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THQ’s first assault on the Xbox360 line-up comes in the
form of the original title; The Outfit: Destruction On Demand.
Developed at Relic Entertainment as their first console production,
Relic’s experience revolves around Real-Time Strategy titles such
as Homeworld and Warhammer 40,000:  Dawn Of War and
little else. As a console production, The Outfit: Destruction On
Demand sets itself apart with a different set of boundaries to
that of your typical PC Real-Time Strategy and a more immediate
approach to gameplay. While this may be a production challenge in
itself for Relic, the challenge for THQ is to prove there’s room
for what is a droll-take on WWII Shooters alongside Call
Of Duty 2, Medal Of Honor: Airborne and their peers.
The Outfit: Destruction On Demand is a Third-Person
Action title with a reliance on heavy weaponry. The Campaign Mode
sees you playing through a story traversing across several Maps,
with the Objectives in each being to capture each Strategic
Objective along the way to your destination. Capturing Strategic
Objectives is performed by simply standing near and fending-off
enemy hordes until your Flag has been raised, and each will then act
as a Respawn Point. Motor Pool, Radio Tower and Armoury Strategic Objectives allow you to call-in more powerful
reconnaissance to play, through a Menu on the Y Button. The
Destruction  On Demand Menu is a wheel through which you can select
your type of unit – from Infantry Reinforcements to Tanks,
Artillery and Air Strikes – simply by positioning the Left
Analogue Stick on the correct category and selecting your choice
with the corresponding button to the required type of unit. Until
the designated Strategic Objectives have been captured, your unit
options will be incredibly limited and unable to cause any kind of
serious devastation.
The opening stages of the Campaign are enticing, but lack any
blissful longevity soon become little more than a stroll through
from point-to-point. The Achievement structure is very rewarding;
offering two mid-Level Medal Opportunities on each Level rather than
the usual award simply for completing the Map. Some of the Medal
Opportunity’s aren’t particularly clear while offers will be
handed to you as only a slight diversion from the main Objective.
There are three characters playable – both for Allied and
Axis forces – each with different weaponry and special attributes.
The abilities of your character are very much a factor in your
decision when choosing how to play the title as none of your AI will
act in any major way without your say-so; manning artillery and
charging the enemy are their bread-and-butter, but they’re never
going to advance upon the next Strategic Objective without you.
The title also features Multi-Player in the forms of
Split-Screen, System Link and XboxLIVE! – both Co-Op and
Deathmatch variations – and offers a few more enticing reasons to
play. As well as offering the similar set-up to the Campaign Mode
– capturing Strategic Objectives as a Points-Timer ticks away,
with reaching zero loses the match – there’s also a handful of
variations to cut your teeth on. The XboxLIVE! functionality
of the title is almost flawless. Head-To-Head, Two-On-Two and
Three-On-Three player-schemes are available and infrequent
occurrences of Lag and Server Disconnection put previous attempts
such as Dead Or Alive 4 and Perfect Dark Zero to great
shame. Teaming-up with players either online or offline adds a great
deal to the experience of The Outfit: Destruction on Demand,
clearly proving that the title has been built around the ideal of
immediate, outrageous Multi-Player fun. Simple and addictive, yet
under-the-surface a steaming pile of strategy and under-handed
gameplay.
The Outfit: Destruction On Demand seems to have shot
directly for the new mark of average presentation. As is the usual
upon the arrival of the next-generation machines, every developer
tries to out-do every other developer by stating that their game is
the best looking game on the new system. However, this isn’t The
Outfit: Destruction On Demand’s boast. Its presentation is
pleasant and minimally presenting bugs, the draw distance is
appropriate, if  occasionally slow and reminiscent of the
PlayStation2’s last-great-hope, Shadow Of The Colossus. The
Outfit: Destruction On Demand is simply pleasing, but never
excelling at any particular visual or aural credence.
A breath of fresh air on the Xbox360 is clearly The
Outfit: Destruction On Demand ethos and it survives the ridicule
well for it. Proving that, while it may still be a bit all-gung-ho,
there’s still room for more guns as long as they have an
individuality or spark to them. Those involved with the WWII gaming
fascination already will finding an intriguing break-away here,
while those hoping to relive the instant-nature of nineties gaming
need look no further. The Outfit: Destruction On Demand is a
classic title that deserved to be looked upon with fresh eyes, and
not pushed to the wayside by the heavy guns like original pieces Eternal
Darkness, Saint Seiya: The Lost
Sanctuary and GUN
have before it.
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