Conan (Xbox 360) Review
Posted by Rod Oracheski on 12.07.2007
Now 75 years old, Conan takes on Kratos.
In August of 1929, a very important bit of groundwork was laid when Robert E. Howard debuted 'The Shadow Kingdom' in Weird Tales, helping launch the Sword and Sorcery genre (he is often credited with being the father of the genre when literary critics decided his work didn't fit into the established realms of high fantasy) with a well-received story about a warrior named King Kull.
Three years later, Howard debuted a far more successful character: Conan the Cimmerian, more commonly known as Conan the Barbarian. Conan was a smash success, both with readers, who clamoured for more stories, as well as with other writers, who expanded on the style and helped grow its popularity.
Fast-forward 75 years, and Conan remains one of the most recognizable figures in fantasy fiction. There have been books, comics, even a movie or two - and now a game. That brings up one other bit of groundwork that needs to be mentioned - the 2005 release of God of War for the PS2. The epic hack and slash adventure might not appear in the credits for Conan, but there's no denying its gameplay provided much of the foundation upon which this game was built.
Gameplay
Though it's largely a clone of God of War's gameplay, if you're going to ape a game's style you might as well ape a game with style. Conan gives you light and heavy attacks, as well as the ability to grapple your foes, and a sizable arsenal of combo moves to unlock.
You start with a basic array of combos across several weapon styles: single weapon, weapon and shield, dual-wield, and two-handed weapon. Finishing off your enemies rewards you with runes in three colours, each with their own purpose: green runes replenish health, blue runes replenish armor power (more on that later), and red runes give you points toward unlocking more combinations.
In addition to unlocking new moves, you can level up available combinations simply by using them. Mastered combos often have a related bonus, granting increased runes of a certain type. It can prove handy to have a health-recovering combo mastered, for times when the game throws several enemies at you at once. There are some weapon choices to make within each style, using a sword or axe for example, but it doesn't seem to make a difference in the damage done.
There's also a block button, something that comes in fairly handy when surrounded by enemies. Even more handy is the ability to counter incoming attacks, performing one of three instant-kill moves. Each of the weapon styles has different counters, and some of them are extremely gory. The game is rated M, and definitely doesn't shy away from blood or gore. There's even a bit of nudity, with the various maidens you can 'save' having mysteriously lost their clothes somewhere along the way.
The combat is simple, but there's something there that I found incredibly fun. There's more than just button-mashing here, with carefully timed counters and intricate combinations that elevate the game beyond simple 'one button for the win' gameplay. The level of violence is excessive, but rewarding. At one point, while dual wielding swords and fighting in a crowd, I attacked one foe, then switched toward another and hit the heavy attack button. BANG - lopped off both his arms. That was my opening move? I had to laugh, then go on to decapitate and otherwise dismember a great deal of the remaining enemies. At the end of a battle, the ground is soaked with blood and covered with limbs and heads. Yes...now you see the violence inherent in the system. Hey, it's a Conan game, and I wouldn't want it any other way.
Boss battles work well, offering something new each time. Each boss battle has God of War style (inspired by Shenmue!) QTE sections, where you wear down the boss' health and then hit a sequence of buttons to perform a killing blow. There's a lot of interesting variety here, although strategy in some of the battles can be a bit on the unclear side the first time around.
What doesn't really work within the Conan mythos is his use of magic. As you progress through the game, killing bosses will regain pieces of the armor set that you start out with. Each piece unlocks a new magical ability. That's right, Conan using magic. It just seems like the kind of thing Conan would never do.
Graphics
Conan isn't a graphical tour de force by any means, but provides a serviceable looking representation of the old comics. There are points, particularly at the start of levels, that really made me think of the black and white Conan comics I read years ago. It's a case of the total package coming together to be stronger than the individual pieces though, as much of the graphical work is fairly weak. There are a lot of muddy textures and simple models, though the Conan model itself is very well done.
A bright side is the animation work, which offers a variety of action and some truly wicked-looking instant kills. The animation really sells the character as well. Conan doesn't merely flip open a treasure chest, for example, he kicks that bastard and destroys it! He doesn't just lift a barrel or crate to throw at an enemy, he heaves it to his shoulder and really puts his weight behind it. Opening locked doors? The matter of a kick or two.
Sound
While the sound effects are decent, the bright spot in Conan is the soundtrack. The sound of clashing weapons and grunts of your foes are solid enough, but nothing to write home about. They add enough to the general frenzy that they don't detract from the experience, but there could really have been a lot more here. Ron Pearlman voices the savage Cimmerian, but doesn't really bring much to the role.
Lasting Appeal
Conan is short, clocking in at about 6-7 hours, but the furious action is probably enough to inspire a second playthrough. There's also a certain allure to the thought of unlocking and mastering each weapon combination, along with some weapon-related Achievements.
Fun Factor
As a fan of both the character and this type of action game, Conan hits the spot. It's not the deepest game out there, but eminently satisfying to play in short spurts. I found myself returning to it for just 'one more level' several times, then going back through it on harder difficulty settings and working on different weapon styles.
It's mindless fun, but it's still fun.
The 411
If you're a huge fan of Howard's hulking Cimmerian and also a big-time action gaming fan, then Conan is probably worth a buy. Though the game is on the short side, the action is fast, furious, and relentless. If you didn't say 'yes' to both those criteria, however, then this one likely slips down to just a solid weekend rental.
Graphics
7.5
A mix of the good with the bad. Muddy textures are offset by great animation work.
Gameplay
8.0
Tons of combos to learn and some really unique boss battles.
Sound
5.0
Aside from the soundtrack, there's not much here worth talking about.
Lasting Appeal
6.5
There's some limited appeal to be found in the combo system and Achievements.
Fun Factor
8.0
Hewing your enemies limb from limb is a blast. Solid gameplay keeps the game flowing.
