 |
| OVERALL RATING |
4.5 |
| Presentation |
 |
4.0 |
| Control |
 |
4.5 |
| Gameplay |
|
4.5 |
| Fun factor |
 |
5.0 |
| User Rating |
 |
3.5 |
 |
 |
Posted: December 06, 2006
24: Agent Down is the new mobile adventure based on Fox’s hit television series where the agents of CTU are constantly battling terrorist threats. This second game places you as Jack Bauer with Curtis and Chloe in the mix as well.
In the game, CTU Los Angeles has been raided by a group of terrorists. Barricaded in the building, they threaten to start killing hostage agents if anyone attempts to come in. So now, it’s up to Jack and the remaining agents to save the day.
Like the first title, Agent Down is a mixture of action and puzzles carefully woven into the storyline. Most of the game takes place in what was previously known as Infiltrate mode where Jack runs around the CTU building freeing hostages, taking out the bad guys and creating havoc to secure the safety of his fellow agents. The game feels, dare I say, “Metal Gear-esque” in that he must quietly go about his mission trying not to raise the alarm level of the terrorists. For this, he must use stealth and cover his tracks.
Jack has access to different weapons that he must employ quietly such as a dart gun and a knife but the most cleverly used item is the Decoy. It can be planted in one spot while he moves away then activates it, causing a terrorist guard to go searching in that direction. Jack can then sneak up behind the guard or bypass him altogether. If he does take the guard out, Jack can then drag him to somewhere less visible. Also, you can call on Curtis to provide sniper cover and take out enemies before they know what hit them. It’s opportunities like these that make the game very cool because you can choose how to tackle a level. Another great example is how, to gain access to another room, you can either try your luck at picking the lock, or look for the guard that has the keycard to the door.
In some cases, when Jack needs to pick locks, diffuse bombs or hack computers, these instances are presented in the form of puzzles or mini-games. These no longer break up the action by requiring you to train before taking a stab at them, which is a very welcomed change. Instead, they are blended seamlessly into the different levels to strike a perfect balance in game play. (Note: You can still play each of these in a separate Training mode.)
