Turning Point: Fall of Liberty

Turning Point: Fall of Liberty - (Xbox 360 PS3, PC)
Developer: Spark Unlimited
Format: Xbox 360 PS3, PC
Genre: Shooter

It could have been great. It's not.

There are probably many places you wouldn't want to find yourself when an invading force looms large overhead. On the bare iron skeleton of a high altitude building site in mid-town Manhattan would have to rank right up there as 'places not to be when war breaks out'. But life is far from a bed of roses for Dan Carson - a reluctant New York City construction worker turned freedom fighter. Who, by all accounts, is having a very bad day.

The game opens as the Third Reich launches a decimating attack on New York. Nazi battleships quickly take the harbour, monstrous Zeppelins fill the skies, jet aircraft execute bombing runs and, as armed paratroopers descend on to the streets, the city is taken block by block. Think typical epic opening sequence as found in the likes of Call of Duty or Medal of Honor and you're on the right track. So far, so good.

But then things take a turn for the worse. It's first noticeable on the opening barricade level. After stocking up on weaponry you quickly run with your comrades to defend a barricade from being overrun by the Nazi war effort. The first time you play it you'll notice how quickly bodies disappear and ow there's little blood and guts for such a serious attempt at a war shooter.

The second, third and fourth time you'll play through the level (and you will because of random grenades and poorly thought out check points) you'll notice just how poor the targeting is. You have to use iron gun sights and the actual accuracy seems less reliable due to the oversized shape of the gun on the screen when zoomed.

So, dodgy accuracy and dull gameplay. Uh-oh things aren't looking great. And to be honest that's how the game continues. There are times when Turning Point drags itself above the mire of mediocrity by reminding us of the innovative storyline. The occasional top notch orchestral swansong to a burning landmark in the middle distance whilst gunning down waves of Nazi no-goods always gets the heart pumping.