Reboot

Under development for roughly two years, ReBoot is a sci-fi action game that borrows heavily from its TV brother of the same name.

You play as Bob, the game's protagonist. Your environment is the innards of a vast mainframe computer in which an evil robot named Megabyte is attempting to seize control of by using his viral army. Megabyte has planted "Tears" (bombs) within the mainframe that will eventually explode if left alone. You must seek out and defuse these virus-laden bad boys before they go boom, ruining you and the computer.

The large 3-D play areas are covered with streets, buildings and polygonal structures. As you explore the regions you will also need to take down enemy hovercraft, gun turrets and the occasional sea slug. Sounds easy but when you realize you have a time limitation, it gets a lot harder. Half the fun of playing this game is learning how to maneuver the hovering zipboard around the various terrain and obstacles in a smooth and efficient manner. Certain areas actually resemble skate parks, complete with bowls, halfpipes and giant ramps. Part sci-fi shooter, part skateboard challenge is one way to describe this unigue 3-D game. With over 18 levels and 30 enemies (not to mention an inspiring spy thriller soundtrack), ReBoot could be one of the more creative and quirky titles of the year.

As a guardian named Bob. players must battle the destructive forces of the robotic villain known as Megabyte within the confines of a computer. Bob can maneuver through the mainframe with his zip board (flying skateboard) while battling flying tanks, hurricanes, liquid energy and menacing robots. But the most important task Bob has to complete is to mend the tears Megabyte causes which allow viruses to enter into the system. There are over 21 3-D levels that take place in seven different sectors in Reboot: Countdown to Chaos. Eight Bosses exist as well as more than 30 different enemies to set your sights on. Other features include non-linear character control, rendered cinematic sequences and multiple weapons and gadgets for protection.

Remember the rendered cartoon ReBoot? It's still around, but these days (or some time down the road) the show is taking on a new form. ReBoot for the PlayStation has gamers in the role of the show's main character, Bob. Gamers will find themselves working their way through the computer-generated worlds, blowing up (or should we say "formatting") enemies that get in the way of goodness with Bob's special weapon known as "Glitch." Since the game's early, it hasn't been decided if players will actually control Bob or just where he shoots. Will the graphics in the game compare to the show?

Overview

It's been a while since I watched Saturday morning cartoons, so I can't say that I've watched the animated ReBoot. I will admit that I have stopped on it for a minute or two while flipping through channels, so I have seen it, but am a far cry from a fan. According to the literature shipped with the game, the TV show has won awards and there is now a video game based on it, so that leads me to believe that it is a popular show. Anyway, fans of ReBoot can now rejoice because the cartoon world comes to life on your PSX.

Since I never really watched the show, I can only assume that the game is modeled after the world in the show. It is up to you to bust around 19 different worlds on your zip board, mending tears before they obliterate the computer world of Mainframe. 3D graphics and pickups are rampant throughout the game, but you just may find yourself walking away feeling unfulfilled.

Gameplay

I have never really watched the show at any length, so I do not really know the history behind the game. You play Bob, Mainframe's guardian. Your arch enemies, Megabyte and Hexadecimal, hook up to create energy containment fields that are placed around the world of Mainframe. If one of these energy fields explodes before you mend it, it is lights out for Mainframe. It is up to you to stop them.

When I first started playing ReBoot, I thought it had the potential to be a really cool game. The basics of the gameplay had you screaming around town on your zipboard, which was the equivalent of a hovering skateboard, mending these tears that were placed throughout town--all while dodging a blasting plethora of enemies. There were also plenty of pickups to help heal you, give you stronger weapons and and add extra lives. Sounds good, doesn't it? It really is ... for the first couple of levels. After that you will start to get the feeling that you have done it all before, because you have.

I really enjoyed the shooting aspects of the game, and wish they had been developed a bit more. This was more satisfying to me than mending the tears. The enemies were all really cool-looking and well-thought-out, but since you were racing against the clock you didn't really have time to engage in battle with them. I found myself ripping past them without even shooting because I didn't have enough time to stop and fight. It would have been much cooler if there was no time limit imposed, so you could actually take the time to blast the enemies.

One thing I found really cool was the way that you would get health. Sometimes health would appear after blasting an enemy. Other times you would find a pickup that would replenish your health. My favorite was on the earlier levels; a helicopter would fly overhead dropping health power-ups, so all you needed to do was follow along and fill up. This was a pretty cool idea and I have not really seen anything like it before.

The one thing I really disliked about the game was the controls. I had a bitch of a time controlling Bob on his zipboard. I tried using the analog controller as well as a digital controller, but I just kept falling or sliding over edges. Also there were times that you would have to hit jumps to reach higher platforms. I really had a difficult time making these jumps. I don't know if it was just me or the game, but sometimes it would take me 10 minutes of trying just to make it up to the platform. When I finally did make it, I did not seem to do anything different. I just made it. The character also spent a good amount of time on narrow ledges or paths, and it was way too easy to fall off. This alone took away a lot of the fun. I hated it when you fell and had to climb back up again.

People who are into the TV show will probably enjoy this game more than I did, just because of recognition and familiarity. Since I really had no emotional involvement in the storyline of the game, it was just another title to me. If you are really into the world and universe of ReBoot the TV show, you will probably like the game much more than I did.

Graphics

I had no complaints about the graphics in ReBoot. Obviously it did not look as good as the TV show, but it was close enough. The worlds were lush 3D environments that allowed you the freedom to go anywhere. The developers did a good job of giving you a feeling of depth and layering, and the lighting was pretty awesome. Once again, I think fans of the TV show will be impressed with the amount of detail and the accuracy that went into recreating the world of Mainframe.

Bottom Line

All in all, I found ReBoot to be an average game. It got to be a bit boring just rushing from tear to tear. I would have liked to see the enemies play a bigger role in the game instead of just being there to keep you on the move. The clock for the tear kept you moving enough. It would have been much cooler to have to kill all of the enemies while working your way to mend the tears. I think fans of the TV show will enjoy this game much more than non-fans.

Based on the TV series of the same name, ReBoot: Countdown to Chaos is an action/shooter where you play as Bob the Guardian, repairing damage created by the evil tyrant Megabytes' viral forces (called Tears) while battling hovering tanks, fighting robots, and avoiding deadly obstacles. In addition to 8 bosses, 30 enemies, multiple weapons, and special items, this game boasts smooth, fast gameplay in 21 3D levels. EA may have the darkhorse hit of the year.

The computer city of Mainframe is still under construction, but in the latest beta of EA's game Re-Boot, it looks like it's being built to last. A prequel to the groundbreaking computer-animated TV series, ReBoot plops players into the shoes of Bob, guardian against evil in a digital world of pixels and peril. Bob swoops around the city as he repairs system tears and prevents crashes--it's kind of like a hoverboarding game with a laser gun. Beta-stage problems include draw-in and breezy controls, but there's time to fix those. Otherwise, fans of the cartoon should be in for a treat.

What a pleasant surprise: ReBoot, based on the cartoon of the same name, is the rare game that transcends its license to become a great stand-alone experience. The game's fluid polygonal world leaves no seams or pop-up. while the energized soundtrack perfectly complements its fast-paced, action-packed challenge.

Playing as Bob, you fly around Mainframe, a city inside a computer, on your zipboard (like the hoverboards in Back to the Future II with some real kick), flipping over ramps and doing death-inviting leaps, while hunting explosive tears, bombs set by your archenemy. Megabyte. The action's in a third-person view like Tomb Raider's, but Lara never moved with this speed. The gameplay may sound repetitive because you're just running from one tear to the next, but like the racing portion of Die Hard Trilogy, the excitement's in the pursuit.

Unfortunately, it'll take quite some time to learn the controls, and nailing platform hurdles with the ever-shifting zipboard can be frustrating. Also, there's no difficulty selection, so younger gamers may be easily frustrated. These are minor drawbacks, however, and won't kill the thrill.

ReBoot fans will likely enjoy the cut scenes, which carry a plot line scripted as a prequel to the series, but newcomers should check out the game just for the ride. Zip-boards rock, dude!