Jericho PS3 Demo review

I could get all tedious with the back-story, but as it's never brought up in the demo I'll take my cue from that.

So let's start with key mappings, your weapons are on the second tier R2 and L2 buttons while 'powers' are on the first tier R1/L1. Now seeing as the first tier buttons are the ones you instinctively go for suggests that you should be using powers more then weapons; this would be great if said powers didn't conk out and need time to recharge each time they're used. As it is I ended up seeing an enemy and using a completely pointless power rather then shoot them in the head.

The O button is melee and annoyingly I got a on-screen prompt to use it every time an enemy came into that range until I did or they step away (which they do). Sadly melee effects are great when they connect - most of the time they didn't seem to.

More troubling is the multi-mapped X button. In your first body (It'll make sense in a minute) pressing X heals anyone next to you that needs healing, except if they don't need healing. Then its function is to switch you to that person's body. So trying to use a skill could just mean switching players - not good in the heat of battle.

Anyway once you've tried to get used to the annoying key mappings you can try and enjoy the game. Graphically it's pretty (in a Clive Barker goreish sort of way), but the demo was very linear funnelling you through a cave/tunnel complex while throwing enemies at you. At one point facing a door you're prompted to switch to and use another character's climbing skill splitting the party. For the duration of the climb this also takes away in-game control away from you, something a game should never do

Later on with this same character you fall down a shaft with something unpleasant coming down after you, great a press the keys as they appear game. Okay like Sly Cooper at least the keys appear in their correct relative positions on the screen so you won't mistake a red square for a slightly-not-red circle, but the speed is scary and in the demo unannounced. In this instance you finish only to wonder what just happened, yep just like every other on-screen follow the buttons extravaganza you're too busy watching for the keys to be able to pay attention to what the result of them is.

[Additional - I forgot to mention the in-game chatting between the characters got annoying too and this was just with the short demo]

With the manual, with extra non-linear levels, with a better key map and without the follow-my-lead this game might be worth getting; on the basis of the demo though - no way

Verdict - Pretty, linear, annoying.