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Saw II: Flesh & Blood Review for Xbox 360

Saw II: Flesh & Blood Review for Xbox 360

Silent Hill, eat your heart out?

The Saw video game series continues with its second installment, bringing the Jigsaw Killer back to finish what he started. Saw II: Flesh & Blood has a new protagonist this time around in Michael Tapp, the son of David Tapp who was featured in the first game. If you’re at all familiar with the movie franchise and its storyline, then you may recognize the Tapp moniker. David, portrayed by Danny Glover in the original film, was in a supporting role, but was given his own side plot just after the events of the first Saw movie. Now with his son involved in Jigsaw’s twisted games, we’re taken to the moments set in between the second and third films, and it’s up to Michael to uncover the truth about his estranged father.

Saw II: Flesh & Blood screenshot

The movie series has been gruesome, and this game pales severely in comparison. It has its fair share of gore, but it is toned-down even in contrast to the first game. The overall sense of tension is a bit askew as well. It is riddled with poor scare tactics that would make my grandmother laugh out loud; and believe me, she frightens easily. In moments when you think something decent may actually happen, you’re only left with a rat scurrying across the floor. For a survival horror game that, according to Konami, is supposed to be a spiritual successor to the Silent Hill series, they have an incredibly long way to go.

The combat in the first game was a big problem, and the developers at Zombie Studios decided to make matters even worse. Their “fix” to this issue was to make not only the combat but the entire game one long quick-time event. Aside from running and opening doors, essentially every action requires a sequence of multiple button presses. If you happen to run into an enemy, your only option is to stand there and wait for him to attack. It’s an awkward scenario to say the least, but after he lunges, you’ll string together a few button prompts to dodge and counter. It’s the most unsatisfying thing you’ll ever experience. It breaks up the gameplay horribly, albeit there’s very little to be had in the first place.

The mini-games take an amateurish misstep as well. The lock picking is no more than a slalom run down a mechanical pipe. Normally lock picking in a game isn’t all that great to begin with, but this just feels lazy. There are a few others ways to open doors that involve repairing circuits and pressing button panels, but they all feel like time-wasters within the overall experience.

Saw II: Flesh & Blood screenshot

The only thing that might keep your attention for a short while is the puzzle element, but even that comes with a price. Though the majority are fairly easy, some are still presented in a worthwhile fashion. Clues can be revealed by light sources leaving behind a faint glow in the darkness, while others require mirrors or other tricks to disclose. The better quandaries in the game are the ones that involve finding the optional Billy puppets scattered throughout levels. These puzzles require a bit more thought to solve, which should have been the normal requisite for progression in the game.

Aside from the Billy puppets, there are also case files and puzzle-piece collectibles to be found in the game. These are primarily for achievement/trophy purposes, but the case files can reveal a wealth of information. Along with the files, there are also audiotapes that grant more insight into the backstory of the game and give a great amount of depth to the franchise plot as a whole.

Saw II: Flesh & Blood screenshot

The story in Saw II: Flesh & Blood seems to be its only redeeming factor. It manages to intertwine itself well within the fictional universe of the films without feeling like a tacked-on sub-plot. The narrative will keep you guessing for the most part, and fans of the franchise will love the amount of thought they put into the canon’s expansion. Unfortunately, even admirers of the series won’t be given enough substance to warrant a playthrough of this game.

There are cheap deaths lurking around every corner, and the checkpoint system can be hit-or-miss. There is an auto-save feature, and it can go a lengthy time without occurring. Regular save points are also in the game, but they are few and far between. Healing doesn’t factor in much because there is hardly any middle ground when it comes to life and death. The only time your health gets low enough to be worrisome is when you are consistently failing at smaller-scale traps. Even after you succeed, you’ll probably just die from a random explosion or pitfall anyway.

Saw II: Flesh & Blood screenshot

The game is rampant with poorly executed concepts and even the occasional game-breaking bug. There was a section where I found a gun as a weapon, and shortly after an enemy came to attack me. As soon as I executed the appropriate quick-time button presses, the main character and enemy AI were locked in some sort of pre-animation. They just stood their looking at each other like two idiots, and the game wasn’t even “technically” frozen. I could still go into the game’s menu, but the characters just couldn’t move. Needless to say, I had to reload the checkpoint. I didn’t realize it was game-breaking until I noticed the process kept repeating itself. Luckily, there was an unused weapon case I had previously passed in that area, so I grabbed a melee weapon instead in order to continue on.

There are so many things wrong with this game that even the poor graphics seem like a minor complaint. The textures, as well as the environments, look vapid and become repetitive. When you come across rain for the first time in the game, it looks as if you’re walking through tall curtains of water running down a glass pane. It’s horrible. It’s a good thing the audio is decent; otherwise the presentation as a whole would have been a lost cause. Tobin Bell, the actor who portrays Jigsaw in the Saw movies, lends his voice talents for the game and does a great job.

My mother always told me that if you can’t say something nice then don’t say anything at all. If I were to have stuck with that rule, this review would have been almost entirely blank. Zombie Studios made poor design choices when developing this game, and it clearly shows throughout. Even the die-hard fans are better off leaving this one on the shelf. Unfortunately, I can’t “undo” the experience that I’ve had, but I’m going to do my best to pretend this game never existed. I strongly recommend that you do the same.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 2.0 Graphics
Sadly, this was still one of the better aspects of the game. 1.0 Control
If this game had any more quick-time events, it could have played itself and saved me the heartache. 3.2 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
The voiceover work and sound effects were great, most notably the work of Tobin Bell. However, the music didn’t really add much to help the horror setting’s mood. 1.0 Play Value
The only thing of any value here is the story, and even then you’re mostly just reading it in the menu screen. This game has nothing to offer anyone in terms of gameplay. 1.5 Overall Rating – Avoid
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

  • Witness the gruesome mechanical traps of Jigsaw! Watch as his new series of gambits will force you to make life or death decisions that may destroy yourself and others.
  • Experience challenging puzzles that will test your wits, as you work quickly to advance through Jigsaw’s deadly game.
  • Engage yourself in the all-new combat system! This visceral fighting mechanic requires precise timing to fend off Jigsaw’s aggressive minions.
  • Behold a truly unique horror experience. With a blend of intense combat, mind-bending puzzles, and a twisted storyline, players will face the kind of terror that only Saw can deliver!

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