Despite the constant industry-wide threat of testosterone poisoning, there are still some fertile minds at Infogrames Entertainment. The company's newest game, Outcast, delivers a compelling adventure that mixes third-person camera action with lush visual splendor.
Claiming cinematic lineage may be a vid-game cliché, but Outcast is no pretender. Richly imagined alien worlds recall the cinematography of Star Wars, complete with lens flare. Watching ripples on the rendered water, it's hard to believe the vivid graphics don't require 3-D acceleration hardware. And Outcast's pedigree is furthered by its musical score. Composed by Lennie Moore and performed by the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, the Eastern-flavored soundtrack does the heavy lifting to get you immersed in the world behind the screen.
Sadly, Outcast's genetic flaws confirm its celluloid heritage. The game's save-the-world story line is B-movie. The lead character, a Navy SEAL whose activist parents taught him to question authority and stand up for the weak, goes by the name Cutter Slade. Dudley Do-Right, of course, was already taken.
The game's Tomb Raider-style play would get old quickly were it not for Outcast's saving grace: a nonlinear narrative that rewards interaction as much as a quick trigger finger. The inhabitants of Outcast's six worlds have virtual lives of their own, and many will help you if you return the favor.
Ultimately, Outcast is a trip worth taking. The road may be uneven, but it never wanders far from fascinating.
Outcast: $49.95. Infogrames Entertainment: +1 (408) 289 1200, www.outcast-game.com.
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