Game Review - by Jeremiah Pratt
When you first listen to the word, "Recoil," you think about a spring. Well someone could call this game a spring by the way you can control things, but there's a lot more than a slinky behind it. Recoil is a vehicular shooter that puts you behind the controls of a remote-control tank. While behind the controls you can complete campaigns and missions to help the Resistance become successful.

Storyline:
Tanks patrol desolate city streets. Turrets and missile sites threaten the skies. Robot warriors carrying pulse rifles surround military installations. What's become of Earth? Machines have taken over. Corporate greed and rapid technological advancements have made humans pawns of their own creations. During the first fifteen years of the 21st century, Mega Corp began to dominate computer technology in both peacekeeping and war-fighting applications. As this giant churned out better and better technology for manufacturing and warfare, humans were relegated to service industries or to working as drones on PC terminals. Mega Corp became the largest employer in the United States. By 2010, every computer in America used Mega Corp software and was Internet-connected and monitored through the Mega Corp Network--anti-trust suits be damned. Each day, Mega Corp would issue government-endorsed messages through the Network that broadcast pro-machine propaganda. The country was becoming brainwashed. In 2018, the wonders of artificial intelligence turned ugly in the hands of a few disillusioned Mega Corp programmers. Frustrated at being a part of such an ethically challenged corporation, these hacks altered coding in various Mega Corp products--turning certain robot and tank machinery into self-directed, man-killing machines. Today, May of 2019, in a war-torn, machine-ravaged world, only a few freethinkers remain. Only a few outsiders have escaped the spell of the Network. Dr. Raines is the leader of a group of rebels called the Alliance. He and a few others have developed a computer program that gives the operator control over an experimental tank. You control this tank and must defeat these robot warriors.

Features:
This game proves that having a 10-button gamepad is a good thing. You will definitely find yourself mapping these buttons. Each control that is absolutely necessary will be available to you. That of course added with Keyboard configs for the left out items. I would have to say that using a Microsoft Sidewinder gamepad is much easier than using a Joystick. This is from my experience with the touchy aiming reticule. Multi-player is available but is quite difficult at some times to navigate through the options to get started. Just about the typical features in any modern day PC game.

Gameplay:
Recoil is a fun, refreshing, and rejuvenating game whenever it is played. However, sometimes the frustration can set in and I could only shut off the application to emit and erase my anger. Mainly, this came from the repetitive missions and redoing the same objective over and over again with minimal success. Let me enlighten you perhaps, I chose my first game to be on the Medium Level and had a great deal of trouble trying complete the first missions, or campaigns. Eventually after 60 minutes of retrying constantly, I finished it and rejoiced over a cup of coffee. These missions are good, but they also are very difficult at times. Also there are too many insignificant enemies and it seems the programmers have dubbed "Guerilla Warfare" into Recoil as their fighting style of choice. Enemies plotted around the level usually are for direct combat but Recoil has developed sneak attacks almost like ambushes and many other elements to get anyone really frustrated. I remember dying several times not knowing where the enemy was located. Difficult enemies hiding through trees, on ledges, camouflaged in ditches, everywhere the gamer wouldn't expect it to be. Personally, I found this concept to be very annoying and bothersome when a simple mission is turned into a very difficult, time-consuming revision of World War I. Despite the long, laborious missions of Recoil and the semi-pointless enemy placement that could frustrate you, there are many wonderful things to say about Zipper's Recoil. Artificial Intelligence in the gaming industry has started to learn and predict every move that the gamer makes and counterattack when the gamer goes on offensive. The enemy vehicles are constantly shooting and maneuvering to get a better shot or to go on a defensive round. The enemies are strong, accurate with there shooting and very maneuverable. Zipper Interactive has put in artificial intelligence that makes the game as hard as any other game. As with any game controls can play a role in how difficult a game is and this game makes it quite difficult. At first using your left hand on the keyboard and the mouse with the other hand, you find that controlling a tank's torso and gun is quite difficult. Doing two things at once is very difficult, at least for me and this was a test of hand-eye-dual control.

Recoil's multi-player expands the gamer into large battlefields versus other players in several deathmatch worlds. The multi-player is a load of fun despite the hard time controlling the tank. However there is virtually no lag while playing an eight-player game, which is absolutely great! Westwood Online supports Recoil for the world network multi-player, but I think Westwood Online needs to work on their interface a little bit more. The only problem I have with Recoil and its multi-player is the hard time I had navigating the online setup.

Graphics:
The first thing that caught my mind was the smooth graphics and realistic movies. The graphics are well detailed even without a 3D-accelerator. The movies are always fun things to have especially something that is meaningful and awesome-looking. In this case the movies further the story's plot and make the gamer feel in the actual setting. On the bottom line, Recoil's graphics are smooth running and awesome without a 3D-accelerator, but with one they will be much better.

Sound FX:
The sounds of Recoil echoed through my mind even when I went to sleep. I am not sure if that's from the constant and repetitive noises or the groovy music that made me tap my foot. As I played Recoil I found myself to be cringing when my armor was low and my heart pounding when I was fiercely attacking. I discovered that the "BFT Armor Low," sounds is absolutely horrendous and occurs too often. Otherwise, the sounds are well balanced through the game and there aren't annoying "dings," or "dongs," that will make the gamer cry. However, when I was attacking the blasts and booms of pure destruction took off in my mind and thoroughly added to my entertainment. Basically the sounds and audibles are crisp and a good sound card isn't needed. Speakers will always increase the effects but none are needed. The voices in the movies are spectacular and the action sounds fit perfectly within the game.

Overall:
Recoil is a game jammed-packed with a load of fun and some stunning graphics. Zipper and Electronic Arts have shown they can create one awesome storyline and integrate that into a game. 18 different weapons, 6 different worlds of fun and death, and great multi-player. The difficulty level of Recoil is unbearable at times but the AI is nothing like what I have seen prior to this game. Electronic Arts' new masterpiece is a great game with some redeeming characteristics that spell "good game" all over the box, but minor setbacks and bugs do plague the system.