PixlBit

One thing we don’t need on this planet is another multiplayer shooter franchise.  That is, unless someone actually comes up with a new enough take on the concept to warrant our attention.  Hybrid certainly has a couple of fresh ideas that had potential to shake things up, without turning the whole shooter concept upside down.  The problem is, the new cover-to-cover mechanic also forces limits on the game in other ways that prevent it from being anything amazing.

If you’re not familiar with the core gameplay concept in Hybrid, it’s pretty easy to grasp – possibly even simpler than typical shooter mechanics.  With an over-the-shoulder, third-person viewpoint, the aiming and cover mechanics are a snap if you’ve played a game like Gears of War in the past.  The difference in Hybrid is that instead of running from one wall to another to hide behind, you just click a button and zip over via jetpack.  It’s not like you aren’t stuck helpless in midair as you zoom between locations either – you can maneuver and shoot at your opponents during your short trip.  Now, I’ve never heard anyone complain about the running around part of shooters before, so this does seem like a strange bit of the game to toy around with, but sometimes the best innovations come from unexpected places.

As it turns out, this method of jetpacking around a level works just fine.  I never felt like I wasn’t playing the game or anything, and getting to fire off shots without having to futz with my directional controls allowed me to aim a bit better.  The big problem with this new mechanic is that maps are now forced to consist of multiple short walls stuck to different surfaces that you fly between and it leaves little room for interesting environments.  The levels are also smaller than you are used to due to the limitations of the cover-to-cover aspect and the six player maximum in every round.  All of the matches are team based with groups of three sparring off; since there’s never a need to accommodate bigger teams or solo players, there is no semblance of variety in any of the maps.

Things are designed pretty well considering all of these constraints, and they should be since we all know what makes a good map for team death match, king of the hill, and other tried and true game types that have been around forever.  But, doing a great job laying out all the elements of the required cover locations in these maps doesn’t make them much fun.  You have three types of cover:  the straight wall, the off-center cross wall, and the pound sign wall.  Those same shapes are stuck on ceilings, vertical walls, and floors in fairly boring sci-fi backdrops that get pretty darn hard to distinguish between.

Eventually, you’ll find that each map has its tactics -- routes you can use to sneak through, and fairly safe locations to duck behind and recuperate. The simple mechanics also have their finicky moments though, like getting stuck behind an assist droid or in finding yourself mired in some sort of seizure-inducing render limbo when trying to take aim behind ceiling-based cover.  You’re certain to lose a few kills or get yourself shot because of these flaws and those are the most frustrating moments in a game like this. 

Those droids you can get stuck behind are a pretty clever addition, though.  Once you initiate a kill streak, you’ll be able to deploy different drones to help out your cause and gain you some experience points too.  Drones that follow you around or head off to stab a foe to death are a cool idea that is generally pretty successful.  It can sure cause your heart to thump when you hear the tell-tale scream of an approaching Preyon droid that you only have seconds to locate and destroy before it finishes you off. The small maps can get clogged up with everyone’s drones floating around which makes for hectic fun, but can occasionally lead to frustrating traffic jams. 

If you’ve been beefing about leveling up in shooters ever since Call of Duty 4, then you’ll find plenty to grouse about here too.  In addition to typical leveling up by number of kills and kill streaks, each round gives you the chance to select a “mission.” Each of these missions has a goal -- such as getting four kills while in mid-air – that will garner you additional XP should you complete it.  It’s like achievements that actually matter.  When you do level up, new unlocks become available in the armory that allow you to pick a new gun or ability from a list of what’s available.  It’s nice to be able to pick and choose your upgrades instead of just climbing the same progression ladder as everyone else.    

In addition to these nifty little missions, there is an overarching metagame between factions.  When you first log in for a session, you have to select which continent you are going to battle over and work with your faction to acquire all of its dark matter.  The world resets at the end of a “season” periodically and the tallies start over.  Although it’s a bit easier to understand this overarching world map than other games I adore for their obliqueness, there isn’t a whole lot gained by the entire setup.  It’s hard to see your wins making a dent in your faction’s progress, and the final reward for you and thousands of other people you don’t know on your team is kind of silly (a flashy helmet with a short-term XP boost). 

There’s a lot of tit-for-tat in Hybrid.  Nice innovations are a good reason to consider it, but those same changes caused other issues to crop up that make the sum package nothing spectacular.  If you’re tired of every other shooter available, Hybrid will keep you busy for a while, but if you’re an occasional fan of the genre, there’s no compelling reason to try it out.  You’ve played enough similar games before and you might as well save your money for the next one.