Whether you favor Chuck Norris or Jack Bauer in the ongoing debate to determine which modern day super hero is more badass, one thing can be certain: Fox’s 24 has rocked the airwaves going on 5 years now. 24: The Game, taking place between the 2nd and 3rd seasons of the show, fails to impress all but the hardcore fans of the show. This is due to a failed attempt to accomplish everything a 3rd person shooter, driving simulator, and puzzle game set out to do.

A Day in the Life of Jack Bauer

The gameplay in 24 is basically the only thing that this game is lacking. Just like in any relationship it’s the little things that count and 24: The Game has a lot of little things wrong with it. For starters, I had flashbacks to my Enter the Matrix days because of the glitches and poor camera angles. Not to say that I did not have fun every minute that I could not see where an enemy was shooting me from only to find out that he was right next to me for the past 45 seconds. After that happens for the third time in the same level it gets a little frustrating.

One would think that with the amount of time this game has been delayed Sony would have dedicated a little time to things like "being able to see the enemy." In all seriousness never get closer than 15 feet to your enemy because he will disappear from view and your only alternative is melee combat.

Other problems are the driving portions of the game. 24 tried to take a page out of Grand Theft Auto’s handbook with a relatively expansive layout of Los Angeles; to that end they succeeded. Although nowhere near the size of L.A., it does give the feeling that when you are in your car you are actually taking the time to drive to a destination instead of just appearing from building to building. The reason it feels as if you are taking time to get from place to place is because it takes so darn long. The extremely loose controls and poor handling make for a very frustrating behind the wheel experience. That, coupled with the "lose your followers" missions where whatever car you are in can automatically be outrun by a soccer-mom van, is reason enough to put down the controller and go hit the wall out of frustration.

My last gripe about 24: The Game includes the ridiculous mini-games that break up the breakneck pace of the story. These computer-based puzzles serve no purpose other than to irritate the player and prevent them from finding out what happens next.

Not all is lost, however, in the gameplay of "24: The Interactive Experience". The creative auto-locking system and wide variety of guns keeps any third-person shooter fan happy. The ability to go into a situation stealthily or guns blazing also adds to the openness of a lot of the missions. The intuitive "e-Information System" is located on your PDA, along with all the data about every gun you are carrying and a brief synopsis about what has recently happened in the story.

At Least Bauer's Daughter Looks Good...

Bringing all the distinct characters in 24 to life is no easy task; on the contrary, however, 24: The Game does just that. If you are a fan of the show, then immediately you will recognize the permanent scowl on Jack Bauer’s face and the blank stare on David Palmer’s. Beautiful character models recreate each character perfectly; even Bauer’s estranged daughter whom you play as for one mission. It does appear though that all the developers’ time went into the characters, leaving the environment pixilated and blurry. Anyone can easily recognize what each item is; from a fire extinguisher to the cliché exploding red/yellow barrels. Upon closer inspection, however, it is easy to detect which objects are meant to be solely looked at from afar.

Whenever Jack needs to go from place to place it is your job to get him there via a purple PT Cruiser-looking-mobile. The driving, however slow and frustrating the controls are, creates for an excellent visual experience. Even though almost nothing in the environment is affected by a nice ramming it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t look good when you pass something by. With no loading times going from place to place, the seamless outside visuals almost make up for the poorly constructed driving system.

A couple direct ports from the show contribute to the enjoyment of fans of the show and newcomers alike. The ever-ticking timer appearing at the bottom of the screen during certain moments in the game lets the player know what time it is in the "24" world. Also making an appearance in the game is the famous "tri-camera split screen" effect that shows what different characters are doing at a specific time. Both of these not-so-subtle elusions to the show are not overused and make for a more cinematic experience that feels just like the show.

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock

Nothing makes for a more convincing television-to-game port than obtaining the same actors to do the voice of the characters they represent. Adding to the illusion that the player is watching the show, every actor in the "24" universe lent their voices to the game: Sutherland picked up his role as Bauer, Cuthbert as Kim, and even Dennis Hayesbert resumes his role for the (now dead) President of the United States.

By far the most familiar sound is the "beep beep beep" of the timer that appears constantly throughout the entirety of the game; rivaling it are Bauer’s frequent exclamations of "Damn it!" and "We’re running out of time!" The rest of the music throughout the game does a fairly good job of setting the tone and mood of specific sequences; typically at a rapid pace.

Something the 24 Fanatics Can Appreciate

As anyone can assume, playing a whole day in the life of Jack Bauer does have its certain appeal, but just because you play through a whole day in "24 land" doesn’t mean you want this game to be in your house more then 24 actual hours. After you’re done playing the game, you feel like you have watched a whole season in the span of about 8 hours. Aside from that there is really no redeeming quality that this game presents. There is no multiplayer and little to no replay value. Driving is no fun, the mini-games are tedious and frustrating, and the regular missions are non-inspired and repetitive.

If it's 24 Hours, Why Doesn't it Ever Show Them Leaving to Go to the Bathroom?

One factor that completely eliminates this game from the "buy" list and barely makes it as a "rental" is the utter lack of replay value. The only incentive to aim for the headshot and restrain criminals when you can is the promise that you will get bonus characters if you achieve a 90% or above on every level. I, being ignorant to the true nature of these "bonus characters", got above a 90% on almost every level, only to realize that I cannot play as these characters, I can only look at the character model as they stand still, walk, or run. Aside from the ridiculous "bonus", the strictly one-player aspect makes for a very dull game. It even lacks a team feel because your teammates in CTU who go on raids with you do absolutely nothing to aid you and most of the time walk right into your crosshairs.

Time Just Ran Out for 24: The Game

For the average gamer, 24: The Game is a rental at best, but for the hardcore fan of the show, this title might actually make a permanent residence on your shelf along with the box sets of seasons 1-4. There is one last point I would like to make: Jack Bauer only has to be hardcore one day out of the year, while Chuck Norris is badass ALL YEAR ROUND!