Alias

The Good
The wide variety of locales that you get to visit throughout the game range from a casino to a museum, and the places are designed quite nicely. Everything looks sharp, and the variety of designs is definitely something I appreciated. The character designs are wonderful, as everyone looks like they would in the television show (right down to actual portraits of the actors that you get during dialogue scenes), and the enemies are original and don't look exactly the same for the entire game. One thing I would have liked to see more of is unique locations, as you mostly do your dirty work in expansive, yet intrusive, structures.

Besides the main theme to the television show, which you will hear a few times throughout the game, the music is totally unmemorable and really won't leave a lasting impression one way or another. It's just there. That's the best way to sum it up, as it's not annoying enough to get on your nerves, but you won't want to rush out and download the songs or whatever. The voice acting is high quality though, as they got the actual actors to voice the characters, lending a great deal of credibility to the product, and also making the voices a joy to hear.

Alias's strong point is definitely its high quality gameplay, as I've never enjoyed a spy tactics game more than this one. You always have a mission to complete, and while the game is very linear for the most part, you will get to explore many different locales, completing objectives like Sidney would in the television show. You get to do everything from breaking into a safe by using a special decoder, to spiking someone's drink, to sharp shooting enemies from quite a distance. There is something for everyone, and if you don't like the current objective, chances are you might like the next one.

The Bad
The combat is quite clunky and prevents the game from reaching its status as "classic". The reason for the terrible combat is the controls, which are loose and don't react as well as you would normally like. Most of the kills are done by simply sneaking behind someone and pushing a button, but engaging in actual combat is an unnerving experience, especially when you try to kick them and completely miss them, while they get in free shots on you. It happens a lot, and that's just one example.

This makes Alias quite a challenging game at times, but the game is littered with save points and people telling you what to do next, so it's not like you will ever get lost or be stuck in a certain area. There's not really too many bosses, either, and only a few will prevent you with any significant challenge. The game is really linear, so knowing what to do next will never be an issue, especially with people telling you what to do in almost every room. Those who like challenge and exploration will be disappointed in this title.

The Bottom Line
Replaying Alias almost becomes a chore, because after you complete the game, you pretty much have accomplished everything. There's no big secrets to uncover, and the storyline never changes. You'll already have experienced the thrill of changing disguises and completing all the objectives, and the terrible combat is not going to bring you back into the fray. This is a game that you will probably beat once and never want to play again. I have to say that while Alias is an incredibly fun game to play through, even for non fans of the genre like myself, it loses a lot of its luster after completing it, and therefore it's only worth a rental at best, or maybe purchased if you can find it for a good enough price. It's an awesome game, with tons of unique innovations to the genre, especially when it comes to disguises, but the hand holding and unresponsive combat prevents this from becoming a classic. I recommend this for almost anyone, especially fans of the TV show. If you love the TV show as much as I do, this is a must buy.