by: Michael Ogunnubi

September 08, 2009

When I first heard about Section 8, I was honestly not expecting too much from this title. After playing the multiplayer demo that hit Xbox LIVE a few weeks ago, I was surprised to find just how much I actually did enjoy that aspect of the game. The team behind Section 8 are none other than TimeGate Studios: the same ones who made the critically acclaimed F.E.A.R. Extraction Point. However, they are also the same ones who made the critically terrible expansion pack F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate. With variable projects behind the team, there was definitely a reason to be skeptical on their latest project but rest assured, Section 8 is at least a decent game. With a main multiplayer focus I won’t spend too much on the single player campaign but instead focus on where the game truly shines.

In the main story of Section 8 (called Corde's Story), you're pretty much playing a straight forward FPS beginning to end. You are put in the shoes of Alex Corde from the 8th Armor infantry. As Alex, you volunteer to be put in a new armor suit which is a prototype made to enhance all your abilities, similar to Crysis. Every mission you undergo is objective-based with the option beforehand for you to choose your primary and secondary weapon, such as assault rifles, pistols, shotguns, and sniper rifles, as well as grenades, explosives, knives, mortar launchers and healing units. Another neat feature is that you can create your own own player class through various stackable modules which determine the player's speed, stealth, or the regeneration rate of the jetpack. Excessive damage endured by the player to certain parts of their body, such as their legs, arms, head, or chest, may disable or hinder the use of these enhancements.

Dynamic Combat Missions can be activated mid-combat and can reward the you with Requisition Points when completed successfully. Some DCMs will include protecting a convoy, destroying a bridge, or assassinating an enemy character.