Geist [GC]

Despite these technical shortcomings, Geist does bring to the table some graphic and audio accomplishments. First of all, the game runs in both progressive scan and 16x9 widescreen modes, both impressive and highly welcomed extras. Second, the title delivers a host of different environments, each unique for different reasons, a wide variety of in-world objects to possess, sharper than average textures, especially up close, and some well-done lighting and particle effects. On top of everything else, because you can play as so many different creatures and persons, n-Space has designed different viewpoints. In some cases, you see in black and white tunnel vision in order to reflect an animal's vision. In other cases, you are exploring fog-covered hallways from the inside of a decontamination suit, and most of these perspectives are believably developed.

The More, The Merrier
GameCube owners won't be playing any online deathmatches, but nevertheless Geist features a robust multiplayer mode that's sure to extend the game's replay value. There's good and bad news to detail here so let's get the bad news out of the way first. As far as we can tell, there doesn't appear to be any LAN mode in the title, as initial reports suggested. We believe that some reviewers were misled into believing the title boasted a LAN option because it supports "up to eight players." What that really means is that you can play against three friends and four additional AI-controlled bots in the multiplayer modes. Disappointed? Don't be. The split-screen action is still entertaining.

Geist features three major multiplayer modes, including possession deathmatch, capture the host and hunt, and all of them are unique. In possession, you take control of hosts and square them off against friends. You can also jump into objects and kill the enemy. In capture the host, you manipulate hosts and then exit their bodies on a base in order to score points. And in hunt, teams of humans and ghosts battle against each other; humans use anti-spirit weapons to gun down ghosts and ghosts possess the bodies of humans and then force them into hazards such as pits, spikes and fans.

You can incidentally open more characters and arenas in the multiplayer games by playing through the single-player mode and finding hidden unlockables.

The multiplayer modes move smoothly without bots, but can chug up a little with four players and AI-controlled opponents, too, which is disappointing. But despite any technical drawbacks, control is tight and arenas varied. Meanwhile, most of the arenas are well designed and accommodating whether you're playing alone (which is a possibility -- you can fight up to seven bots) or against friends. The pacing and weapons even remind us many ways of GoldenEye and Perfect Dark for Nintendo 64. There's even a gadget that enables you to fly a missile through the arenas and ultimately explode it near your enemies.

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