Scrapland – Review
American McGee brings us Film Noir… in color… in the future… with robots… on the Xbox. It’s a brilliantly unique concept for a game but is Scrapland a load of rubbish?
+ Boldly going wherever you want!
Set in a time when Humans have ruined the planet Earth. Robots re-built the world as their own and named it – you guessed it – Scrapland. You play as D-Tritus a male robot that made itself from scrap in outer-space (just how he managed this baffles me!) who travels to Scrapland and finds himself a job as a reporter in his first five minutes there… If only it were that easy in real life, eh?
The environments are grand. As you fly through the cityscape you’ll notice your surroundings are marvelous and vast. So vast, in fact that you’re more than likely to get lost a lot despite the radar. To make full use of the huge world game play is quite open-ended with two or three projects always on the go that include, but are not limited to: Challenging locals to race or combat in ships, stealing money to upgrade your ship or build a new one, and there is also the option of fulfilling your obligations as a reporter which will move the story along.
+Scrapland, not Crapland
Scrapland is very stylish. However I didn’t know what to expect. It looks like a children’s game in that the weird and wonderful looking residents of Scrapland look as if they are from a Pixar movie but like Pixar films, the game works on more than one level including elements for children and adults alike. After a while playing I was actually surprised how adult it was from mild swearies to a sultry femme fatale named Betty who serves as D-Tritius’ “love” interest and, to throw a spanner in the works, she’s his bosses’ fiancée.
+ Its innovative… And that’s no lie.
The keyword when describing what Scrapland is would have to be “innovative” because it truly is, taking elements of GTA, Tron and the Noir-esque style of Blade Runner and Max Payne and mushing them together to create a fun and addictive gaming experience. However, it all goes a bit awry the more you play because of samey “go and get then bring it back” missions which is tedious due to the sheer size of the environment. It is an experience that can only be likened to listening to ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ for an eternity.
A fresh look at the ridiculous concept of the ‘extra-life’ is welcomed. Basically, a religious order of very camp priests worships the ‘Great Database’ which holds a record of every robot and can revive them… For a price, of course. Speaking to these priests allows you to purchase extra lives.
Another great innovation comes early on in the game when our hero is granted the ability to hack the ‘great database’ to become one of 18 characters each with a unique look and ability. Success means chopping and changing between them when and where appropriate.
+Murder most foul
The Great Database is integral to the story in Scrapland. When a decadent high bishop is murdered and his file is stolen from the database meaning resurrection is impossible D-Tritius is sent to cover the story and gets wrapped up in a typical-to-noir storyline involving corrupt cops, politicians and mercenaries oh my!
In D-Tritius’ efforts to solve this murder mystery you encounter the law a fair bit. The idea here is to use your wits and lose them. This can be quite a task indoors as there are robots everywhere just waiting to point you out. It is no easier a task when in your ship, you’ll find yourself whizzing through the cities nooks and crannies in an effort to shake the boys made from blue off your tail which is a thrilling experience that, if your anything like me, can make you squirm and giggle as you try to maintain composure… So it’s just me then?
+What’s it like? Who’s it for?
Well, Scrapland is guaranteed to remind you of the Grand Theft Auto series but it is a notch or two more subtle giving it an appeal to the more thoughtful gamer. It’s a game that would appeal to the girl gamer looking for something fresh with a fun look that has a dark story and overall feel of a noir movie. If you can forgive the occasional gratuitous cyber-ass shot then it should be fine for the girl who likes the freedom GTA offers minus the offensive bits, or the girl who likes a bit of techno-gaming and doesn’t mind that there’s once again no choice to play a female character.
+Aural pleasure?
The sound in the game is great. Some of the character’s voices, however, make you want to shut the sound off and just use the subtitles which show what’s being said to you and what speech options you can say to others. Unfortunately there is no options regarding subtitles and closed captions. You have to do with what you’re given. This, for gamers who have impaired hearing, could be disadvantageous in your quest to stay alive and solve a murder.
The graphics in the game are stunning, lighting effects greatly show against the chrome of Scrapland’s residents. However, there is usually a lot going on at one time and the frame rate tends to suffer minutely. That said the Xbox handles it fairly well. The fully customizable ships are fun to build and the interface is extremely user-friendly. If you encounter any special actions when on foot the on-screen display will let you know and tell you which button to press. How handy.
+Overall
Scrapland is a great game despite some minor flaws. For a game that is so innovative it is a shame to ruin it with samey missions that are relentlessly “go get this… go get that” it’s an endurance test at times but the addictive nature of the story and the sheer brilliance of the world will more than likely have you coming back for more. The sheer amount to do in the game means you could spend countless hours and still be shy of 100% completion.
Don’t leave it on the Scrapheap!
The game is too good to be a 3.5 because of the playability, story and looks of the thing, but it just doesn’t manage an 4 because of uninspired missions and the occasional annoying voice. Sadly there is no 3.7 so it looks like Scrapland sits happy with that 3.5 it’s ever so slightly too good for.
Review by Gary
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OMFG I remember this game, it was awesome. I just typed in keywords trying to work out what it was called, could not think of it Scrapland! Finally. Thanks