Binary Domain - Expected that, I did not

Strange.

I had loaded into Binary Domain previously and was almost instantly put off by the familiarity I had with the Gears of War series. Not to say that I have a hatred for Gears, but after three bouts at the Locusts and pals I am enjoying a needed rest from that series, for awhile (if they do continue it on in someway - I'm sure some believe this to be obvious). So there I was rolling, tumbling and taking cover as I had done many a time before when the enemy presented itself.

Oh no! Robots! Yes, robots. Robots coming at you from all directions and in various forms. Wave after wave, with all their mechanical bits being littered on that rain-drenched battlefield. Oh, and there was also some early 'voice acting' thrown in between your partner and yourself. He says "A'ight" a lot and, well, generally acts a lot like 'Cole Train' did in Gears.

So, yeah, on the surface I wasn't too impressed and pretty much dropped my controller soon afterwards (I was asleep). But something magical happened the next time I, reluctantly, decided to pop the game disc back into the Xbox. Japan happened. I paid a little more attention to what was happening on screen the second time round and noticed that I was in Japan. I don't know what it is exactly about Japan, but for some strange reason anytime there is a movie on TV from that country I can't help but sit through the bulk of the film before I wonder what it is I am watching. It's not so much what is going on screen that fascinates me, but the background and landscapes. Whatever it was, I was hooked.

I forgot the initial concerns I had with the game and just rode through to a point where those previous annoyances were stupid in retrospect. I adjusted the sensitivity slightly and the control scheme was solid. The acting, while a little rough to begin with, seemed to get better as it went along. The main character, Dan, I would describe as part Mal Reynolds or Han Solo mixed together with a generic heroic character, but regardless of how accurate that is, mostly enjoyable. The action itself, consists of blowing up robots (with your guns no less), but the way in which this is accomplished resembles an almost Dead Space style of dismemberment - naturally not as gory, but quite fun nonetheless. Sure, there were elements we've all seen before, but it is a credit to, creator, Toshihiro Nagoshi and his developers to combine all of these parts together and provide an entertaining nine hours (single player component) of pure fun.

This isn't a review as such, I just wanted to jot down my experience after finishing this title. The game certainly has some faults, but I was just amazed at how much it turned my initial perspective, on the game, on its head and pulled me through a bloody fun gaming experience.

Have you ever had a similar experience? With Binary Domain or any other game you've almost instantly dismissed only to be surprised at a later date?

Dan N.