Gaming Target - PlayStation 2: Alias

Written by Tim Stevens on July 06, 2004

Full Review: Interactivity does not a better Alias make.

Jennifer Garner can thank Alias the TV show for launching her into the Hollywood limelight and also into the fantasies of countless young men. Jennifer Garner can thank Alias the video game for launching her straight into the bargain bin at your local game shop. While Alias the TV show is a passable action/drama with a soap opera like plot and plenty of tight costumes, Alias the video game is a weak attempt at a stealth/action game with bad controls and plenty of tight costumes. For many of those young men the skimpy costumes make the show watchable, but no amount of spandex or leather could save this game.

The storyline of the game is quite typical when compared to that of the television show. A CIA agent uncovered some evidence about a new organization forming between a number of bigwigs in the show's criminal underground, including Sark and Sloane. After reporting his findings the agent promptly went missing and it's up to you as Sydney Bristow to find out what's going on.

For the most part, Alias the game plays a lot like the Splinter Cell series. You'll sneak through enemy compounds trying to avoid being detected by enemy guards, using gadgets and a few alternate vision modes to enhance your perception of your surroundings. But, there are some major differences between the style of play here vs. that of the Splinter Cell games. For one thing, while Sam generally prefers a drain pipe or unlocked window to find access to his objective, Sydney usually waltzes in the front door wearing a maid's outfit, or posing as an investigator, using her charm and, err, assets to work her way in. This aspect of the show is replicated in the game, but unfortunately rather poorly. Whereas these under-cover scenes in the show involve tension and quick thinking, in the game while in disguise you're free to wander around and chat with random people, taking as much time as you want before you drug or plant a bug on someone. These sections of the game are no more intriguing than your average puzzle involving pulling switches or pushing boxes.

The other main difference between the two franchises regards physical combat. While it seems a right hook is about the extent of Sam's knowledge of hand-to-hand combat, Sydney is an expert at disarming and defeating opponents without resorting to weapons. Again, this part of the show is present in the game, but again it is poorly implemented. The game's controls are floaty and terrible, and Sydney's moves are very limited. Yes, the combat looks good as the characters are fairly well animated, but you'll see the same three or four fights over and over again, which grows tiring.

Decent animation is about the only positive when it comes to the visuals here. Most of the virtual models of the game's characters bear only a passing resemblance to the actors who portray them on TV. Character models are blocky and chunky, and environments look poor. Voiceover work is generally very well done, as all the actors of the show have been drafted to lend their voices to the characters here, and music sampled from the show helps the audio front. So, audio holds up just fine, but don't expect much from the visuals.