Shogo: Mobile Armor Division Critic Reviews

I'm not saying things can't get better, but for now this is as good as it gets. So where does Shogo rank amongst all the games I've played, through all the years, the genres, the classics, the memories? Let's just say it's on the short list, the very short list.

The gameplay is plain wicked - with no environments ever repeating (except for some cities), it's always fun to see what's around the corner.

If there is any justice in the world Shogo will be looked back on as one of the best 3D games of its time. Personally speaking, apart from "Half-Life", Shogo is the best game I've played this year.

One cool feature in this game which really sets it apart from the pack is the Critical Hit system. If you hit someone in the head or just particularly hard, they flash purple and you gain health, giving you not only an incentive to kill your enemies, but kill them with style.

And for some bizarre reason, scoring a "critical hit" on enemies instantly increases your capacity to take damage. Dramatic as hell, but ludicrous. Shogo should bring a smile to any anime fan's face, but even the Japanimationally challenged will find a solid, slick shooter with tons of replayability.

A great game with a fantastic storyline, complex missions, and lots of mindless destruction, carnage and explosions. If you're looking for a mind-blowing single player experience, Shogo will not disappoint.

One of the best games I've played this year. Its compelling story, in-game cinematics, nearly continuous action, and unique armaments add new life to the FPS genre.

If you like you action games fast and furious, Shogo is your one-way ticket to nirvana.

Shogo not only provides the action, it does it with a plot and an artistic flair not often seen in today's games.

For some reason, they just don't make games like this anymore, nor do these truly fantastic games get sequels. Maybe now that Monolith is back in the hands of some of the original owners, a "Shogo 2" that builds upon this game's brilliance and gives an FPS to this generation of gamers that actually has some wit and humor to it.

Where Shogo departs from its gaming relatives is in the mix of huge MCVs that can leap gracefully up the outsides of tall buildings and daintily tread on dinky people and the on hoof levels where your frail body is fully exposed to the bullets, laser bolts and high explosives.

While Shogo's makers aren't Japanese, it's clear that the people who made it have a fine grasp of the subtleties of Japanese animation, as the game combines the conventions of furious action and vivid characterization within a conventionally first-rate first-person shooter.

Beyond multiplayer flaws, there are a few other things that keep Shogo from being the be-all and end-all of 3D shooters. Chief among these is the absolutely pathetic enemy AI. Enemies in Shogo don't move much, and very rarely pursue you.