The Bourne Conspiracy Review

BY Nicholas Rego | POSTED: 15 July 2008

Matt Damon – eat my shorts!



With the cinemas already full of summer movie releases, we at the gaming world are bracing ourselves for the countless number of movie-video game tie-ins that are going to creep towards us. Having said that, I had the opportunity to play a game based on a trilogy of movies that first released in 2002. Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Conspiracy for the Playstation 3 is based on the movie trilogy and books of the same name. While it doesn’t star the champ-looking Matt Damon, it still encompasses the frantic fight sequences and action-packed gunfights featured in the movie, thus giving players a birds-eye view of the life of Jason Borne.

Where most games take your hand and guide you through the controls and gameplay, this game chooses not to, and instead thrusts you headfirst into the action, opting to give you hints only as and when they are required, rather than babysitting you through a tutorial. Your first assassination mission quickly introduces you to the brutal melee combat of the game, which is incredibly simple to master. Tap two of the face buttons to do a light attack, or hold one down to do a powerful kick. A third button helps you block, while the fourth lets you do enemy takedowns. A takedown is essentially a finishing move on an enemy, and requires adrenaline in order to be pulled off. You have three bars of adrenaline to build up, and with each bar you fill up, you can do more devastating takedowns. Build up all three bars, and you can take out multiple enemies in single, lethal moves. You can even sprint towards an enemy and tackle them to the ground, and then quickly snap their neck or even dislocate their arm. While the takedowns themselves are easy to pull off, it’s your environments that really add a touch of class to each takedown. For example, if you are fighting an enemy near a neon sign and initiate a takedown, Borne will grab the enemy and throw him into the neon sign, electrocuting him.

If you’re fighting someone near a dock, Borne will grab the enemy and fling him into the railing, before throwing him into the water below. There are literally hundreds of different takedowns to witness, as each and every part of your surroundings can be used to your advantage. Along with the frantic melee combat, the game also gives you plenty of gun-wielding action. Though equipped with your humble handgun, you can quickly take care of enemies with a well-aimed shot to the head, or to a nearby fuel tank.  Though initially you can encounter some difficult in aiming at enemies, you can often just run up to them and initiate melee combat with them.

The game boasts three development accomplishments – the game is built on the Unreal engine, the sound is featured in THX audio, and the game utilizes the PhysX engine throughout. So what does this all mean? Well, because of the Unreal engine, the gameplay is sharp and executed flawlessly. Environments featured from the movies have been recreated in as much detail as possible, thus helping to create a genuine atmosphere for your missions. The game has no problem dealing with minute details, such as a flock of pigeons flying away as Borne approaches them, or a succession of exploding fuel tanks. The voice-acting is also consistent with the overall feeling of the game, with NPCs often dropping valuable vocal hints to the game’s plots, as well as hints to your objectives. The background score though subtle, lends its own elements to the mix. But, what does stand out the most in the game is the realistic physics present in the environment. For example, if you take cover behind a wooden crate, with an enemy shooting at you, the crate will begin to chip away, eventually collapsing into rubble and exposing you. Fuel tanks explode with spiraling columns of fire, and cars are obliterated into a thousand pieces. Nearly every single aspect of the environment can be blown up or damaged, giving you plenty of things to destroy.

The only downside of the game is its length. With only a single player mode available, the game doesn’t have too much to make you play it again. Sure, there are unlockable rewards and hidden extras, but these are hardly reasons to play a 5 hour game again. If there had been some sort of extra missions or even a multiplayer mode, the game would have literally flown off the shelves.

Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Conspiracy is a great game for anyone who has seen the films or read the books, and is accessible enough that even those new to the franchise can pick up a controller and snap a few ribs with ease. For anyone looking for an incredibly fast-paced game with plenty of action and bruises to boot, this is an easy one to recommend.