Anybody who played the last attempt at an X-Files licensed title on the Playstation a few years ago will probably be a little apprehensive about The X-Files: Resist or Serve. I certainly was. As far as I’m concerned, its only natural to feel that way when you spend forty pounds on a title that is little more than a collection of grainy movies with very little plot and for that matter, very little gameplay. However, this is a new title rather than a sequel and of course, there is always hope.
After you’ve noted the high production costs and watched the introductory sequence from the actual X-Files TV show, the first thing you’ll notice is that “real-life” X-Files actors David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are actually voicing the in-game characters. A minor shock for sure, but upon moving into the first of the three all-new, X-Files writer authored episodes, something pretty major crops up to take you by surprise – the gameplay.
Licensed titles always get a beating from reviewers. The same old introductions reminding us of all those poor, cobbled-together titles which have been polished off with a nice big movie or TV license are all but par for the course these days. In this case, I can’t really do the same, since The X-Files: Resist or Serve is actually fundamentally a very good game. If you had never heard of the television series or the characters that are involved in it, you could put this game in a fight to the death against the excellent Resident Evil II and be entertained as a fair, well-matched battle played out before your very eyes.
But, there is something else. You see, Resist or Serve does a lot more than good old Resi ever did. Within half an hour of the opening sequences, I had performed a gruesome autopsy on a zombie, created an antidote to its deadly toxins and successfully saved Agent Mulder’s life. On top of this, I had discovered a secretary who’s arms had been – rather unreasonably – amputated whilst she was still alive and learned that the in-game flashlight is my friend. I’m not saying that the entire game is a jam-packed, thrill-a-minute ride to completion, rather that there is a whole lot more going on other than watching cutscenes and searching for club-shaped keys. With all honesty though, the basic Resident Evil game mechanic is still a fair few years old, even if it does hold up rather well given this new lick of paint. Some will love the way this game plays, some will despise it – its as simple as that.
What may save Resist or Serve in people of the latter opinions eyes though, is the incredibly strong plot. Unrealistic, yes, but absolutely compelling at all times – enough to make you go back and play through the game again from the other Agent’s viewpoint, just to fill in a little more of the story that you might have missed. In addition, the game’s aesthetic qualities are never in doubt, with a very strong musical score that will send shivers up your spine in the true X-Files fashion. At times, the characters faces are a little disjointed in the cutscenes, Scully just generally doesn’t look as good as she could and at times, the camera is a touch slow in keeping up with the action, but these minor problems are a small price to pay for a game that entertains as much as this one does.
I’m not about to call this the greatest game ever, nor revolutionary in any real way, shape or form, but The X-Files: Resist or Serve is a strong title that belies its £20 price tag. A great effort at a great price. The truth is right there.
