Amusement Despite a High Cover Charge at THE CLUB

With The Club, developer Bizarre Creations has taken the trigger-finger twitch of Geometry Wars and somehow merged it with
the finesse of Program Gotham Racing 4.
The basic premise of the game resolves directing one of eight selectable
characters through different environments, shooting enemies rhythmically to
keep a combo going. Some variations have you running laps around the
environment, while others are a mad rush for the exit. Story is nearly
non-existent; The Club harks back to a time when score mattered and narrative was
skeletal.

What keeps this third-person shooter feeling surprisingly fresh
and original is the combo system- players are constantly trying to rack up
kills, while managing health, ammunition and time. This sense of urgency keep
the game from growing state; and like Geometry Wars, urges us to play ‘one more
game’ into the morning hours.

Sadly, The Club falters in its multiplayer mode; we wish the
inspiration and creativity of the single player we more evident here. Instead,
players are given variations of capture-the-flag, deathmatch, and territory
modes. While the game offers four player split-screen on the same console,
‘Gunplay’ allows players to set up their own playlists of levels, weapons,
however this mode is only for the single player.

At $60, admission to this Club is almost prohibitively steep; the game would have a sure buy at the forty dollar price point. However, once inside, this Club doesn’t fail to deliver.

Pros: Great framerate, instinctive controls, fairly addictive.

Cons: Pedestrian Multiplayer, limited level design.

Final Grade: B