First impressions of Body Count (X360) - Count My Disappointments

To be honest I had heard very little about Body Count. It popped up in the Xbox Live demos and seemed worth a crack. Unfortunately it was not the shooter I was looking for.

Although it has some redeeming features such as destructible environments and an arcade feel to it as you collect glowing icons from the battlefield, the negatives are far more memorable.

The first thing I noticed was that the cross hairs did not line up with the barrel if the rifle. This made combat uncomfortable and foreign as I'd place the sight of my weapon on my target but end up shooting to the left of the enemy instead of through his face.

Secondly, the absence of a crouch action was sorely missed. Whilst a player can take cover and lean left or right using the triggers, it's not the same. I felt like I was out in the open and doing a dance or Matrix style dodge during combat. The middle of an African coup is not the time to get down and boogy.

Thirdly, it's very sluggish. Your character moves but not quickly and doesn't react well. For a highly trained operative you'd think he'd be willing to move with some pace and agility.

Finally, I couldn't really connect with the story. Maybe it was the demo (and therefore lack of documentation etc to set the scene) but Body Count didn't capture my attention like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Rainbow Six, or Halo did.

The graphics are acceptable but nothing mind blowing however the biggest plus is definitely the destructible environments. With the first mission being to eliminate an African militia in a shanty village, there are various objects such as barrels and traps for you to use. Additionally, the shanties are no sturdy structure so you can shred right through them and carry on killing.

That said, if you're looking for action and an ever changing battlefield you are better off grabbing a copy of Bulletstorm or better yet, Gears of War (which, coincidently, GoW 3 is released next week - get excited!)

Have you played any good shooters lately? Will you be starting one this weekend?