Minority Report (Xbox)

Unfortunately you are unlikely to find much to enjoy in Minority Report, even if you liked the film. The elements that made the movie worthwhile--a compelling narrative wrapped up with a high-tech, futuristic bow--are glossed over or absent from the game. What's more, the gameplay is as redundant and simplistic as the graphics are uneven. Worse yet, the game does not allow you to save mid-level (some levels are long), and the instruction manual contains no information about how to play the game, forcing you to play through the training course.

But despite that Minority Report does successfully represent parts of the movie, such as the concussion gun, the jet pack, and the spider bots. The first time you fire the concussion gun, for example, you'll be impressed with the way the space around Anderton ripples with the force of the weapon. Otherwise, the game levels are unimpressive and character animation is poor. Minority Report is not great at recreating the movie, and is even less successful when it breaks with it. --Bill Hummel, Amazon.com

Customer reviews:

Awful, 2004-02-21
Please, please, please dont buy this game it is pathetic. You will never play anything as naff and cheap as this in your life! Its just button mashing trash. Its not worth the energy in your thumbs to play this. DONT BUY THIS EVER!

Needs to be played to be enjoyed, 2004-02-06
I can completely understand the 1 star review. At first it's repetitive, turning the gas off is a theme for the first couple of levels, and its mindless button bashing fighting. I hated the game when I played it, put it in the cupboard, and it started to gather dust.

Then one day I decided to give it a second chance (i was bored), and as the game developed I started to realise its actually a pretty good game. It's a curse and a blessing that the games main element is tactical fighting. If you take on a group of guards all at once, just bashing the buttons frantically, your going to get beaten up and eventually die, not always, but quite often. The first couple of levels are cramped, mostly corridors, and offer some tough enemies. Anybody new to the game is going to button bash (the curse), and because the levels are cramped, it makes the game frustrating and annoying at first, and most people would do what I myself did and put it away, never to be played again. It's taught me to give games a chance from now on.

After the first couple of dull levels, the game starts to get going, and true to the film you become a fugitive on the run. This is where I realised that running is an important element of the game. Standing still trying to take on everyone in your way will only get you killed. You've got to split up the guards, and take them on a couple at a time. The game is designed so your character can beat up anyone in his way, but not so over the top that he's invincible. If you get 10 guards surrounding you, prepare for a beating. The fighting is excellent, and the guards are pretty tough (armed with guns and sick sticks). Hundreds of different moves and combinations, aswell as some really dirty moves, such as stamping on heads. Fighting and running are the two main elements of the game, and you've gotta know when to stand and fight, and when to run, quite often its both. Then there's the jet pack, excellent fun, a nice touch being able to fly through tunnels and around buildings at high speed, its not available to use enough in the game though. Hanging off ledges and shuffling along pipes gives the game more depth, and the range of enemies is okay, including those robotic spiders, different types of guards, robots and even street thugs. The game is mostly taking on the guards, but one level includes taking out a gang in a shopping mall. A nice array of weapons are available, although to keep the fighting the main focus, weapons are scarce.

The graphics are average, not bad, not fantastic, but they don't take away from the enjoyment of the game. The game is tough, even on easy, but its rewarding when you finish a level. The levels eventually get fairly large and diverse, with lots of scenery to be trashed. The rooftop level is good, I never tire of walking towards 3 oncoming guards, taking them down then throwing each one over the edge, causing them to scream in terror. It follows the film as much as possible, adding its own elements to make it more action packed. Overall, the game is above average. Average graphics, poor replay value (once you complete a level, there isn't much point replaying it), it does have a repetitive element in parts (a lot of levels involve beating up guards) but as a 3rd person fighting game, its as good as you can get. The tactical fighting, once you master it, is extremely enjoyable, and makes the game worthwhile. Don't expect to be blown away, but if you give it a chance and get through the first few poor levels, you will start to enjoy it. A high 3 stars.