The X-Files: Resist or Serve (Playstation 2)

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PSX1
Posts: 388
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

The X-Files: Resist or Serve (Playstation 2)

Postby PSX1 » January 18th, 2013, 1:11 am

Growing up I was a big X-Files fan and it's probably the only TV drama that ever hooked me enough to tune in every week.  During high school, I watched re-runs until I had seen the whole series.  So when this game came out in 2004, I bought it right away, despite the average-to-poor critical reception it received.  Well, much like the critics, I quickly became disappointed with the game.  It's a survival horror game that is a clone of the early Resident Evil (#'s 1-3) and Silent Hill games, but the gameplay is not as good as those.  And it suffers from the same problems as most early games in the genre-- poor camera angles, tank controls, cheap hits from enemies, and difficulty controlling which enemies you target.  

When it was a new game, I was too disappointed to deal with those issues, so I stopped playing after only a few hours in.  But this week I finally started playing it again, picking up right where I left off in 2004.  And now that it's a 10 year old game, I'm able to treat it as a retro game and overlook its flaws.  To its credit, the game is not a cheap cash-in on the series-- it gives plenty of fan service with a very compelling "lost episode" storyline set during the 7th season of the show (the last good season), voice acting by all the original actors, plenty of cameos and in-jokes, and even some bonus "extras" like footage from the voice-acting sessions.  I wouldn't recommend this game for gamers in general (even big survival horror fans), but definitely worth playing for fans of the series.  On VGC's scale, I'd give it about a C-/D+ for non-fans or casual X-Files fans, but a B for serious fans of the show.

There was also one other X-Files game released several years earlier on the PC and Playstation 1 (1998/1999), which was a point-and-click adventure game made with live-action footage.  You play an FBI agent searching for Mulder and Scully after they mysteriously disappear.  Both actors have brief roles in FMV scenes during the game, but it's still not enough to save the game, which is a lot worse than the PS2 game.  I haven't played the PS1 game in over a decade, but based on my memory I would say that it's probably a D- for most people, but a C for serious X-Files fans.

Anyone else try either game?

billydeethrilliams1
Posts: 125
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

The X-Files: Resist or Serve (Playstation 2)

Postby billydeethrilliams1 » January 18th, 2013, 8:31 am

I played Resist or Serve and, with the exception of celebrity voice acting, it's a pretty by the numbers survival horror game. I have never played the PS1 game. 

Didn't David Duchovny voice the main character in XIII?

PSX1
Posts: 388
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

The X-Files: Resist or Serve (Playstation 2)

Postby PSX1 » January 18th, 2013, 3:10 pm

[QUOTE=billydeethrilliams]I played Resist or Serve and, with the exception of celebrity voice acting, it's a pretty by the numbers survival horror game. I have never played the PS1 game.[/QUOTE]

I agree.  According to Wikipedia, the game uses the Resident Evil game engine (the pre-RE4 engine), which is pretty clear from playing the game.  But it's not as scary or as good as other survival horror games or series of the era (RE, Silent Hill, Fatal Frame, etc.), so I would only recommend it for fans of the show.  Because really, it is the X-Files characters and storyline that holds your attention to keep playing the game.  And without some interest in the show and a basic understanding of the show's mythology, it is tough to follow along and stay interested in the game.


[QUOTE=billydeethrilliams]Didn't David Duchovny voice the main character in XIII?[/QUOTE]

Yes, and also the main character in the game Area 51 (the mid-2000s FPS, not the mid-90s light gun game). Never played either, although I have XIII packed away somewhere.  But since you mentioned this, I added Area 51 to my "to buy" list since it's so cheap now.  

However... I just looked at the GameSpot and IGN reviews of Area 51, and they absolutely rip Duchovny to shreds for awful voice-acting and both say he should immediately stop voice-acting in games.  Jeez, must be really really awful to get that identical reaction from the two biggest gaming websites of that time period.  And to be honest, he's not all that great in the X-Files game either-- zombies are attacking from all sides, and yet he voices Mulder as if he's just sleepily sitting in the park reading from a book.  I can't say his movies are much better, although I've always really liked his TV work (X-Files, Californication, Twin Peaks, etc.).

darkrage61
Posts: 1678
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

The X-Files: Resist or Serve (Playstation 2)

Postby darkrage61 » January 18th, 2013, 4:51 pm

XIII was a great time and I thought Duchonvy did a good job, it's a damn shame that game never got the sequel is deserved.


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