Armed and Dangerous Review

Overview

Released in December 2003 by Lucas-Arts and developed by Planet Moon Studios, Armed and Dangerous stands as one of the most distinctive third person shooters in the Original Xbox library. The game follows the Lionhearts, a ragtag group of rebels featuring a gruff leader, a tea drinking robot, and a mole miner, as they battle against the evil King's forces. Drawing inspiration from British comedy and mixing it with innovative weapon design, the game carved out its own niche in the action genre. Coming from the creators of Giants: Citizen Kabuto, Armed and Dangerous continues their tradition of blending humour with engaging gameplay mechanics, though now with a distinctly British flavour.

Graphics and Presentation

Armed and Dangerous opts for a stylized visual approach that prioritizes scale and destruction over technical sophistication. The environments, while somewhat basic in texture detail, span impressive distances and feature extensive destructibility that adds satisfying weight to the combat. Character models emphasize personality over polygon count, with exaggerated designs that complement the game's humorous tone.

The game's art direction embraces its fantasy setting, creating distinct regions that range from snow covered mountains to medieval villages. Each area feels unique, though the environmental assets do show some repetition throughout the campaign. The draw distance is particularly impressive for the Xbox hardware, allowing players to spot and engage enemies from considerable ranges.

Special effects shine brightest during weapon usage, with spectacular explosions and physics based destruction that still impress today. The game maintains a steady frame rate even during the most chaotic battles, though some screen tearing can occur when the action gets particularly intense. Cutscenes use in engine graphics and showcase the game's strong character animations, especially during comedic moments.

Sound and Music

The voice acting stands as one of Armed and Dangerous' greatest strengths, with performances that nail the game's distinct British humour. The main cast delivers their lines with perfect comic timing, making even simple conversations entertaining. Sound effects for the various weapons are appropriately over the top, from the satisfying crunch of the Land Shark Gun to the thunderous boom of the Topsy Turvy Bomb.

The musical score effectively supports both the action and humour, switching between rousing battle themes and more whimsical tracks during story sequences. Environmental audio helps bring the world to life, though some sound effects can become repetitive during extended play sessions. The audio mixing generally maintains good balance between dialogue, music, and effects, ensuring important character banter remains clear even during intense firefights.

Gameplay Mechanics

At its core, Armed and Dangerous is a third person shooter that sets itself apart through its extraordinary arsenal of weapons. The basic shooting mechanics are solid, with responsive controls and satisfying feedback. However, it's the special weapons that steal the show, from the World's Smallest Black Hole to the Topsy Turvy Bomb that literally turns the world upside down. Each weapon feels unique and offers creative solutions to combat scenarios.

Movement and cover mechanics follow genre standards but include some unique touches, like the ability to man static gun emplacements or command squad mates. The targeting system works well for both precision shooting and area of effect weapons, though some weapons can be tricky to aim effectively at first.

Level design provides a good mix of open battlefields and more focused combat arenas, giving players plenty of opportunities to experiment with different weapons and tactics. The difficulty progression can be uneven, with some surprising difficulty spikes that might require multiple attempts to overcome. However, the satisfaction of mastering the game's more exotic weapons makes these challenges worthwhile.

Story and Setting

The narrative follows Roman and his Lionhearts team as they pursue various heists and missions while building toward a confrontation with the corrupt King. The story serves mainly as a vehicle for humour, delivering a steady stream of jokes and absurd situations that maintain entertainment value throughout. Character interactions shine particularly bright, with witty dialogue and running gags that build on each other as the game progresses.

The world building strikes a nice balance between fantasy tropes and modern satire, creating a unique setting that supports both the gameplay and humour. While the plot isn't particularly deep, it provides enough context to keep players engaged and offers plenty of memorable moments. The pacing keeps things moving at a brisk rate, rarely letting too much time pass between major story beats or action sequences.

Content and Value

The main campaign can be completed in around 8 to 10 hours, which feels somewhat short by today's standards but represents a concentrated burst of entertainment with minimal filler. Replay value comes from experimenting with different weapon combinations and hunting for hidden secrets scattered throughout the levels. The varying difficulty levels also provide good reason to revisit the campaign.

At current pre owned prices (£12-15), Armed and Dangerous offers solid value for fans of action games and British humour. While the game lacks multiplayer options, the strength of its single player campaign and unique weapon mechanics justify the modest price point. Players will find additional playtime in discovering all the game's secrets and mastering its more challenging difficulty settings.

Technical Performance

Loading times are reasonable for the Original Xbox, typically lasting 20-30 seconds between missions. The save system allows both automatic checkpoints and manual saves, providing good flexibility for players. Checkpoints are generally well placed, though some later missions might require replaying significant sections upon failure.

The game runs stably with few bugs or glitches, though occasional physics oddities can occur with some of the more exotic weapons. Frame rate remains mostly consistent, with only rare drops during particularly chaotic sequences with multiple explosions and physics objects in play. The camera system works well most of the time but can become problematic in tight spaces or when backed against walls.

The Verdict

Armed and Dangerous succeeds in delivering a uniquely entertaining action experience that combines solid shooting mechanics with outrageous weapons and genuinely funny humour. While its graphics may not have aged particularly well and its campaign length leaves something to be desired, the core gameplay and creative weapon design remain impressive. The game's distinctly British charm and memorable moments help overcome its technical limitations and occasional frustrations.

Pros

• Innovative and entertaining weapon designs
• Excellent humour and voice acting
• Satisfying destructible environments
• Solid core shooting mechanics

Cons

• Short campaign length
• Dated graphics
• Uneven difficulty balance
• Problematic camera in tight spaces

Final Score: 8/10

Armed and Dangerous is a delightfully unique shooter that prioritizes fun and creativity over convention. Despite some rough edges, it remains a thoroughly entertaining experience that Xbox fans shouldn't miss.

By OGXbox Archive