"Fracture" depicts an America that’s split in two.
Environmental disaster has submerged much of the Midwest, dividing the country into a West Coast that favors enhancing humanity through genetic manipulation and an East Coast that dabbles in cybernetic additions. When the powers in the East decide to ban genetic manipulation, the West rebels.
In the T-rated third-person shooter, you play as Jet Brody, whose job is to fight through legions of mutants to reach the rebellion’s leader.
Since the game — developed by Day 1 for LucasArts — is set about 150 years in the future, you’re equipped with plenty of sci-fi weaponry. You can fire weapons that temporarily freeze their targets, hurl electrified boulders or fire projectiles that travel underground and explode on command.
However, what sets "Fracture" apart from dozens of other futuristic shooters is the use of weapons that raise or lower the ground. These supposedly evolved from technology developed to stave off flooding caused by global warning. Firing most weapons at a patch of dirt forms either a small bump or a depression. You can use these to create cover, climb atop buildings, dig into subterranean areas or gain a height advantage over your foes. In addition, your arsenal includes spike grenades that produce rapidly rising columns of rock, which you can ride like elevators or use to lift heavy objects.
The hills, holes and spikes created by terrain deformation do an excellent job of helping you maneuver through the single-player campaign. However, they don’t really have a major impact on most battles. In most cases, you don’t have to worry about creating cover because there’s plenty already provided. In others, there’s no dirt to deform.
You’d expect terrain deformation to lead to some interesting multiplayer matches online, with the ground constantly undulating as players seek to gain advantage. However, that’s not usually the case. In my online experience, terrain deformation is used almost exclusively to gain access to higher ground, where you can use a sniper rifle to pick off any fool who stops to build cover. It’s rather disappointing.
Even though terrain deformation doesn’t play a huge role in combat, the fighting is usually pretty fun. There’s lots of running, gunning and leaping on both sides. Most of the souped-up mutants are very mobile, and many would rather hunt you down than wait for you to come to them. This creates some pretty intense battles. Luckily, the controls are very smooth and efficient, so even those with less-than-nimble fingers stand a chance.
The graphics are good. Characters are detailed, animations are fluid and settings are usually — although not always — well rendered.
Overall, "Fracture" is a decent game. Unfortunately, its hook doesn’t play a big enough role to rise much above other sci-fi shooters.
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation PortableOn the Web: www.lucasarts.com/games/fracture/
