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> Results: American McGee Presents Scrapland
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Potential. If I had to pick one word to describe American McGee's latest game, Scrapland, it would be potential. The game is extremely innovative and unique, but at the same time it is repetitive and somewhat boring. It had the potential to be a huge hit. Instead, it will probably be remembered only in passing, or at best as a cult-classic.
The game begins with the lead character, D-Tritus, crashing on the planet of Chimera. Chimera used to be Earth before the humans destroyed it. Most of the inhabitants of Chimera are robots and every robot must have a job. D-Tritus is assigned one of the lowliest jobs, journalist. That's pretty funny (and so true) if you think about it. Humor is plentiful in Scrapland. Some of it works and some doesn't, but the game tries hard to be funny. A murder mystery ensues and D-Tritus is right in the middle of it. Because their programs are saved by "The Great Database" robots can't be "murdered." However, someone broke into The Great Database and stole the murder victims' programs, thus murdering them. D-Tritus must complete many missions to get to the bottom of the mystery. Missions range from simple fetch quests to combat missions. Your character can run around and engage in combat on the ground or in the air. Ground combat is simple and doesn't take too much effort. However, flight combat is another story. It is a blast and can be very difficult because your enemies aren't stupid. They will heal themselves with power-ups spread around the city. This makes completing many of the flight missions difficult, but not impossible. Thank goodness you can save anytime you want.  The game is full of memorable characters. Banker robots are hilarious and try to steal your money. Robot cops have a Napoleon complex. They are short in stature and meaner than junkyard dogs. The cops will come up and demand money for "protection." The voice acting is very well done and the music is a good mix of techno and atmospheric. The biggest reason to play the game is to see the gorgeous graphics. The world is alive with activity. Huge skyscrapers, highways in the sky, and the overall beautiful scenery are the game's trademark selling points. Think I, Robot or The Fifth Element to get an idea of the world. There is a lot to explore, but alas, not the interactivity I was hoping for. The robots are very well done. Graphically speaking, the game is awesome. I can see this being called Grand Theft Auto with robots, but it really is an unfair comparison. Scrapland doesn't try to be that game. Sure you can steal ships, drive around a city, and talk to other robots, but that's where the similarities end. This is an action-adventure game where the main character tries to solve a murder mystery. Wait a minute. It does sound like Grand Theft Auto! Anyway, the game starts out great. In the beginning the missions are fun and you get to do lots of exploring. However, the missions begin to become repetitiveﾅvery, very repetitive. Some missions are so similar you think, "Hey, didn't I just do this?" It feels like missions were added to make the game a little longer. Boo! I'd prefer a shorter but unique experience any day of the week rather than this longer, drawn out one.  A good multiplayer game is included with Deathmatch and Capture-the-Flag modes present. However, no one is out there playing it. I never could find an opponent to play against. That is the story of Scrapland. Good game, but no one is playing. The main problem is the repetitive missions. If there were a few less missions it would have created a unique feeling. Instead, it is a drawn out and less essential experience. The game has a ton of potential, but ultimately fails to be a keeper. 
There is some mild language in the form of humor from the robots. Animated explosions and ground combat are violent, but nothing a teenager will be scarred for life from. If you have a teen that loved movies like I, Robot, The Fifth Element, or even Blade Runner, the game is worth a shot although it's probably going to be in the bargain bin pretty quickly.
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