There aren’t too many ideas that have emerged as an independent game from an unofficial mod. Even less are the games that actually offer something new. Well, The Ship is both and it is one hell of a game. Once a Half-Life mod, now an amazing original independent game, The Ship is probably the first multiplayer game with elimination and hunt your foe gameplay that will appeal to adventure gamers.

Originally an online only game, The Ship can now also be purchased retail. The entire game takes place sometime during the 1920’s. Your ship is lost in the ocean and Mister X, the man in charge of the cruise tells you that in order to leave alive you have to play his game. Every passenger has a quarry to hunt and kill. But this means that everyone is both hunter and hunted. You must use extreme caution and stealth to find and silently kill your victim without anyone noticing. But you must also always guard your back because you never know who is after your own skin.

The game has three main modes. First, is a great tutorial that truly teaches you the game’s main aspects. Second is the story mode which is very short and not hard to finish, but it is suggested you play in order to learn a few things about the nature of the game. Third is the main aspect of the game - Multiplayer!!! (There is also arcade, where you can play against bots, but their A. I. is so bad, you won’t bother with it after a couple of games) But when you enter online play… that’s when the real fun begins. The maps allow from 8 to 32 players inside a ship and 4 different modes are more than enough to satisfy your thirst for blood. Hunt is a mode in which every player is assigned one quarry. The winner is the one with the most money at the end. Elimination is a last man standing game and possibly the most fun. Duel is one-on-one mode and Deathmatch is, well deathmatch. No need to play this one because it doesn’t have the true feel of the game. Online play is the main draw of the game. Players from all around are thinking mischievously and always find new, crazier and sadistic ways to kill their opponent! There are enough servers and I never encountered any lag, which as far as I can say, is a huge advantage for an online game. Only problem is that sometimes, an idiot enters the game and kills everyone, not caring for the fines and for loosing the game. Thankfully, this rarely happens.

Graphics themselves are quite nice and truly convey the feeling of an old cruise ship. The ships are very detailed and definitely ‘feel’ like as though you are in the 1920’s. The character models have a cartoony look for the sake of a comedy note, which works perfectly. Items and weapons are very detailed and the use of physics is superb. The only thing that was missing was blood. I mean you can practically butcher your victim. Show us a bit of blood and splatter. It really takes some points off the originality. What I truly enjoyed is the fact that the game can play really well even on a computer below the minimum requirements. Of course, a lower end pc will not present the best graphic quality, but let’s face it, gameplay is what really counts.

It is a mixture of Hitman meets The Sims. Your character can use dozens of different weapons, hidden in the craziest places inside the ship. From axes to paper knifes, revolvers to tommy guns and umbrellas to frying pans, there is always a unique way of killing your opponent. The money you earn from each kill is proportional to how special your weapon was, and also, from the preferences of Mister X, who after each kill, requires you change your weapon to make more fun his sport. You can bribe guards to turn a blind eye to your crime, but if a camera or another passenger notices, you are going straight to jail, losing a looooot of money. So take care to be alone when you take out your weapon. Also, in order to confuse your hunter, you should periodically change your outfit (hat, glasses, clothes, in many, many different styles!).

But I also mentioned The Sims. Your character has the same needs as a Sims character. You have to eat, drink, sleep, pee n poo, wash, socialize and play, with very unpleasant consequences if your needs are neglected. Here is my first problem with the game. The timer for each need is too fast, so you must baby-sit your character every 10-15 minutes. Nobody gets hungry so fast! Also, when you are hunting for a kill, I really don’t think you’d stop for a game of billiards, or dance, or read a book, just for some entertainment. And when you are eating or satisfying any other of your needs, you are completely vulnerable to attack. A cancel button would be a welcome option, because when you are in the toilet and you see a guys dancing around you with a knife, anyone would prefer to soil themselves a bit rather than getting killed!

As for the sound department, here the game is sorely lacking. The voiceovers in story mode are good and the few songs you hear from radios are quite nice, but the overall impact of the sound effects is minimal. Gunshots are silenced to a point that no one hears them from over a 10-meter radius. Worst of all is that footsteps make no sounds. Someone can run up to you and you will never hear them! This is a huge mistake because stealth games are based on sound quality.

Overall, this is one great game. After a few hours I was so addicted that I couldn’t stop playing. The gameplay is simple once it becomes familiar, the idea is unique and the hunt is for once more enjoyable than the actual kill. Even if it has some bugs and a major problem with sound effects, it is a highly entertaining game, which combined with its really low price ($19.95), offers a lot of excitement!

Graphics: B
Sound: C
Gameplay: B
Multiplayer: A-

Final Grade: B+ (find out more about our grading system)

If you liked this game, then Play: Sims Watch: The Clue - The Movie

System Requirements:

• 1.8 GHz
• 512 MB RAM
• DirectX 8 capable Graphics Card, 1024 x 768
• Windows 2000/XP/ME/98
• Mouse
• Keyboard
• Internet Connection
• 1.4 Gb Free Space