Paradise Cracked (PC)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 2.0 stars Mediocre
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 4.0 (2.0 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Brett Todd
• Reviewed on: 10/24/2003
• Released on: 09/30/2003
• Originally published on GameSpot: Paradise Cracked (PC) Review

Something's been lost in the translation. That's the kindest way to sum up Paradise Cracked, a turn-based strategy game in the tradition of X-COM from Russian developer Mist Land. Although the game collected awards from critics in "Mother Russia" when it was originally released in 2002, the English version is so disastrous that Irwin Allen should get a co-credit. Tedious gameplay, a plot that veers between goofy and incomprehensible, and an alphabet soup of grammatical errors render Paradise Cracked almost unplayable, let alone enjoyable.

The biggest problem is a hopeless plot that never tells you what's going on or provides concrete mission objectives. In the opening cinematic, you're introduced to the main character--a computer hacker named, um, Hacker speaking via videoscreen. Is he speaking to you, grandma, or the elves living in his frontal lobe? It's never made clear. This lengthy spiel lets you know that the setting is the usual dystopian/cyberpunk game future, but little else is lucid. One moment Hacker is referring to a golden age where all humankind is working together to get into space, and the next he's saying that "it was no surprise when the rebellion started on Mars." Then his place is raided by the cops, for reasons that--surprise--aren't spelled out.

Things don't clear up when the gameplay of Paradise Cracked begins. A plot involving a supercomputer that attempts to control humankind eventually materializes, but nothing makes sense for a good chunk of the game. You're apparently on the run, yet everyone you meet tells you where to look for jobs in order to make money. There's nobody to fight, yet Job, the first character you encounter, offers to join your undefined cause because he likes to duke it out. This offer is nonsensical. Job calls you a blockhead, asks why you're out of breath, then says, out of the blue, that he likes to fight. You don't know if he's going to beat you up, join you, or drift into the shadows--like the hot dog vendors and hookers in the neighborhood.

Text and dialogue throughout your adventure maintain this surreal tone. City districts are described in conflicting ways. Lower City, for instance, is a "wonderful" place, despite being filled with "crime, injustice, prostitution, etc." You're often unsure of what a character is planning until he or she actually takes an action, as dialogue either goes in circles or is jammed with typos and horrible grammar. This keeps you on your toes but also ensures that you never really have a clue as to what's going on.

Hacker himself contributes to the ridiculous atmosphere by uttering flat-out insane responses to every order like he's on a different plane of reality. Have him walk across a street, and he'll gasp "Biorhythm!" or "War is war!" or "Still alive but not for long!" like these were going to be his last words. North Americans wouldn't be any more bewildered if Mist Land had shipped the game with the original Russian text.

The game mechanics are also designed to keep you guessing. Missions in Paradise Cracked begin without giving you much of an idea where you're supposed to be going or what you're supposed to be doing. Thankfully, you're never asked to do anything more complex than deliver packages and carry out the odd assassination. The map function reveals everything about a particular location except where you are, making it useless until you do some heavy exploring to get your bearings. The journal feature unveils lots of information about politics, weapons, and neighborhoods, though it doesn't fully track objectives. Strangers guide you along, giving out-of-the-blue advice that includes providing both their names and those of their associates in the underworld. In addition, they offer you criminal assignments as soon as you walk in the front door--which is rather strange behavior for people living in what appears to be a police state.

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