Yet again, we take a journey into survival horror.
Instead of a house, police station, or major metropolitan city, it's a boat that's having
problems this time out. As usual, a team of investigators has been sent in to check things
out, only to succumb to new-found horrors. While not quite up to Resident Evil
standards, Carrier offers enough here to keep most gamers occupied, just on an
average level. While the game takes place in fully 3-D environments, the camera remains fixed throughout most of the game. Slowdown is a bit too frequent, particularly when the camera is on the move. Each of the characters are rendered in outstanding detail, but the lip syncing is WAY off. It's a shame since the voice acting is excellent, a change from most of the other games in this genre. The soundtrack is ripped right out of a 50's monster epic, setting the eerie mood the game is determined to make.
The games control is the major issue. Auto targeting is the only
choice you have and it's woefully inaccurate. Aiming at a practically harmless enemy as a
massive beast rampages towards your character is frustrating to say the least. Adding to
the challenge is the insane lack of power-ups. Med packs are available, but trying to find
them is a chore. Hiding the solution to a puzzle is one thing, but packing away medical
necessities is unforgivable.
Carrier does have it's high points, but on a console with Resident Evil: Code Veronica, it really never stood a chance. A rental would be a worthwhile endeavor, but it's not worth a purchase. The unforgivable control system and weak health power-ups bring it down just enough to put it into the category of "mediocre."
