Similar to Capcom's sudden tonal change with RE5, it's probable that Sega was showing Steven Seagal and James Bond movies in the employee lounge throughout Binary Domain's development. The game checks off clichés so effortlessly that the only logical explanation is that they are deliberate rather than a freak of circumstance. Robots taking over the world? Check. Inexplicable IMCs competing for glory? Check. Scripted boss fought from the back of a speeding van a la Jurassic Park? Down pat. Helicopter crash, subway fight, token female accomplice, abrupt betrayal from a long-time friend? All clear. What's more, Binary Domain even shoehorned in a primitive voice recognition system which, although designed to allow you to issue basic orders to your squad mates on the fly, interprets everything you say as expletives. To top things off, the game's final moments involve atrociously voiced protagonist Dan Marshall somersaulting over a flaming car, brandishing a minigun, and mowing down crowds of robots in order to save a damsel in distress. Little on the nose, right? Seen any stupidly manly gaming protagonists around? Hoping to see more women cast in their place.
A freelance games writer, you say? Typically battling his current RPG addiction and ceaseless perfectionism? A fan of horror but too big a sissy to play for more than a couple of hours? Spends far too much time on JRPGs and gets way too angry with card games?
Well that doesn't sound anything like me.
