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24: The Game “The following takes place between the hours of 5 am and 6 am". So starts the long awaited conversion of hit TV series 24 to the PS2. Those familiar words, voiced by Kiefer Sutherland here as they are in the show, are the first clue that we’re in for a faithful adaptation that will at least satisfy some, if not all of the fans. In fact the entire environment, script (the game plot was developed by one of the TV writers) and general feel is just right, with Sutherland and other cast members providing the voice talent for Kim, Tony, Chase, Chloe, Michelle and many other TV favourites.
So far so good then? Surely the biggest concern of any fan, with the game riding on so much hype and so much expectation, is that the interactive experience should be as close as possible to the series? And it is close. The cut scenes, mixed with a wide range of mission styles do well to portray the tension and urgency of the time-specific storytelling format. But actually, this faithfulness is where the problems start.
The range of playing styles may be familiar to anyone who has played similar spy / action titles such as Alias. However, where a bomb defusing puzzle or a sniper-tracking satellite surveillance operation might usually appear as a mini side-mission - a welcome break from otherwise frenetic action - 24 offers too many variations in game style. If mini games are to be used as the emotional troughs to balance out the peaks of the main action, there needs to be some main action in the game as well. The main action in this case involves lots of running around (as Chase, Tony, Kim, Jack, etc – they’ve clearly just stuck a different head on the character), shooting and then more running and shooting. Where the gameplay initially seems to balance clever espionage and well considered decisions (just like the TV show) this is then spoiled by another warehouse / tower block / office full of identical, stupid goons lining up ready to be mown down.
The driving sequences also spoil the experience, with cars cruising at a leisurely pace against the clock through a sub-GTA environment. A map indicator and arrows apparently indicate where to aim for, but seem to bear little relation to the missions themselves.
So if we ignore these elements, where the game should be strongest, let’s go back to the more varied missions. These are all very effectively woven into the story arc so there are consequences that don’t always result in black and white failure or success. At one stage Jack is “in the field” when he consults with agents back at CTU to track down snipers in his location. You then play a mission locating as many of the snipers as possible, searching room-by-room via a satellite interface. The more snipers you find on the map, the more targets will be uncovered for Jack in his next mission, making it easier for him to take them out. The environments, interfaces and general ambience work perfectly here, leading you through the game without making it too obvious – your genuine interest motivates you through the game’s story, without making it feel like you’re forced down a one-way corridor. In the first few hours alone you will have shot a lot of people, but also defused bombs, performed interrogations, questioned suspects, chased leads on foot and in cars and unscrambled data.
So what went wrong? Well, it almost seems defeatist to say this, but maybe 24 just isn’t a format suited to gaming? If the game had been improved by cleaning up and concentrating on the action sequences, fans would have complained this wasn’t representative of the show, so there must be some back-patting for this at least. But if this is at the expense of creating a great game, maybe it should never have been approached in the first place.
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