Isn’t it great to see that LucasArts is pushing forward the technology we use in videogames. After all, it was only last month that we witnessed the flawed but technically impressive Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and this month sees the release of the lesserknown Fracture. Set 150 years in the future you enter a world where global warming has divided the United States into two factions. On the east we have the normal and more recognisable Atlantic Alliance, and on the west the Pacificans who have been dabbling with genetic enhancements to become superhuman (and a little bit something else).

So far so sci-fi, in fact a cursory glance at Fracture reveals a pretty bog-standard action shooter with very decent sci-fi visuals that have come out of the Epic school of design, all big shoulders and blinking armour. That’s not to say the story isn’t fun, it does enough to set up the reasons behind why you have a big gun that can raise and lower the terrain because after all, that’s what we’re all interested in. Fracture’s key selling point and the reason we should all be thankful to LucasArts and its technical wizardry is the ability to use the ground itself as a weapon. You’re able to create huge hills or holes for cover and it is definitely something that would never have been possible on past consoles, in that sense Fracture is the very definition of a next-gen title.

Using the main character, Jet’s ability to change the terrain is kept very simple. The right bumper raises it and the left lowers. But when you are presented with the usual shooter setup (a gun turret and a handful of guys trying to pick you off), you realise that there are a whole host of tactics to be taken advantage of. Raise the ground to create cover, boost yourself up to get a height advantage or even just mess around with the enemies by flinging them into the air. Once you familiarise yourself with the idea of terrain deformation (TD) it becomes essential to the way you tackle situations. Literally every encounter can be overcome with the use of TD, you could just try and shoot your way through, but why make more work for yourself? (Plus the later levels really do up the difficulty level.)

Like any good shooter you’ll find a whole host of weapons to blow the crap out of those gene-tampering Pacificans. Some can be used tactically and will take advantage of TD, but most will just cause huge devastation. As well as being able to raise and lower the terrain with your gun, you’ll also have grenades that do the same when they explode. One grenade forces a huge molten pillar upwards (aka the early trailer) which can be used to reach heights and solve puzzles. Fracture has an impressive arsenal but you’ll never feel completely overpowered as battles can quickly descend into carnage if you’re not careful of your surroundings. If a grenade sends out a shockwave you have to look out for the repercussions, particularly in the tight indoor sections where all manner of hell can be let loose with one stray explosion.

Eventually the running and gunning action is broken up by the standard vehicle section. While not the worst in the world, the buggy at least allows you to continue to use TD to aid your journey. You can create your own ramps and lower the landscape for easier navigation. It’s not an unwelcome diversion and is at least too short to be really intrusive. Throughout the game you’ll be asked to figure out some simple puzzles but it’s worth bearing in mind that the game won’t help you out in the later levels, which can lead to some moments of hair pulling and frustration. The answers become obvious when you realise that you should be using TD to solve the problems – well, they wouldn’t be called puzzles if they were easy.

Over the years we’ve been presented with games that rely on a gimmick to hide boring or lacklustre gameplay. Being the sharp-minded people that we are, their technical limitations become quickly apparent as the game doesn’t allow you to do something or forces you down a certain path. While it’s true that Fracture is linear, each encounter is incredibly frantic. The ground ripples like water, crates and men go flying and the battlefield is left in a bit of mess by the end, and the prospect of using TD in multiplayer matches is really exciting.

If The Force Unleashed was more of a tech demo with poorly realised combat then Fracture is the fleshed out and fully realised game LucasArts was aiming for. If you removed the TD you would still find a very solid third-person action shooter underneath the tech, but with it we have a hugely enjoyable chaotic shooter experience.

David Lynch