Rogue Trooper: Quartz Zone Massacre Review for Nintendo Wii

Rogue Trooper: Quartz Zone Massacre box art

System: Wii	Review Rating Legend
Dev: Rebellion	1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid	4.0 - 4.4 = Great
Pub: Graffiti Entertainment	2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
Release: Dec. 4, 2009	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	5.0 = The Best
Players: 1-4	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
ESRB Rating: Teen	3.5 - 3.9 = Good

The only new thing that the Wii version of this title brings to the table is its use of motion controls. Unfortunately, at best these controls are a mixed bag, but more often than not, they prove to be a hindrance. Aiming is handled by pointing the Wii Remote at your enemies, while holding the Z trigger can also lock the camera onto nearby enemies to help steady your aim. This lock on feature rarely works well, often locking onto the wrong enemies. Hit detection is also often, pardon the pun, hit and miss. I've emptied entire clips into an enemy's face and still not managed to take them out, while other times I've grazed a foe's leg and killed them with one or two shots.

Rogue Trooper: Quartz Zone Massacre screenshot

However, where the motion controls completely fail is when actual motions are required. When using a sniper rifle, you'll need to twist the Wii Remote in order to zoom in and out. This is usually frustrating, as you will find yourself zooming in and out uncontrollably, even while holding the controller perfectly still, and not being able to zoom when twisting it completely on its side. Grenades are also extremely difficult to utilize properly due to inaccurate controls, but this time it's because of the Nunchuk.

You can shake the Nunchuk to just lob a grenade in front of you, but if you wish to actually aim one, then you're in for some frustration. First, you'll need to tilt the Nunchuk so that it is pointing straight up, aim your tossing line using the analog stick and by pointing your Wii Remote, and then shake the Nunchuk to finally toss it. This seems pretty ridiculous to begin with, but when you factor in that the game constantly has difficulty registering the position of the Nunchuk, it quickly becomes infuriating. Also, if you can't manage to make this asinine series of requirements happen quickly enough and you need to cancel the grenade throw, you'll need to tilt the Nunchuk back to a horizontal position. Again, the game usually fails to recognize this, which normally just results in you lobbing the grenade at your feet.

In the end, I have to say that Rogue Trooper: Quartz Zone Massacre is still a decent game but very disappointing. The idea behind the game is intriguing, and the wide variety of tactics that are afforded to the player are great. Unfortunately, the only new thing the Wii version of this title got was motion control, which wind up being more of an impediment to the gameplay than a benefit. If you're looking for a good third-person shooter on the Wii, your options are fairly limited, so you might want to check out Quartz Zone Massacre because it really has some decent ideas in it. For everybody else, I'd suggest looking elsewhere or even just picking up a copy of Rogue Trooper for the PS2 or Xbox.

By Adam Brown
CCC Staff Contributor

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

3.5

Graphics
You can tell this game is a last-gen port, but there are some nice explosions and water effects.

2.4

Control
The included motion controls rarely work well, often getting in the way during critical moments.

3.7

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
The music and voice work are of good quality, although some characters' dialogue can get a tad repetitious.

3.3

Play Value
The campaign is fairly enjoyable if you can manage to cope with the iffy controls, peppered with a good amount of stealth, tactics, and even rail-shooting segments.

2.9

Overall Rating - Average
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

Third-person tactical shooter.

Automated sentry guns.

Employ a ruthless tactical combination of stealth and all-out action in wide, open environments.

Controllable holographic projection of rogue trooper, able to lead enemies off your scent or into an ambush.

Micro-mine fields you can lay to watch your back or project forward and cover a potential path of attack.

Use quick thinking and next-gen intelligent weaponry to execute your objectives.