The Nintendo DS has lately become something of a ‘challenge console’ for many programmers, one that harkens back to an earlier time when programmers would test their powers by crafting software and games on hardware many felt was incapable of running it, often achieving digital miracles that defied technical specifications and lazy naysayers.  Polish developer No Way Studio is such an outfit, and with their debut title finally available for public consumption we can see if these dedicated individuals kept their word to deliver a technologically impressive, hardcore first-person shooting experience on the console’s dual-screens.  On many levels C.O.R.E. manages to live up to that lofty promise, but often at the expensive of a natural, entertaining package.

C.O.R.E.’s story has players assuming the role of Jason Crane, a member of the Special Technologies Unit (STU) (and stylishly decked out in his best DOOM/Master Chief hybrid suit) investigating the top-secret research lab C.O.R.E. that was built on the site of a massive meteor strike, but has recently gone incommunicado.  There’s no sense in getting involved too much in the details, as the game itself seems to lose interest early on in creating any substantive narrative, introducing characters and plots that go nowhere, which is fine for those who just came to blast away a few enemies.

C.O.R.E. touts itself a “classic” first-person shooting experience, and that’s generally true.  From the overall design to even the game’s logo, the game suffers from a serious case of QUAKE-envy.  The classic part comes by way of looks and presentation, which closely mimics that of late 90s-era shooters, while the actual gameplay digs deeper for its inspiration.  Archaic, almost primitive colored-card collecting and twitch-style enemy encounters may thrill those looking to replicate the days of DOOM (yet another id Software title), but the cumbersome control scheme and multitude of visual problems may end the journey of Jason Crane soon after it begins.

Part of the game’s scattershot visual problem has less to do with the graphics themselves (which can be, admittedly, quite good at times) and more with extremely poor level design.  Yes, the levels can be quite large and detailed, but the game doesn’t provide players with any map to help navigate them, and the (mis)use of color can make slogging through them a nightmare of dark corridors and blurry pixels.  That’s not to say that things look terrible, because it’s obvious that some time and effort went into crafting some of the game’s more inspired settings (entertainment centers and alien locales look great), but too often the game feels like the developers were trying to prove their skills with the hardware, much to the loss of immersive and satisfying gameplay.

There’s a variety of different weapons to collect and employ against your foes, and their usefulness ranges from ‘serviceable’ to ‘utterly useless’.  The stock pistol will get you by early on, but you’ll soon have to graduate to more substantial firepower if you ever expect to make it through the game’s 15 different levels.  Sadly, the game’s version of the popular shotgun (a FPS staple) is hopelessly inept, slow to fire and completely inaccurate.  The assault rifle fares better, as did the plasma, beam, and shock rifles, but the requisite cannon feels more like a pop-gun than the damage-inducing barrage it should have been.  Don’t look to be using any of your toys much, as ammo is extremely limited and it won’t be long before you’re back to the stock pistol and its blip-blip firing.

While some levels are almost devoid of save points, health, and ammunition refills others are absolutely overflowing with them, and often so closely spaced together one might question what logic – if any – went into their placement.  Also erratic is how the enemies take and inflict damage, as most of the weapons at your disposal will be relatively useless against them, and when instant death is combined with the problems listed above, those looking to finish the game better get used to repeating long stretches of the game over and over until they find the exact pattern necessary to continue.  While aiming the stylus-driven cursor is fine, attempting to strafe-while-evading multiple enemies can be an exercise in frustration thanks to sluggish responses and in the case of double-tapped jumps, often completely worthless.  Add to that the certainty of your hands cramping thanks to the awkward controls and you may start to question why you’re even bothering.

Of course, even the most generic and cookie-cutter first-person shooter can be rescued with a few good, solid multiplayer options and its here where C.O.R.E. redeems itself…slightly.  The game makes good use of local multiplayer options, including multi and single card play for up to 4 players.  There’s a decent amount of interesting options and levels to choose from (including one ripped almost verbatim from Quake 3), but even the thrill of having mobile Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, and Team Arena at your fingertips is dulled by the complete lack of online WiFi options.  Also missing is the ability to add bots or extra challenges to the matches, which further dilutes an already shallow package.

A fellow editor also noted the lack of customizable options in single-card sharing, which doesn’t help those curious onlookers who might want to sample the game but can’t use the game’s stock control scheme.  It’s quite sad, as the few matches we sampled were entertaining and quite fluid.  Given how well the game (technically) performed when up and running, the complete lack of modern multiplayer standards is like throwing a party, but forgetting to send out the invitations.

Cramped controls and spotty visuals aside, C.O.R.E.’s most egregious crime is that it’s simply not much fun to play.  Time and time again while playing through I kept asking myself, “Who are they making this for?  Who’s actually going to enjoy themselves playing this?”  I can rock the empathy factor with the best of them, but the fact remains that the game lacks balance, which will probably limit its appeal to all but the most hardened and most dedicated challenge-seekers.  While its technological achievements are notable, the best DS games have always championed substance over style, realizing even the best intentioned programmers will never achieve photo-realism on the platform.  The hardware is capable of strong first-person shooter experiences, and there are far more enjoyable examples than this.