November 30, 2004 - Released early this month, American McGee Presents Scrapland is MercurySteam Entertainment's fusion of action and adventure elements in which you play as D-Tritus, a robot newly arrived on the titular asteroid, which is inhabited by a variety of machines. Over the course of the tale, he must explore the world to discover what is behind a bizarre series of murders.

Commendations
The overall art direction and production values are exceptional. From the towering skyscrapers that comprise the city of Chimera to the caverns making up universe's largest dumping site, the environments are varied, imaginative and consistently striking. The same may be said of the characters, with the ability for D-Tritus to transform into many of them supplying an unusual, interesting twist. The flight combat portion, which is fast-paced but not disagreeably challenging once you begin to use a little strategy, may well be the most fun aspect of the game. You have access to a number of customizable ships that are also used for racing, which can also be rather entertaining. The voice acting and overall sound are both pretty solid.

Reservations
The gameworld has a number of large areas that must be traversed on foot, during which time the action quotient is not maintained. Ground combat is not to the standard of its aerial counterpart. Perhaps attributable to the developer being based in Spain, the humor, while certainly a matter of personal taste, seems likely to be hit and miss for most players. Multiplayer modes including individual and team deathmatch are available, but there aren't very many servers to be found.

The Bottom Line
Scrapland is a distinctive, creative, quirky title with some noteworthy strengths outlined above. While it's uneven, it could be quite enjoyable if the highlights fit your playing preferences. If it sounds potentially interesting, the demo is definitely worth a try.

Screenshots




Action Vault Scrapland Peeks
#1 Weapons, Part 1 - January 22, 2004
Project Director and Lead Designer Enric Alvarez on the weapons in Mercurysteam's imaginative action adventure
*Includes an exclusive concept drawing and an exclusive screenshot*

#2 Characters, Part 1 - Civil Servants - February 5, 2004
Developer Mercurysteam offers a show and tell about the civil servant class of robot characters in its action hybrid.
*Includes an exclusive model image and two exclusive screenshots

#3 Weapons, Part 2 - Swarm Missiles - February 19, 2004
Swarm missiles, how they work and some ideas for escaping their destructive power from the Mercurysteam team
*Includes two exclusive screenshots*

#4 Characters, Part 2 - Police - March 4, 2004
Mercurysteam Project Director Enric Alvarez introduces the police and reveals they're not as we'd first imagine.
*Includes an exclusive model image and an exclusive screenshot*

#5 The Banking Community - March 18, 2004
While they may not look the same, bankers in Mercurysteam's humorous robotic world don't seem all that different.
*Includes two exclusive screenshots and an exclusive model image*

#6 Characters, Part 3 - Mercenaries - April 1, 2004
Lead Designer Enric Alvarez introduces the mercenaries in the eye-catching title now in progress at Mercurysteam.
*Includes an exclusive screenshot and an exclusive model image*

#7 The Human City - April 15, 2004
Developer Mercurysteam introduces us to a city created long ago by humans who subsequently departed the planet.
*Includes five exclusive screenshots*


Additional Action Vault Scrapland Links
Scrapland Interview - May 5, 2003
Project Leader Enric Alvarez on Mercurysteam Entertainment's science fiction action project touched with humor
*Includes three exclusive screenshots*

Scrapland Screenshots - January 29 - April 22, 2004


[Minute Views are so named for their size and the approximate amount of time it takes to read them. They are intended to provide initial impressions only; unlike our reviews, they do not require extensive play using different strategies, or completion of the game. - Ed.]