ANGEL DEVOID: FACE OF THE ENEMY is a full-motion video (FMV) game designed for the PC at the height of the interactive movie craze in the 1990s.
The plot sees the player assume the role of a man who wakes up following reconstructive surgery but finds he now has the face of Angel Devoid - a dangerous criminal he was hunting down prior to experiencing a near-death accident. From here, the player enters Neo-City, a futuristic cyberpunk city where the main character aims to decipher the events leading up to his accident.
Now the premise of the game is a good one and the early scenes are moderately interesting to watch.
However, things go downhill very quickly.
Following the introductory scenes, the rest of the game takes place from a first-person perspective. Gameplay consists of little more than visiting a set of locations within the seedy city and conversing with characters who look upon the main character with either indifference or hostility.
Taken together, the game comprises a set of loosely connected scenes leading to an ending that is confusing at best.
ANGEL DEVOID: FACE OF THE ENEMY is a sci-fi action game. So one could naturally assume that the main character is trawling through a web of intrigue with the risk of danger. Well this assessment is wrong in this case as the story is surprisingly boring with absolutely no atmosphere, suspense, thrills, tension or excitement. Even the few action scenes in the game are boring and easy for the player to survive.
Not a single supporting character is remotely interesting and the behaviour of some such as the crazy priest in the church are enough to make any player scratch his or her head in disbelief.
Overall, ANGEL DEVOID: FACE OF THE ENEMY is a serious contender for worst FMV game ever produced. I advise those interested in interactive movies to avoid it like the plague. If you want some decent interactive movies, try GABRIEL KNIGHT: THE BEAST WITHIN, RIPPER, BLACK DAHLIA, Dracula UNLEASHED, PHANTASMAGORIA (and its sequel) or the Tex Murphy series (UNDER A KILLING MOON, THE PANDORA DIRECTIVE, TEX MURPHY: OVERSEER). All of these games are infinitely superior and demonstrate just how poor ANGEL DEVOID: FACE OF THE ENEMY really is!
The plot sees the player assume the role of a man who wakes up following reconstructive surgery but finds he now has the face of Angel Devoid - a dangerous criminal he was hunting down prior to experiencing a near-death accident. From here, the player enters Neo-City, a futuristic cyberpunk city where the main character aims to decipher the events leading up to his accident.
Now the premise of the game is a good one and the early scenes are moderately interesting to watch.
However, things go downhill very quickly.
Following the introductory scenes, the rest of the game takes place from a first-person perspective. Gameplay consists of little more than visiting a set of locations within the seedy city and conversing with characters who look upon the main character with either indifference or hostility.
Taken together, the game comprises a set of loosely connected scenes leading to an ending that is confusing at best.
ANGEL DEVOID: FACE OF THE ENEMY is a sci-fi action game. So one could naturally assume that the main character is trawling through a web of intrigue with the risk of danger. Well this assessment is wrong in this case as the story is surprisingly boring with absolutely no atmosphere, suspense, thrills, tension or excitement. Even the few action scenes in the game are boring and easy for the player to survive.
Not a single supporting character is remotely interesting and the behaviour of some such as the crazy priest in the church are enough to make any player scratch his or her head in disbelief.
Overall, ANGEL DEVOID: FACE OF THE ENEMY is a serious contender for worst FMV game ever produced. I advise those interested in interactive movies to avoid it like the plague. If you want some decent interactive movies, try GABRIEL KNIGHT: THE BEAST WITHIN, RIPPER, BLACK DAHLIA, Dracula UNLEASHED, PHANTASMAGORIA (and its sequel) or the Tex Murphy series (UNDER A KILLING MOON, THE PANDORA DIRECTIVE, TEX MURPHY: OVERSEER). All of these games are infinitely superior and demonstrate just how poor ANGEL DEVOID: FACE OF THE ENEMY really is!
