Binary Domain’s premise is about replacing mankind with hollow children. Hollow children are the perfect race; they never get tired and live forever. They resemble human beings and blend in with society perfectly. Problem is, they haven’t the faintest clue what they really are.
The Hollow children were developed by Amada Corporation in a race to beat the yankees (i.e. the Americans). Amada Corporation embedded sleeper cells (as I like to call them) into society to do their bidding. People believe these things are human and are oblivious to what is planned.
Binary Domain reminds me of Ridley Scott’s movie Blade Runner where machines mingle with human society, but lack the understanding of their origins.
Binary Domain is a fast-paced third-person shooter; it’s an epic adventure filled with deception, intrigue and friendship. The story pushes you forward with few breaks in between. Dialog is very strong throughout combat and cut scenes offer character development.
The conversations you have with your crew mates and the actions you take affect everything. How you treat your crew will define their actions during combat. Treat them poorly and their combat performance will be sloppy and they will not respond to orders very well.
Aside from bad mouthing your crew, you can also lower your standing by attacking them in combat by mistake. If you’re in need of assistance and have a crew member that is unsatisfied with you, you’re basically on your own.
Having enough ammo and first aid is paramount to survival. Granted, you can carry a secondary weapon that has infinite ammo. Don’t worry if you get caught in the field with no ammo or first aid; they can be found during combat. They can also be purchased at the many different mobile shops found across the world.
Nanos allow you to customize your skills by simply buying and equipping them. They can also be purchased for your crew. Nanos not only give melee bonuses, but they can increase how many first aid kits you can carry.
Each member of your unit can use a handful of nanos; they fit together like a twisted puzzle. Some nanos are larger than others; you have to choose which ones to use. Depending on how the nanos are mixed, you can gain at least three to four different bonuses at one time. Enemies will also drop Bosonic cells along with different types of weapons. These cells are used for your shock burst ability and can take out multiple enemies at once.
There is a wide range of weapons available in Binary Domain. These weapons include: assault rifles, SMGs, sniper rifles, heavy and light machine guns, and also pistols. There is one unique feature of Binary Domain that really stands out — its voice recognition system. If you happen to own a mic, you can talk to your crew and give them orders. The microphone works best when it comes to certain dialog.
But for gamers who do not own one, a handful of preset commands can be chosen from a menu. The presets don’t fit the conversations all too well, but they serve their purpose. The selections are more tailored to Dan, the main character’s mood, rather than the situation. Either way, it’s better than not communicating at all. Some games force mic connectivity on the player, but Binary Domain doesn’t. While the preset choices are limited, they do not ruin the overall experience.
Binary Domain has online player versus player and invasion game modes. Invasion is Binary Domain’s version of online co-op where a handful of players defend a certain section of the world against cyborgs. The cyborgs increase in strength every time a new wave attacks; there are fifty waves in all. Versus mode has seven different game types to choose from: Free-for-All, Team Deathmatch, Team Survival, Operation, Demolition, Data Capture and Domain Control. If you can’t decide what to play, there is always the Quick Match feature.
The narration is a mixture of English and Japanese voices that really set the mood for the game. It seems fitting to have Japanese voice overs; the game is set in Tokyo after all. It just wouldn’t seem right if everyone spoke English. Very nice indeed. I thought this was very clever and I really liked how this added that special something to the atmosphere.
Even the music was done in a tasteful fashion. It feels cinematic and it helps add to the drama. The music plays off the atmosphere and it blends in with the environment for a cohesive experience.
Do you love third-person shooters? How about epic adventures? If so, then Binary Domain needs to be on your must-have list. Binary Domain has plenty of action, boss fights and features like voice recognition. When you add in online multiplayer, your friends and family won’t see you for at least a few months.
James ‘Daripp3r’ Pittaro
Platform: Playstation 3
Developer: Sega of America
Publisher: Sega of America
ESRB: M (Mature)
Price: $59.99
| Review Score | |
|---|---|
| Graphics |  |
| TBeautiful environments with bosses that take up the entire screen. You haven't seen anything until you see war on such a grand scale. | |
| Sound |  |
| Great narration in both English and Japanese; wonderful music that ties everything together. | |
| Gameplay | |
| A great game from beginning to end; the story is good and there is plenty of action. | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Binary Domain is a well-rounded third-person shooter. | |
