salaminizer

User Score
7.6

Presentation - 7.5
Gameplay - 7.5
Value - 8.5

Geist is an exclusive FPS made by N-Space, published by Nintendo for the GameCube. The main aspect of the game is the fact that you control a soul, able to possess objects and creatures. The story of the game is a mix of supernatural phenomena and scientific experiments. Players guide scientist Sam Raimi's soul in a quest to seal a demon and also save a friend from Volks Corporation.

The game follows a linear story divided by chapters. The cutscenes are mostly in-game, like Half-Life, and the characters are fully voiceovered. Possessable objects glow red, while characters and creatures must be scared before they are possessed. Scaring creatures sometimes require that a puzzle is solved, and they are often very clever.

Controls are OK, but the location of the C-stick in the GC controller makes things a little more difficult. This is compensated by the strong auto-aim, but quick rotation can be hard, especially on multiplayer. Each creature (including different human characters) has a special ability, and the weapons depend on the characters too.

The single-player experience is not very long, however, in order to fully enjoy the multiplayer component the player must find a certain number of collectibles, which are divided by host and ghost, unlocking new levels and characters. The game also track the number of text logs found by the player, which are the ones that show up when the player interact with the environment, much like the scanning portions of Metroid Prime (without the need to "scan" objects).

Multiplayer features 3 modes and a good number of maps, although some of them are very small. The game can be played by a maximum of 4 players and can include 7 bots. In two of the modes, players control ghosts, possessing bodies and objects in order to eliminate the other team. Bodies are placed on the map, with different weapons available, such as grenade launchers, shotguns, assault rifles and sniper rifles. Ghosts can also possess explosives, waiting for the right moment to activate. There's also some power ups, such as increased damage and speed. Hunt mode however, is a battle of hosts versus ghosts. Hosts must hunt ghosts, while ghosts must possess the hosts and drive them to death.

Everything works well, however, the framerate is only consistent in its stuttering. While it hurts the whole experience, it's clear that multiplayer mode is mostly affected by the problems. At the same time, some levels have a great level of detail, while others appear to be rushed, especially near the end (Office levels, for example).

Geist constitutes what could be a remarkable experience, but it's just forgettable, unless you don't have any other FPS to play on the GameCube. The multiplayer is solid and the singleplayer is good, but when you play it you know it COULD be much better.