Need to check if up to scratch; haven't written in eons.
Another upload, another similar, monotonous FlyAnvil shooter. About as enthralling as one gets from the producers, who haven't changed the formula (Tilting the screen to an FPS compared to previous games doesn't count; it's cheating), much like the producers of the Saw series, milking a cash cow till it withers away. It still packs a punch though; one can never go wrong with big guns blazing and mindless shooting where one has little chance of dying and failing the game (at least in the opinion of this gamer).
If this were an originality contest, Engage would be down in the dumpsters, next to the faux teenage vampire cliches that bog down much of modern culture. But originality is a one mere angle to judge a game, and a more muted level of criticism should be aimed at it; it is still miles ahead of many other shooters, and proves why FlyAnvil is so popular. It does move up along the sophistication ladder a notch; the dizzying movements as the character runs and guns does remind this gamer of the fond fits he had playing Battlefield, whilst the horrendous aiming system of switching guns randomly (Stop.It), with the sniper rifle's scope giving this gamer migraines, do add a tad of realism.
What the game does need, to transcend the normal horizon of a half an hour Flash Game tops is a juicer and better flashed out storyline. Is the word storyline even warranted? It was poorly executed, the characters were bland, lifeless cardboard pop outs, whilst I was left wandering why I was parachuted in alone to reenact Starship Troopers. At least give me a reason why that research is so precious. What are the insects? Who am I? What is the history of the place? Why is there a wrecked hippie love colony-esque camp in the middle of nowhere?
Ultimately, it satisfies more than it disappoints, after all, Flash Games are only meant for under an hour entertainment, and nothing more before being consigned to the back of one's mind. Let's see if the sequel can do better.
