Mind Games- Cell Factor: Psychokinetic Wars Reviewed

SeanNOLA’s take: There was once a time when not all PCs came with 3D accelerators.  I was in high school when I saved up enough money to buy my first VooDoo card to be able to play Aliens vs. Predator on my father’s computer, and when I opened the box it came with an install disc and a tech demo/game disc.  The game was a simple Missile Command-style game that made me “ooh” and “aah” over all of the fancy things that my new card was capable of, but was an overall forgettable experience, as I imagine most games packed in with graphics cards would be.  With that memory in mind, I was surprised to see Cell Factor: Psychokinetic Wars show up on PSN, because it is a sequel to a tech-demo/game called Cell Factor: Revolution that Ageia packed in with their PhysX cards back in 2007.  With fairly low expectations, I pulled the game from the cloud to my hard drive, unlocked it and started playing.

Cell Factor is an arena-style first person shooter that gives players a small variety of psychic powers to use alongside their standard arsenal.  There are 3 character types to choose from, each with their own unique variations on the standard weapon types as well as unique psychic powers such as dual-wielding, flying and teleporting.  Although the game includes 30 single player challenge stages, it is meant to be played as an online-only game.  It sports 4 game modes, Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Assault and CTF, and 7 stages to play those games on.

Cell Factor uses the Unreal engine to faithfully reconstruct Unreal Tournament, right down to the mission types and announcers.  What you get for $10 is essentially an Unreal Tournament clone with 7 bland environments, a handful of new abilities and adjusted physics.  However, unlike UT, Cell Factor does not present itself as a competent shooter.  None of the weapons feel right – the kick-back is delayed and artificial, the aiming is punishingly inaccurate and even the sounds are muted and boring.  Online multiplayer works, for what it’s worth, but given that the game had almost no marketing push behind it on top of the fact that there are at least 50 more prominent online experiences out there, I was hard-pressed to find a consistent group of people to play against.  The four mission types are the same as they were 10 years ago in original Unreal Tournament, and after a decade, they have worn out their welcome.

One might say that if you go in expecting a $10 experience for your $10 game, then you won’t be disappointed.  At 1/6th of the price of your average boxed retail game, Cell Factor offers about 1/6th the entertainment value.  However, I am hard-pressed to recommend this game, as I find that there are many far more interesting and entertaining games available for $10 or less on PSN.  If you do not already own an FPS for your PS3, or you find some novelty in having a cheap one installed directly to your hard drive, then perhaps you could try the demo and see for yourself.  If you already own Unreal Tournament 3 or Resistance, then there’s really nothing to see here.

DesertEagle’s Take: Cell Factor’s most criminal act is the title’s complete absence of originality. The gameplay apes Unreal Tournament, psychic abilities are reminiscent of Shadowrun, and the three characters are completely uninspired- there’s even an I, Robot clone. Yet, despite the lack of innovation, I had a hard time putting my controller down.

Weighing in at a paltry 255 megabytes, Cell Factor: Psychokinetic Wars is an enjoyable arena-style FPS that offers an adrenaline-fueled frag-fest ideal for itchy trigger fingers. Fans of either Unreal Tournament or Quake Arena will instantly feel at home with the breakneck pace and familiar game modes. Although gamers familiar with the genre may want to jump into the fray immediately, they should resist the temptation. Playing through the game’s tutorial mode not only allows the player to alter the look of their character through unlockable items, but augments the player’s offensive skill set as well.

Gaming gurus will blow through the training campaign, but others may find some of the mode’s instructions to be inexplicably vague. One level requires players to be an “Arena Master”, yet gives no indication of how to achieve that title. Another lesson requires players to stun an enemy, but the in-game help screen fails to mention an icon must be picked up before the ability can be initiated.

After a few hours eliminating bots, gamers will be likely yearn for interaction with human opponents. Cell Factor’s multiplayer modes are clearly the focal point of the package- players seeking a single player experience should look elsewhere. Once online, the game’s three character types create an interesting range of competition- from Bishops ability to fly, to the dual-wielding capability of the Guardian. The trio’s abilities are well-balanced, as evidenced by the uniform distribution of foes I observed online.

Overall, I’d recommend Cellfactor: Psychokinetic Wars to diehard FPS fans. The title offers a serviceable experience for veterans who have drained subordinate titles like Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, Shadowrun, and Frontlines: Fuel of War of all replay value. Those unsure of their ability to triumph in the competitive arena forum, may want to seek the virtues of a multiplayer experience in a game they already own.