Final Rating : Deep Impact. Two of the best games of 2004 are packaged with the award-winning best game of 2003, all for under $20.
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The Bargain Bin Binge!

Ubisoft's Action Adventure Collection

A Techtite Review