What
is missing from PsychoToxic is soul. It's not a unique
game by any standards. It's a regular shooter with
average graphics and sounds. It mixes the reality
of a FPS with supernatural forces that feel more like
power-ups than anything else. It's so unmemorable
it fails to leave a lasting impression. When everything
is said and done you'll likely forget you even played
this game.
PsychoToxic
is not bad but it's like fast food. It will satisfy
but it doesn't nourish. If you're looking for depth
you better look elsewhere. Many of the levels are
linear and the AI is always gunning for you. Virtually
everyone you encounter is an enemy so you can shoot
at anything that moves. Enemies can be easily killed
with the assault rifle. It's a little too forgiving,
not to mention that you can tag a body part like a
hand or foot and it will be considered a kill.
Angie
Prophet is the heroine. She's a gun-toting savior
chosen to protect the world against nuclear Armageddon.
Events take place in New York City in the year 2022.
Since this is a first-person shooter we don't get
too see much of Angie except in cutscenes. It would
be nice to be able to change to third-person so we
could see her butt once in a while instead of the
butt of gun. Is that a sexist comment? I would think
it was more along the lines of discrimination because
I really don't want to look at a guy's ass.
Angie
has some interesting supernatural powers which allows
her to become invisible, heal herself, slow down time
and invade peoples' dreams. These dream stages are
the most interesting and should have been the prime
focus of the game. With cartoon and nightmarish worlds
you have more freedom than in the "real"
world where you are forced down linear paths. You
can't even open most doors or shoot out windows to
gain access to other rooms. It feels like you're trapped
in a painting. Some things are destructible but only
the most obvious of items. Getting into these dream
worlds is the only time you'll have any real sense
of freedom. There is a park in which you can explore
in the "real" world but it's so big and
repetitive that it takes too long to locate the enemy
and you don't appreciate the scenery in the meantime.
Although
we are well aware of Angie's situation we don't bond
with her emotionally. We don't know enough about her.
We're unsure of her motivation which doesn't gel with
her background. The developers could have run with
this and make her character very complex. Instead
she comes off a female Rambo. The storyline is befuddling
and so loaded with filler that it's difficult to figure
out. If it's any consolation the story is not important
to the gameplay - I just with it was. 
All
of the production values are average. There are no
major bugs or problems other than some blocky graphics
and stiff animation. The game looks like it's about
10 years old; as though it was sitting on a shelf
in the back of a warehouse all this time. I would
only recommend it for beginners with little expectation.
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