I feel for Digital Extreme because Pariah had potential. It comes off as slick, interesting and mature just by looking at it yet once you play the game serious issues make this a mediocre FPS.
Gameplay 7/10
Pariah implements a unique weapon upgrade system, which proves to be the most interesting aspect of the gameplay. The player must collect fairly easy to find Weapon Energy Core's or "WEC" in order to upgrade a weapon. Each weapon can be upgraded a total of three times and players can expect to use up more "WEC" with each successive upgrade. Perhaps it is my past fondness for action RPG's but what pushed me on in Pariah was the thought that I just needed to find a few more "WEC" and I'd have a level three shotgun. The average gamer should be able to fully upgrade almost all of the six weapons and one health tool that are available in the game. If there were less "WEC" in the game the upgrade system could have bumped up the replay value a bit.
The arsenal includes a shotgun, machine gun, rocket launcher, grenade launcher, sniper rifle and a plasma rifle. Regardless of your weapon of choice you will derive some enjoyment from the rag doll physics as you blast your enemies through nineteen levels. Speaking of levels the train, drop ship and dam levels are best offerings when it comes to FPS action.
Audio 5/10
Weak voice acting and a lack of variety in music really make Pariah an under whelming audio experience. The characters sound dull and uninteresting while the game music seems to be composed of only a few tracks that keep repeating. Now I can understand if there is some amazing sounding theme song for the game and it is remixed several times and slapped into the game however such is not the case. None of the music is memorable and yet the player will have to listen to the same few tracks no matter the level or situation. The only saving grace for the audio is the sound effects and even then you'll have to put up with a lot of annoying sirens pretty often.
Video 9/10
The graphics were easily Pariah's strongest selling point with its' gritty sci-fi outdoor levels and slick looking indoor levels. The weapons, models and levels were all well designed. Everything had a familiar yet futuristic look to it thus creating a near future feel for the game.
Replay 5/10 (based on single player only)
The A.I., story and sloppy vehicle control really discourage players to come back to the campaign. The story is very confusing and not properly explained. As for the A.I. it is a mixed bag. A lone enemy is fairly stupid and can often be rushed up to and shot. Conversely a group or three or more enemies is decently challenging and will utilize cover, suppressing fire and explosives. With regards to the vehicle controls the only good news is that you won't be called upon very often to actually drive anything.
Rent or Buy?
A rental is recommended only to those who really enjoy FPS games and need something to tie them over for a weekend. In a nutshell Pariah offers eye candy, a neat weapon upgrade system and a very average FPS experience.
Score (it is an average)
Gameplay 7/10
Audio 5/10
Video 9/10
Replay 5/10
Overall 6.5 rounded up to a 7 for the weapon upgrade system.
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