The funny thing about a big license game like The X-Files: Resist or Serve is that no matter how good it is it's still not going to appeal to as broad a range of gamers as original content like the Resident Evil or Silent Hill games. The thing that makes it most interesting is the thing that holds it back from mainstream gaming success: Only rabid fans of The X-Files will want it. Still, at a surprisingly low retail price, the game is well worth a look for serious and casual fans of the show as well as fans of survival horror games.

Like the show, X-Files: Resist or Serve is a collaborative effort between two plucky FBI agents, Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, whose deeply platonic (for those of us who refuse to acknowledge the miserable last few years of the show) relationship developed slowly over time until they really could trust no one on Earth but each other. The game does a nice job of offering both characters with their own personalities and unique skill sets. (Skully's medial background is key to the game. Mulder is more action oriented, but I did feel like his keen conspiratorial mind got an extra workout in terms of mission goals. Maybe it was my perception, but the style of play felt different between the two in a sort of ungraspable, thematic way.)

Resist or Serve also stands out in its plotting. The game is basically structured like three separate episodes with cliffhangers in between. It starts as an investigation into a witchhunt in the small northwestern town of Red Falls, a classic X-Files jump-off point, especially when it becomes clear that there is a much broader, deeper conspiracy at play that covers many of same types of extra-governmental/extraterrestrial plotpoints the show did. Thanks to the interactive element of the game (and some uncreative camera angles) it never fully captures the essence of the show but it does come closer than Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds, a fine game with embarrassing cut-scenes. The nice thing about the cinematics and in-game plotting in Resist or Serve is that the original cast is all represented and they turn in, if not Emmy-worthy, then at least acceptable performances. Gillian Anderson isn't given quite the emotional material she eventually earned on the show but she's authoritative and strong. David Duchovny is snarky and engaging as well (I've been joking about how the standard wooden game voiceacting isn't a problem in his case - har-dee-har - but he actually does a nice job.) Also on hand are series regulars like Mitch Pileggi's Walter Skinner, Nicholas Lea's Alex Krycek, and the Lone Gunmen, all of whom recreate their characters perfectly.

The gameplay itself is quite good. The beauty of the game is that you get the chance to play as either Mulder or Scully and, depending on your choice, you are playing a completely different game. Some of the time the duo split off and go discover pieces of the puzzle separately. They also meet up and perform tasks together. Sometimes they perform totally different paths in the same space: For example, in the first episode Mulder finds himself on the business end of a zombie's chompers. Woozy from the effects of the zombie bit, Mulder must stave off the horde of the living dead while Scully performs an autopsy on the undead one to try to find an antidote. Depending on which character you're playing you'll be required to perform the appropriate task, while the other unmanned character takes care of their respective business behind you. Pretty neat. Even though the other character is just computer-controlled, it does give the feeling that this is a collaborative effort between these two classic agents. Similarly, if you allow your partner to die not only does the game end but you are left with the inescapable feeling that you let them down. It probably helps to be a big X-Files fan to be this emotionally invested, but there it is.

As far as the controls are concerned, they do feel a bit sluggish at times. While sometimes there are frustrating but understandable reasons (the character actually has to pause to reload or swap weapons, which adds realism but is dangerous in a bind), there are other moments when the responsiveness doesn't feel completely sharp.

If there's one major problem that this game has it's the camera. A creative decision was clearly made to limit the camera to predetermined angles, in order to emphasize the cinematic nature of the game. This has a couple of benefits (more control over light and atmosphere effects, some very nice compositions, fewer weird geometry problems) but often it leads to very tough character control. Either you're facing unseen enemies (especially when they appear to be coming from behind the camera) or you're having trouble getting your agent to move in a particular direction (i.e., you hit "left" and the angle flips 180 degrees, causing you to run back the other way, causing the camera to flip again, etc...). This isn't a fatal flaw but it can be annoying, especially in darker settings, like the foggy Red Falls town square.

The only other consistent problem is the game's need to load small parts of locations separately. You might enter a setting (load screen...), run down the street and turn the corner (load screen...) and enter a building (load screen...). While each load is short, they do add up, especially if you have to retrace your steps for some reason.

The "quest" nature of the game is quite enjoyable, however. Before I got the hang of it I found myself searching every nook and cranny for clues and items. The game offers you a relatively open environment and it's up to you to discover the little details that get you through the game.

One detail I wanted to mention is how the item storage screen here is much more complex than in most games. Rather than simply keeping an inventory of ammo and keys, this screen is interactive: Items in the inventory can often be opened up and, most interestingly, an item can be turned around and manipulated. This is crucial in looking for clues: Without giving anything away, if you find something flat, say a piece of paper, you may want to see if anyone's written anything on the back. Pretty clever.

Graphics:

The game's graphics are pretty impressive. The darker settings leave a lot to the imagination and really mimic the show's classic Vancouver years nicely. The interiors (like the FBI headquarters or a cavernous insane asylum) have very convincing textures and layouts. Little details are often key to selling a particular setting: Mulder's apartment, for example, has the feel of the show's set right down to the useless door to his unused bedroom and his fishtank. A really nice touch is the inclusion of the show's ever-present high-powered flashlights. In darker setting the flashlights become very useful and the way their bright beam is rendered here is usually true to the show (except when you get too close to a wall and the beam disappears, but whatever). A nifty detail is the cinematic lens flare and blinding brightness caused by swinging the flashlight directly at the camera. A classic X-Files visual.

The character models mostly look excellent. Mulder look perfect (again, that wooden Duchovny style works to the game's advantage! Feh.) and Scully also look quite good (if a little stocky at times). The supporting characters mostly look just as good (with the exception of Kyzek, who looks a little anonymous). Obviously care was taken with the character models here.

The locations are similarly detailed. Whether they are familiar to fans of the show or new for the game, there is a realism that helps Resist or Serve fit in the canon of The X-File. There's grit and decay galore, which definitely helps up the atmosphere.

If there's one area that's really outstanding it's in the game's audio. I've already mentioned the fine voice-work by this great cast, but there's so much more. The atmospheric details of the various settings are very important to the game's setting. The deserted town takes on a ghostly quality, as do the empty halls of the FBI during a frightening nightmare sequence. Little sound effects sound tailored to the individual sequences and really add up to a terrific soundtrack.

Probably most important to the sound design is Mark Snow's excellent score. Snow combines music cues he created for the show with fresh tracks and the seamless blend goes as far toward making Resist or Serve an X-File as the acting and visuals. At times the music greatly contributes to the scariness of the game, whether it's an eerily quite passage or a sudden, shockingly aggressive bit when the flashlight reveals an unexpected corpse. Sometimes the music, more than any other factor, has the ability to leave the player shaken. Very effective.

I started off by saying that X-Files: Resist or Serve will probably be of limited interest for non-fans. And, even with the considerable pros of the game, I still think that's true. Even though it lays out the premise pretty clearly, there's just too much backstory for someone who never watched the show to really get into it, compared with a game where players meet an original character and follow their story from beginning to end. However, the reasonably low retail price and some of the more unique aspects of the game (the two parallel stories, the autopsies) should make it of interest to plenty of folks. For big-time fans of the show it's a no-brainer. Compared with the sorry X-Files game for the original PlayStation, this is a major step up. Hopefully the franchise will continue with fresh stories and improvements on the few serious flaws.