Game Reviews

Linkin Park 8-Bit Rebellion!

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Linkin Park 8-Bit Rebellion!

For a band that didn't have enough money to pay for the rights to the name "Lincoln Park," nu-metal group Linkin Park seems to be doing just fine.

Their debut album sold 4.8 million units in the first 12 months, making it the best-selling album of 2001.

Fast forward to 2010, and things are still running smoothly for the ensemble, with three albums and multiple arena tours under their belts. The next step for the band is obvious. Make an iPhone game based on themselves.

Breaking the habit

Linkin Park 8-Bit Rebellion! is part side-scrolling button basher, part social networking tool for fans. You fight dark forces whilst chatting to other Linkin Park fanatics and writing on virtual walls.

The world has been modernised by the evil PixxelKorp, and where there were once pixelated cityspaces and blocky inhabitants, curves have emerged to smooth the edges over.

Linkin Park aren't too happy about this, and hence start an underground society - the 8-Bit Rebellion - with a plan to end PixxelKorp's reign of terror and restore retro vibes to the land once more.

Having personalised your character from a selection of ghetto wears and hair styles, your quest involves retrieving each band member's music track from the enemy. The idea is that once all six tracks are brought together, their combined power can be used to send the Korp packing.

X-Ecutioner style

Thrown straight into the action with little explanation as to what you're supposed to be do, it's all rather disorientating.

Every player shares the same world, so as you're wandering around you see lots of other Linkin Park lackeys on various quests. It quickly becomes apparent that the crowds are not in fact appearing on your screen in real-time - they merely signify that another player is in the same city as you.

Hence, if you walk up to another player, they may not actually be able to see you on their screen. What's more annoying is that if a player leaves the area, their character remains on your screen as if they never left, but it's no longer possible to interact with them.

It also makes figuring out your next step that little bit more difficult. Each wall has a Facebook-style wall on which you can write and for the most part every wall is filled with desperate cries for help.

"Where is item X?" "How do I find person Y?" It falls to other players to take the time out to help these lost souls, but this barely happens.

Pushing me away

Once you get into the swing of it, the missions are a bog-standard affair. Each task requires you find a certain person or thing(s). Along the way you need to dispose of various enemies using different weapons.

The world itself isn't too shabby. Dingy city centres are host to bars and vinyl shops, while a beach boardwalk area houses a diner and cocktail bar. The art direction is really stylish, and the action runs smoothly throughout.

If only as much detail had been put into the gameplay. The combat comprises of hitting the attack button repeatedly until the bad guy dies. It's pretty awful.

In fact, much of the gameplay is sub-par. Missions contain crude sexual references for no apparent reason. There are no side quests. Every kill and mission success gives your character XP points; with every 1000 points you level up. What do you gain from this? Absolutely nothing.

Numb

Of course, this is a game from a rock band, so the music is bound to save it, right? You'd hope so, but alas - no dice. The 8-bit tracks sound like they've been put together by an amateur musician.

A smattering of original Linkin Park songs come with the game too, but let's be honest - if you're thinking of buying this game, you've most likely already got them all!

Yet through all this the one shining light is the community features.

Players can chat, poke, add and check each other's info. It really is Linkin Park's own version of Facebook - you can even link your Facebook account to the game and have your Facebook profile picture show in-game.

Unlike the rest of the game, these elements are actually good fun.

The downside is the rather tedious back-and-forth adventuring and distinct lack of imaginative gameplay. When progress relies on a combination of button-bashing and mass collecting, you know you need to be a fan to really enjoy it.

Linkin Park 8-Bit Rebellion!

Linkin Park 8-Bit Rebellion! is a disappointment with thoroughly shallow, unappealing gameplay. Avoid unless you're a big fan
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Mike Rose
Mike Rose
An expert in the indie games scene, Mike comes to Pocket Gamer as our handheld gaming correspondent. He is the author of 250 Indie Games You Must Play.