DISINTEGRATION Review for Xbox One

I was really torn on exactly what to write for my review of V1 Interactive’s new first-person shooter game, Disintegration. On the surface, this game blends first-person shooter with a tactical shooter with a piloting game. While Disintegration integrated some unique and interesting components in its gameplay, it really felt like the game tried to do too much to become original and instead was just confusing and difficult to play. I do not by any means think that Disintegration was a bad game, I actually think it has a really good concept at its core, but it just falls short of achieving what it so clearly wants to.

Once I learned how to play the game via the tutorial given at the beginning of the campaign, (which was very well done and did an excellent job of ensuring that the player understood the mechanics of the game before diving into the campaign), I transitioned over to the multiplayer mode to see what this game had in store. I was excited at an opportunity to get a break from the usual run-and-gun FPS games that have become so stale in recent years, and Disintegration did not disappoint in terms of being original, but did somewhat disappoint in terms of being fun.

Firstly, whoever did the character and skin design for Disintegration deserves a medal because the various “crews” that could be chosen from were all incredibly well made with thematic costumes based on the crew name (neo-samurai outfits for the Lost Ronins or Drive inspired leather racing gear with blue and pink accents for the Neon Dreams) and gravcycles to match. The emblems and options for customization of player cards was also excellently done and made me feel like I was really capable of finding a sense of uniqueness in the game.

I am sad to say, however, that the visual aspects were where the excellence of the multiplayer mode ended as the gameplay was borderline unplayable. All of the game modes felt so slow-paced and one-note that I could only stomach the three games necessary in order to be able to fairly judge the three game modes available. Due to the tactical nature of the game involving the command of different units on different spots on the map in addition to using your own gravcycle’s weapons to destroy enemy units and enemy cycles, the game itself just becomes a frantic mess where everyone just kind of slowly rammed into each other and the main objective was accomplished in under five minutes.

While much of this issue could be resolved by an increased seriousness among the player base, it is also largely due to how poorly the weapons in Disintegration are balanced. It feels as if it takes infinite commands and shots to destroy any enemy unit so the objective game modes just felt like there was no competitive aspect whatsoever because the attacking team could always just tank the minimal damage they were given and barrel through to easily complete the objective. Additionally, I was expecting the movement in this game to be next-level, but was sorely disappointed by how these supposedly advanced gravcycles loped along at a lethargic pace that made for really unenjoyable gameplay.

The campaign of Disintegration was the saving grace of this game as the developers thrust the player into the role of the Romer Shoal, leader of a group of outlaws against the evil robots who have taken control of the planet. The linear storyline was somewhat lackluster and felt like it was hindered by budgetary restrictions, but the story was actually pretty solid. Despite the fact that the villain didn’t show up for quite some time, accompanying Romer as he worked to free the world of the robotic menace was pretty interesting even if it was not necessarily up to the Halo-esque standards that this game will assuredly be judged upon because of Marcus Lehto’s involvement in the project.

The incredible graphics and game design, unique fighting mechanics, and compelling storyline do as much as they can to save Disintegration, but at the end of the day this game really falls short of its potential. I genuinely think that if the developers had dedicated themselves to a single-player game OR a multiplayer game then Disintegration would have been a stupendous success. However, splitting resources and effort in order to try to do it all resulted in a lackluster campaign and an unplayable multiplayer mode. I really hope that V1 makes some changes to this game via future updates because with some tweaking I could see a thriving player base and a highly competitive pro scene in this game that would greatly increase the appreciation for what this game has to offer.

Rating 6/10

Check Out the Disintegration Trailer:

Disintegration is available digitally for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam for $49.99.

Hayden Vassey

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I've been playing video games since I got a Playstation 2 when I was about 5 or 6 years old. The original Star Wars: Battlefront series and the Spyro series initially ignited my interest in gaming, but it wasn't until I got older that I truly appreciated the subtle details that make video games such a unique form of entertainment. My favorite type of video game would have to be any lengthy and plot-driven open world game, with my favorite games of all time being Batman: Arkham City, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Assassin's Creed: Revelations, and Firewatch.

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