| Yager | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Yager Development |
| Publisher(s) | |
| Platform(s) | Xbox, Windows |
| Release date(s) | Xbox
|
| Genre(s) | Shooter |
| Media/distribution | DVD-DL |
Yager is a shooter video game for the Xbox console, later ported to Windows. In the game, the on the role of Magnus Tide, a freelance pilot adventurer. Yager, a single-player shooting game, is set over 20 levels in which the player takes possession of various weapons and ships in an effort to accomplish each mission. Yager was published by Kemco (in NA) or by THQ (Europe) and developed by Yager Development.
Although the game was fairly well-received by critics, it ultimately never reached the living rooms of most American gamers. The main reason behind this was that the game was "old" by the time it reached North American store shelves, as it had been released in Europe two years prior and it suffered from a lack of advertising.
Contents |
Yager is set in a futuristic world where countries borders no longer exist and the earth is controlled by a number of mega corporations, most notably DST, as well as Proteus and Lobos Robotics. Although the old countries officially do not exist there are tell tale signs identifying each environment.
The Proteus Islands are a tropical paradise and the headquarters of the Proteus Corporation. The Free Trade Zone, a landscape dotted with turbines and palm trees, is the only zone not controlled by any corporation. The DST zone and surrounding fjords are connected to the Free Trade Zone by a system of caves, rivers, and deltas that run deep into DST territory. Bitterfeld is a desolate area littered with disused industrial buildings, crashed ships, abandoned machinery and other debris left behind by the old Progress Company.
The Saggitarius is a powerful and deadly ship. Its standard armament is dual recharging laser cannons but it can also be armed with missiles, machine guns, a railgun, and napalm blasters, although these require the collection of the appropriate ammunition. The enemies are pirates and the DST, the pirates have a rocket bomber, fighters, a flying AA ship, and in one level, an armored freighter. The DST have a heavily armed fighter, a bomber, and Gunter von Berg's personal frigate, the Greifenhorst and the other hull ship Ubermacht. In Bitterfeld, there are 2 types of flamethrower drones, a huge battle machine, a drone with seeker missiles, and a drone with a machine gun. Proteus has carriers and fighters.
The DST is the main enemy in the game, although it does not appear from the beginning of the game. The DST have a strong German accents and have German names. They are the most militarised corporation in the game, having the largest and most powerful weaponry and ships. The DST in the game are led by Gunter von Berg, who controls it with an iron fist. The standard DST fighter are the toughest and most advanced in the game equipped with heavy armor, duel laser guns and homing missiles. Gunter von Berg's flagship, the Greifenhorst is the first DST ship seen in the game. It has several Laser turrets and carries four DST fighters, from the infamous Black Widow Squadron, where all of its members passed the DST Flight Training with Honours. The most powerful ship in the DST's arsenal is the Ubermacht. This Ship has Turret lasers as well as Laser cannon. The Ubermacht and Greifenhorst can be combined to create an even more powerful, but hard to manouvere ship. In the game the DST are presented as fairly stereotypical "baddies", being cruel and ruthless, in levels where you enter the DST zones you can observe that summary executions are regular practice, and even something of a spectator sport. Von Berg also often threatens people with deportation to labour camps.
Proteus corporation is the mega-corporation which employs Magnus as a freelancer (mercenary). Proteus appears to be modelled as an enlightened and democratic institution with "western" values. The Proteus islands themselves have several Greek ruins and statues as well as Proteus ships having a Greek theme to them, further adding to their civilised aesthetic. Proteus is always reluctant to use force unless absolutely necessary, seemingly giving the DST the upper hand for much of the game, and greatly frustrating Magnus who is distinctly gung-ho.
| Reception | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Publication | Score |
| 1UP.com | B+[1] |
| Eurogamer | 7/10[2] |
| Game Informer | 7/10[3] |
| Game Revolution | C+[4] |
| GameSpot | 6.7/10[5] |
Yager has received positive reviews from critics. EuroGamer gave it a 7 out of 10, praising the controls for being "simple", the visuals of the game and voice acting, but criticizing the learning curve for being "ridiculously undulating", and not having a split-screen mode. Game Informer also gave the game a 7, praising the ship's design, but cited that the controls "were frustrating". Game Revolution awarded Yager with a C+, citing the gameplay and sound effects, but criticizing it for being linear, and not having a multiplayer mode. GameSpot awarded the game a 6.7, citing the price, but criticizing it for not being "as free-form as it seems".