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Review: [PC] Bandits: Phoenix Rising

by Jo Shields on 3 November 2002, 00:00

Tags: Shoot 'em up

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qan7

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Meet interesting people and kill them

You begin the game with a limited choice of cars (i.e. one) and weapons (again, just one), and as the game progresses you unlock a larger array. There are three playable vehicles in the release version; the lightweight Badger buggy, the middling Cyclone armoured car, and the lumbering Ogre tank. Weapons vary quite considerably between machine guns sniper rifles and high explosives, but suffice to say Grin like things that go boom.


Once into the action, things are actually quite intuitive for anyone who’s played Halo – point the mouse the direction you want to go and press forwards, and you’ll swing round to face that direction. Whilst as default you will shoot where you are facing, your primary weapon is mounted on a turret which can be controlled separately – allowing you to run away and shoot those behind you, for example.


Ammunition for your primary weapon is infinite, but for any other weapons you need to pick up crates of bullets and/or charges (as well as armour pickups to remain alive). The best place to find said pickups is the charred remains of your adversaries, who can sometimes also yield high-impact special ammo for your primary weapon. With skill, you can keep your ammo reserves at maximum by never using more on any one enemy than you can reclaim by killing them.