Damnation

The gameplay in a nutshell is a stiff, sometimes awkward 3rd person shooter, that in the post Gears of War world just doesn't stand up all that well. Oddly enoough though I found myself going back to it. You could call the game junk food if  you were going to apply a food analogy: cheap, poor ingredients, not that good, but ultimately satisfying. 
 
Lets be honest  here, the game is not a "AAA" title and unfortunately was probably priced as such in release. In a post Gears of War world it is almost inexcusable to have a third person shooter that isn't fluid and doesn't feature a cover system.  Time has been partially good and bad to this game. 
  
While there are so many things wrong with the game the one redeeming factor it has going for it is price. Any game is a good game if priced right and in this case a "AA" title priced at $20 or under can scratch that cheesy "B" movie itch that you might want to scratch on a Sunday afternoon.  
 
The overall look of the game is so-so and the enemy AI is atrocious.  Added to that is a very stiff character model and poor voice acting and you have the makings of a disaster. That same could have been said for the films "Serenity" or "The Fifth Element". Somehow though in the end this game just has something that comes out appealing in it. Sometimes you just want mindless fun. The kind that lets you pick off that stupid AI from across the map with a headshot every time. Sometimes you just need a game to be dumb, stupid and fun to put a little smile on your face. Despite its many problems nothing in the game actually broke the game itself. Frame rate drops and glitches were fairly minor and never actually stopped your from that next headshot. The alternate universal was just "OK" and ridiculous enough to keep your going and the level design was actually fairly creative with its large vertical elements.  
 
As with any media to be consumed you have to be in the right frame of mind to enjoy it. If you are looking for something to challenge you, or impress you then this is not the game for you. However, if you are looking for some your equivalent "empty calories" just to fill you up then this can and will accomplish that for about eight hours.  
 
An you know what, sometimes junk food is delicious