Product Description

Intense terror meets unrestrained, explosive action as seven psychic soldiers unleash occult warfare against the darkest evil in a game world. Created by legendary horror icon Clive Barker.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4301 in Video Games
• Brand: Codemasters Games
• Model: 117350
• Released on: 2007-10-23
• ESRB Rating: Mature
• Platforms: Windows Vista, Windows XP
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 1.25" h x 5.25" w x 7.50" l, .36 pounds

Features

• All-action FPS combined with darkest horror, modern weapons & paranormal powers
• Squad gameplay that adds tension and action and switch between & play all seven squad members
• Control over a dozen supernatural weapons and abilities at a time through squad mechanics
• Each character has unique paranormal abilities
• Horror and action like nothing you've seen before

Amazon.com
Clive Barker’s Jericho is a terrifying squad-based horror first person shooter (FPS)game based on an original concept and story by legendary horror writer and filmmaker Clive Barker, the creator of Hellraiser.

An ancient evil has broken through into our world and is threatening to spread itstaint across the whole of the earth unless it’s stopped. At ground zero lies the Middle Eastern city of Al-Khali, a modern city built atop the ancient ruins of a dozen previous conquerors. Clive Barker’s Jericho delivers an overload of sensory horror. players journey through hellish locations and slices of time combating gruesome and twisted enemies. A squad-based horror First person shooter, the Jericho of the title refers to the Jericho Team, a seven-man strike force that protects government interests from paranormal threats. Trained in both conventional warfare and the arcane arts, each Jericho Team member is an expert in different para-psychological disciplines, including telekinesis, pyromancy, blood magic and exorcism.

Features:

• All-action first person shooter combined with horror from the twisted mind of Clive Barker
• Modern weapons and paranormal powers
• Switch between and play all six squad members
• Direct your squad as they watch your back and follow your orders
• Squad first person shooter mechanics deliver tactical action
• Each character has unique paranormal abilities
• Abilities can be combined to create new powers
• Takes place in Al-Khali, a city formed over 6 different eras and ruled by evil

Customer Reviews

Blood and Chaos
I've been a fan of both Clive Barker and horror games for a long time, and I played Barker's Undying and enjoyed it, so I was curious what he had in store this time.

I haven't finished the game, but I've made good progress so far, and frankly I think its quite a lot of fun. Blending elements from several action/shooter/horror game styles, Jericho offers a lot of interesting and flexible play. It also excels, compared to most games of this kind, in concept and story line. I like the characters, I found the idea to be interesting, the execution to be good, and the play itself to be enjoyable.

It IS an on-the-rails shooter, and there is neither time nor incentive for exploration. Combat is intense, close quarters, and comes in short waves throughout, but the variety of ways to achieve survival and victory is interesting due to the use of each character's unique attributes and weapons.

This game is not graphics intensive. The graphics are good, but not overly complex. The lighting is well done, and the use of depth of field and motion blur add nice touches to otherwise insane displays of pyrotechnics in cramped and ruined urban settings. I actually like the look of the game, and though it doesn't compare to some in this department, it is quite a lot more interesting than, say, the much hailed F.E.A.R. in which office cubicles and tunnels are the only things to see.

More than anything, I have enjoyed the personality of this game- the characters and the dialog are simple but entertaining, and the pace and plot are too. True, the main objective is to run from one place to another, shooting everything in sight and trying not to get killed, but there is enough going on and enough variety, primarily in the various forms of disgusting and disturbing monsters and scenarios to keep my interest.

The music is good, too, quite cinematic and well produced. All in all, I think the game is well done, and it is certainly embued with enough vintage Barker style horror to satisfy fans of that particular element.

Jericho...Disappointing
A horror themed FPS!

After viewing the trailer, I decided to purchase this game; it (the trailer) had an interesting, spooky 'Doom 3' look to it. Being a longtime FPS fan I was cautiously optimistic; however, the game did not live up to my expectations...let me comment on some of the good and the bad.

The Pros:

1.)Smooth flowing graphics if you have the hardware and video card to run this game as it was meant to been played. Also, the ambient sound effects were well done, adding to the creepy atmosphere.

2.)Short levels with fairly frequent checkpoint saves.

3.)Your team is composed of 7 different members, each with their own unique 'special' abilities (but these abilities are locked in and are not the RPG type, where you can pick and choose between upgrades).

4.)The game has the interesting concept of allowing you to switch between characters to become any one of the other team members; thus giving you the use of their special talents (to help get through different situations). Initially, this looked intriguing, but...[see Cons: 6.) below]

The Cons: (from minor to more important)

1.)You can't save the game except at game generated 'checkpoints'.

2.)Very linear game play. You must follow a tight, specific path; there is no other place to go because walls, rubble, ditches etc. hem you in.

3.)There are times (in what appeared to be a short separate mini-game) when you must press the 'arrow' keys on your keyboard in a specific sequence to escape a situation (and you keep repeating this 'exercise' until you get it correct or you can't progress any further). This seemed senseless to me and had no real bearing on the game.

4.Because the colors textures were so uniformly muted and dark, it was sometimes hard to tell in the heat of battle, if you were shooting the enemy or your own teammate.

5.)Although the game play (from the trailer) looked promising, it was disappointing to say the least; Fighting techniques, that initially seemed cool, quickly became extremely repetitious; kill the enemy, move on, kill the enemy etc...minimal thinking required.

6.)This game features a 'team', so you'd naturally think a 'team' concept for play would be used, but yet in battle (although you can 'switch' to become one of your teammates to use his particular skills), you have no real control over the rest your team players; which leads into...7.)

7.)My biggest concern with this game was the AI of your teammates...there was none! In battles, (which tended to be intense and chaotic, almost arcade-like in quality), your fighters just stand there, out in the open, and fire away (with the end result...they get killed)! Standing behind cover for protection would never occur to this group of heroes; dumb, unrealistic AI.

Conclusion:
A game that really looked promising, but missed the mark. It had great graphics and good audio but just didn't deliver where it really counted...in game play. I gave up on this game after about a dozen levels; boring, very repetitive and a frustrating teammate AI.

OH HELL YEAH!!
I love a game that when I play it, I can feel the quality blow over me like a cool wind on a summer day, or, in the case of "Clive Barker's Jericho", hot blood mixed with guts and all manner of nasty stuff. This game oozes quality out of every pore, except the ending pore, but we'll get to that later. From the graphics, to the sound, story, gameplay, characters, and the fact the game isn't a shoddy port, you can tell the developers put in a lot of work, and love into this game.

What is "Clive Barker's Jericho"? It is a squad based, intense, action first person shooter, but instead of fighting terrorists, or a rival nation's army, you are fighting wonderfully creative and twisted monsters. I didn't think this game was scary, and I don't think the developers intention was to make it so. It is creepy, eerie, and intense, and I loved every second of it. From the Codemasters blood splattered logo when the game starts up, to the cgi intro, the icky menu screen, the intense battles, to the decent, though somewhat let down of an ending, I smiled all the way through and had a blast. Let's see why I loved this game so much.

Story: "According to certain gnostic and apocryphanl texts, before Adam and Eve, there was the Firstborn - God's first abortive attempt at creating a being in his own image." After God created the Firstborn, a being neither male nor female, he banished it into the abyss, disturbed by his creation, and started fresh creating humans, giving them a soul, and love. However the Firstborn was far from gone, and throughout history it has appeared six times, and each time seven warriors have contained it. But with every banishment, it took a piece of that time period's reality with it creating a place out of time. It created what the characters call, "The Box."

Now it is back for the seventh, and according to prophecy, final time. Will it escape, or be destroyed. An ancient lost city, Al Kahli, appears in a remote desert in the middle east, surrounded by an intense sandstorm. The Department of Occult Warfare,a top secret government program, sends in a Jericho team led by Devin Ross (you), a seven person team trained in both weapons, and the arcane arts.

The story, while not complex or epic, is really cool and very well told through cutscenes that never leave your perspective. There are even moments of drama sprinkled throughout that really make you feel for the characters. The characters get scared and at times freak out, but they march on and continue fighting. The ending was decent, but it cut off too quickly in my opinion. Despite the characters having supernatural powers, they seem very human and realistic thanks to their banter with each other, and the fact that they do get scared at times.

Graphics, sound: I haven't been this impressed by graphics since Crysis and Mirror's Edge. While the graphics are usually the dull, brown colors that seem to be the new hotness these days in games, they are still really well done. The level designs, while linear, look both beautiful and disgusting at the same time. Wait until you see the Roman level. Wonderful archetecture mixed with filth. Especially the baths, which are not filled with water. Be glad smell-o-vision hasn't been invented yet. The creature designs have a lot of detail on them and I guarantee these are some of the most unique beasts you've ever fought. There is not a huge variety of enemy designs, but there is enough.

I was really impressed with the Jericho team. Their weapons, and especially their cool black outfits have a lot of detail in them. The sound departement is also top notch. From the gunfire, the voices of the team, the sounds of monsters, and the awesome music are all expertly done. I'll have to see if a soundtrack has been released because I would buy it, the music is that good. Especially the tune that plays whenever you see the child throughout the game.

Controls: The controls are silky smooth, and I didn't have to make any adjustments to anything. They are somewhat unique compared to other first person shooters. First off no jump button. At first I thought this would be bothersome, but it wasn't. If you are up against something waist high, you can push a button and hop over it. There was never a situation that I wished I could jump. There is also no sprint key,so you have to deal with the teams default movement speed. Again, I had no problem with this and thought that while they moved a little slower than I would've liked, it didn't feel like they were walking all the time either. You can crouch by hitting C of couse, push the E and Q keys to activate you character's powers, and use the 1 and 3 keys to order team members to a certain position. Scrolling up on the wheel orders the entire team to follow, while scrolling down orders them to stay. Another unique thing is the mouse buttons. The right button is used for the primary fire, while the left button is used for secondary. The space key is your action key, and is also used to possess teammates. If you don't like the controls you can always remap them, or use an XBOX 360 controller.

Characters: There are six playable Jericho squad members. I know earlier I said there was seven members, but bare with me. Each has one weapon with two fire modes, and with the exception of one character, has two powers. You cannot pick up additional weapons, and you never pick up ammo. Don't worry about the ammo part, I'll tell you why you don't pick up any in a bit. Here are the characters:

Devin Ross:the player character and psychic healer. Early in the game he gains the ability to possess his team. He uses a machine gun with shotgun attachment. He can also heal any downed teammates.

Frank Delgado: Frank is a Pyromancer who carries around a chain gun, and as a secondary, a semi-automatic pistol. His powers deal with a flame spirit he has attached to his right arm. He can send it out, burning foes, or create a flame barrier that offers extra protection, as well as complete protectin from fire.

Simone Cole: one of my favorite characters. Simone has a mild form of autism and is extremely intelligent. Her powers, while not supernatural, are intellect based. She has a custom built, wrist mounted computer built into her suit that she uses to hack into reality. See, Simone is a reality hacker,and can alter reality with her computer. She can slow down time, or alter reality to intensify the team's firepower. She's also why you don't pick up any ammo boxes. Whenever the team is low on ammo,she downloads more ammo into their ammo belts. That is awesome. She also uses a machine gun, and can throw grenades.

Xavier Jones: Jones is a Seer. He uses the same weapon as Ross, and has one power instead of two. However, that power is very very useful. He can posses other creatures, and while you're not going to be able to control them, you can make things happen to them like set them on fire, use telekineses to pull levers, or use a blood ward, freezing the enemies for a short period of time.

Abigail Black: Black is a telekinetic sniper. She uses a sniper rifle with a mounted grenade launcher. She has telekineses powers. She can use her power to stun enemies, or use it to guide a ghost bullet. A ghost bullet is a mind driven bullet that you can steer through the enviornment, nailing multiple headshots if you use it right. It never got old driving one bullet through three monsters.

Wilhelmina Church: Billie is a Blood mage. She uses her own blood to create a blood ward, which freezes enemies for a short period, and to create a fire ward, which creates a circle of flames, engulfing foes in fire. Her weapons are a sub-machine pistal, and a katana sword.

Father Paul Rawlings: Coolest.Priest.Ever. Paul is also an exorcist who uses two pistols, "Faith and Destiny". He can heal downed teammates like Ross, use a special power that can heal teamates from a distance, and uses a power that drains the health of enemies and gives it to the team.



Gameplay: The game at first plays like your average first person shooter, but early in the game you get the possession mechanic.This isn't a spoiler, but early on, Ross, the player character and leader of the squad, gets killed. However, even though his body is dead, his soul stays behind and can, to the chagrin of his teammates, posses them. Throughout the game you can possess any of the team members and use their weapons and special powers. This brings a new take on your typical squad based shooters. Picking the right character in the right situation is crucial. Don't worry though, it's not hard and after a while, possessing various team members in an intense firefight becomes easy.

There are two teams in the squad, Alpha, and Omega. You can tell each team where to go, but most of the time I didn't have to simply because the A.I. of the team was so good they most of the time found good cover. The A.I. isn't perfect, they do at times do some stupid things, but it is some of best I've seen. They rarely ever got in front of me, and, this is a first that I've encountered in a squad based game, they get out of my way. If you are standing behind cover, they will never knock you out of the way. If a character is taking cover behind a wall, you can run up to them and they'll get out of the way, and find cover elsewhere.

The game is all about shooting, there are some very minor puzzles. There is no real exploration, just surviving onslaughts of enemies. There are times where you will take control of one character and go off on your own, and these are cool sections that break up the pace. Some of the battles I got in made my jaw drop. Monsters rushing at the team, the air filled with so much gunfire it was hard to see, Delgado's fire spirit flying through the air setting beasts on fire, deafening gunfire, squadmates yelling at Simone to resupply the team, explosions, it's crazy. The game has a healthy challenge to it and never feels unfair or overwhelming. Also, and I don't say this very often, the boss fights are fun. They keep you on your toes as you try to figure out their weakness. And no two bossfights are the same. The game has some quick time events, and this is either a love it or hate it affair. I've always liked quick time events and I think they add some interactivity to a cutscene. If you die during one of these events, you will start right back at the beginning of the event, so they are pretty much frustration free. A save checkpoint system is used, and the checkpoints, with the exception of one section, are nicely spaced. So if you die, you don't have to worry about treading back through a lot of ground.

Closing: Whew, my fingers are getting tired from writing so much, but I wanted to go into as much detail as I could about the game. This game in my opinion is very underrated, and I think one of the reasons is because a lot of people, myself included, thought this would be like the previous Clive Barker game, "Undying", which it isn't. Undying was a first person horror action adventure game, whereas "Jericho" is a squad based action first person shooter with a horror theme instead of a military theme. I had a ball with this game, even in some of it's rough spots. I loved the characters, dug the story, and just thought the whole thing was just plain cool. Thanks for reading my long review, and I hope it helps in making your decision to play this game.