| System: X360, PS3, PC | Review Rating Legend | |
| Dev: Spark Unlimited | 1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid | 4.0 - 4.4 = Great |
| Pub: Codemasters | 2.0 - 2.4 = Poor | 4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy |
| Release: Feb. 26, 2008 | 2.5 - 2.9 = Average | 5.0 = The Best |
| Players: 1-8 | 3.0 - 3.4 = Fair | |
| ESRB Rating: Teen | 3.5 - 3.9 = Good | |
The gameplay isn't all bad though; Turning Point did add some variety to the extremely tired conventions of the WWII shooter. Perhaps the most notable and entertaining addition is the ability to grapple with enemies. When you get close to an enemy, a simple press of a button will enter you into a grapple. With your enemy grappled, you have the option of instantly killing him, using the environment to kill him, or using the Nazi as a bullet shield by pressing the appropriate direction on the D pad. None of these grapple moves are guaranteed, however, since the game will often give you a hard time when trying to enter into a grapple. It seemed that if your enemy was doing anything other than standing still in front of you, the game didn't allow you to execute a grapple maneuver.
Instant kills aren't very flashy but they are effective. These usually consisted of just slamming the butt of your gun into your enemy's head. Environmental kills are fairly entertaining but also insanely predictable. While playing the game, almost every enemy is apparently omnipotent and knows exactly where you are at all times. The only characters who don't instantly know where to find you are the enemies that are supposed to be killed using the environment. These enemies will always be standing close to some sort of perilous object or pit and facing away from you, making it possible to execute the environmental kill. By far, the most useful grapple move is using your enemy as a bullet shield. When performed, you will grab your enemy by the neck with one arm and use the other to fire their gun at other enemies. This move not only saves you from taking some damage, but it also lets you save ammo by using your enemy's firearm. While this move is extremely effective, it does seem to make advancing through the game just a little too easy.
For anyone who quickly powers through the game's campaign and still desires more Nazi shooting action, Turning Point has an online multiplayer option. Don't expect too much out of this mode, however, since this is one of the most limited online experiences I've ever seen. You can play in deathmatch or team deathmatch modes in either ranked or player matches. It is extremely disappointing that these are your only options, but with as bad as the online gameplay is, you will quickly not care about the lack of modes. Most of the maps that you will play on are extremely small, and the game really enjoys spawning you right in the middle of groups of your enemies. Turning Point also has a sprint button, making the already inaccurate and sluggish aiming that much more frustrating. Since your gun is taking up such a huge portion of your screen, all it takes is for your enemy to sprint towards you, and you will often lose them in your gun-created blind spot.
Although Turning Point had an interesting storyline, it still ends up being an incredibly limited and generic WWII shooter. I would like to say that the storyline alone makes this game worth playing through but the quality is just not there. With all of the great first-person shooters already available on these consoles, this game is honestly just a waste of your money. If you own an Xbox 360, just pick up a copy of Bioshock, Halo 3 or Call of Duty 4. If you are a PS3 owner, grab a copy of Call of Duty 4, Resistance, or just wait a little while for Resistance 2 to be released. Any of these titles should serve you better and make you less angry about the money you've spent.
By
Adam Brown
CCC Freelance Writer
Game Features:
