Turning Point: Fall Of Liberty Review (360)

Facism has never been so slapstick

Being the coward I am, I fear a lot of things. I fear clowns. I fear heights. I fear that weird sound a fox makes when it’s mating. But most of all, in the current climate, I fear the country being invaded by a masochistic foreign force that will brainwash me into upholding its values, make me learn an entirely new language and burn those who disagree with anything my precious new leader says…because y’know, it’s effort. In hindsight, I’m incredibly grateful that our Allies kept Hitler off our shores back in World War II as I don’t think I would’ve coped incredibly well with his regime, yet fortunately the prospect of Nazi invasion has been put to rest. Unfortunately, Codemasters is determined to make me see how things could’ve been with ‘Turning Point: Fall Of Liberty’.

TP is set in the parallel universe of ‘Tits Up’, where instead of surviving a Taxi collision in 1931, Winston Churchill succumbs to the wheels of the yellow cabbie and dies. Without his charismatic leadership and constant waggling of two fingers through World War II, the Nazis are able to take over Britain and plan their big attack on America. Whilst working on a construction site high above New York, protagonist Dan Carson finds himself in the eye of the storm as a full blown attack on America begins and the invasion takes its toll.

This is such a big blob of bad that it’s hard to know where to start

It’s a fantastic set-up into a somewhat terrifying ‘Butterfly Effect’ scenario, and the set-pieces do this plot justice. Opening with a frantic race against time as you climb down from your construction site being demolished by Nazi bombers is a genuinely exciting experience, and seeing the famous White House wrapped up in Nazi banners poses an eerie political juxtaposition. Then it pisses on it all, adding Nazis who do the can-can, futuristic blimps powered by rockets, and the revelation of a secret German nuclear missile facility hidden deep under London, all ready to fire giving Hitler several pieces of barren wasteland to rule over. Although Codemasters can be given a little bit of lee-way in terms of plot by altering the timeline of history, these unnecessary touches stick out like sore thumbs attached to a foot, and get so ridiculous that I was expecting the final boss to be Hitler’s brain transplanted into Chuck Norris’s body infused with the Power Rangers Megazord.

When it comes down to analysing the aspects of basic game design, this is such a big blob of bad that it’s hard to know where to start, so let’s get the ball rolling with the most vicious stab in the back; the gunplay. Controls hold a steep learning curve, by moving too slowly when you’re being shot in the back and moving too quickly whenever you’re trying to aim for a target. No matter how high or low the sensitivity is, it’s almost as if Dan is too cowardly to look fear in the face and when he does, he jitters so much he can’t aim. Even when sights are adjusted and you’re finally able to shoot down an enemy, Turning Point takes its first of many turns down ‘Glitch Alley’ and Nazis stand defiantly as you fire several shards of metal into their bodies. Most barely flinch, barely bleed or simply refuse to die, making the battlefield look like it’s littered with cardboard cut-outs.

And what ridiculously stupid looking cardboard cut-outs they are. Nazis run out with arms flailing and knees raised so high as they run that I had to throw on the Benny Hill theme tune in order to give them at least some dignity during gun fights. All shamble into view with gormless faces, thick goggles and such stupidity that they’d fit the role of Stereotypical Henchman in a kids TV show than fearsome fascist invader. Needless to say, it kills the atmosphere.

The only ‘new’ gameplay feature that makes an appearance is the ability to grab Nazis and do one of two simple actions. Kill them instantly, defeating the point of owning guns in the first place, or twisting them round and hugging them, providing Dan with cover. A fairly nice feature, that encounters yet another flaw; this time with the camera twisting out from a first to third person view. Although it aids you in seeing what’s ahead, the transition from both is so fiddly, it’s about as smooth as a drunken stumble in an earthquake.

About halfway through these glitches begin to clear themselves up, only to reveal a basic and linear first person shooter that would easily rival the first few ‘Medal Of Honour’ games back in the day, yet unfortunately it has the likes of ‘Modern Warfare’ to contend with now. The simplicity makes ‘Turning Point’ feel rushed and unfinished, and no one should expect you to play through a clearly faulty game for hours in order to reach a point where these errors are barely fixed.

With such stark and impressive set-pieces overridden with shoddy game design, ‘Turning Point: Fall Of Liberty’ is a perfect example of ‘Great Idea, Poor Execution’. It’s a shame this FPS underdog had to fall under its own weight as it could’ve been something incredibly unique and a breath of fresh air in a somewhat over-crowded genre. Yet with so many unforgivable errors passing onto the final product, the whole thing seems more farcical than terrifying.

Just goes to show how wrong Hitler was.