Bad Day L.A.
September 7,2006 - When we first saw Bad Day we weren’t sure what to expect. What with the urban setting and third-person view, it had the trappings of a blithe GTA. On the other hand, it could have been an MDK-style mish-mash of genres with several playable characters and a premium placed on action. Or it could have been a satirically driven shooter with enough faults to be condemned to mediocrity. The score nestling in the left hand corner gives it away – yes; Enlight’s labor has resulted in the third scenario. Far more than a disappointment, American McGee’s latest effort is a desperate stabbing pain in our sides; a tremendous waste of the inventive, quirky ideas invested in this sub-par action “roamer”.

McGee claims Bad Day was born after he spotted an absurd billboard as he drove on his merry way. His aim to ridicule the paranoia of modern day America is an interesting one but it seems to be the only driving force behind the game. At the very least you’d expect a few options to change the bells and whistles of it all, but Bad Day is simply devoid of any “standard” options. The controls are irreversible, the visuals remain as they are (they could do with a polishing at the best of times) and, in general, the entire production smacks of a rush job.

It’s as if old American was so desperate to re-enforce the game’s central theme (the satirical and candid view of the USA) that he didn’t want any distracting elements. Resultantly you have a bear-bones action game that relies on staid, antiquated gameplay mechanics. And while the lead character (Anthony, a bum) is of mild interest, he fails to mask the exercise in repetition that is Bad Day LA.

The majority of the game takes place outside, yet Enlight fails to capitalize on this. Many third-person shooters overdo the corridor theme. Bad Day LA overdoes just about every facet of its creation. In most instances, progression will only be granted if you’ve cleared out a set number of nefarious wrongdoers. It never ends. Time and time again you’re forced to roam the streets looking for that elusive final target before the words on the top of the screen change and you’re instructed of your next task. This may involve trekking somewhere else whereupon a cutscene is initiated and the level ends.

It is astounding how backwards Bad Day is at times. While this aversion to modern convention may be a joke on the parts of McGee and his entourage, it certainly didn’t have us laughing. Quite the contrary, Bad Day’s monotonous, early 90s (in terms of how the game’s structure resembles those of yesteryear’s games) unfolding is enough to rise stress levels to wanton heights. The developers blunder elsewhere, with NPCs repeating their lines at ear-shattering levels over and over again. How many times do we need to hear the same cries for help? It’s the sort of game you feel like shaking for sheer stupidity. How was Enlight unable to recognize that it simply wasn’t fun in Anthony’s world?

Fortunately the simplicity of the game has an occasional plus. When Anthony gathers a following, the act of controlling the followers is handled with a degree of prudence. Only one member of the group trails at any one time. Despite the fact that they never seem to do anything, Enlight has, at least, ensured you need not shepherd them about. In fact, no matter where you roam, they’ll find you. Somehow.

In all honesty, Bad Day defies typical review convention with a dirty wink. How do you grade its visuals, its gameplay and any other facet when it is so resolutely off-ball? For pure entertainment value alone though, Bad Day suffers. The aforementioned frustrations simply mount too high, the gameplay routines are simply too archaic and the whole package is just too one-dimensional to warrant any semblance of praise. It’s frustrating that, from a pure gaming standpoint, Bad Day never wishes to be anything more than a simple complete-this-complete-that-then-move-on game. For this, it suffers. Regardless of cel-shaded visuals – XIII was there first anyway – a comedic setting and an original lead character, Bad Day is a jumbled mess of a game. It is saved by its disregard for current convention, but falls back on past convention. Games have moved on – and with reason.

The opening level for one is awful. It’s crammed, annoying, and dastardly unenjoyable. And while the game does improve somewhat, Bad Day ultimately winds a repetitive and wearing path that never fails to test your patience. While not lengthy, the strenuous nature of Bad Day LA means you’ll feel like you’ve run a marathon by the dénouement. It’s like listening to an annoying punk band with squeaky vocals for hour on end. You’re bound to feel shaken.

It’s a far cry from a liberating game too. You may persevere to sample the subliminal messages but you’ll realize that, after all the effort, it really wasn’t worth it. Most ironic of all is that, despite the adult themes – the satirical pokes, swearing and liberal violence (which is cartoon-like, but violence nonetheless) – children will grow quickly bored.

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