Disintegration

Disintegration is what every debut work from a newly founded studio should be: a commitment to creating something new that also respects the most classic mechanics of two well-differentiated genres. But, best of all, Disintegration it's the special feeling that V1 Interactive has discovered something unique: a genre that I didn't know I needed until I played through it.

Disintegration's main draws are the intriguing story and unique gameplay, that make it transcend the boundaries we'd normally associate with genre. If not for some minor flaws - like an overabundance of invisible walls and mediocre AI - it would receive an even higher score.

Disintegration is probably THE hidden gem of 2020. Yes, some aspects are quite generic, like the story and the sound presentation, but the beautiful visual aspect and the spectacular gameplay make this experience one of the most interesting this year.

Disintegration absolutely nails the idea of managing a squad and blasting away at the opposition from within your high anti-gravity horse, but some rough edges in the multiplayer department derails this ambitious concept before it can truly stand out from the pack.

By blending FPS and RTS mechanics, Disintegration carves out its own niche but despite a promising world and engaging multiplayer, the main action is often undercut by a generic campaign.

It offers a distinct personality and really attractive challenges, but it needs a little more variety and a more balanced gameplay.

I really want to love Disintegration - even if it's just for it's originality, satisfying robot shooting and for the fact that it can be played in single player - but the final product is just not as original as that it wants to be. With a stronger focus on the graycycle-action and without all the unnecessary RTS-elements, an potential follow-up might be hit.

Quotation forthcoming.

Neither a remarkable FPS nor RTS, it’s nevertheless fun to zoom around in multiplayer with your gunships blasting away. And sometimes, that’s okay. But it’s never really more than okay. [Issue#178, p.78]

Disintegration falls somewhere between its spiritual forefather and the potential it could have achieved. Neither single-player nor multiplayer is satisfying enough to guarantee staying power in the ruthless battle for gamers’ souls.

Unfortunately, Disintegration failed in mixing shooter with tactical strategy, and while the concept of the game seems appealing, it's too shallow to be considered a great title.

I came away from Disintegration with a feeling of total apathy. There's nothing truly terrible and there's nothing really exceptional. Even if its multiplayer is mildly popular, it's certainly not going to be the next Halo. It's an ambitious project that has some original ideas which could allow it to stand out from other shooters, but in the end, Disintegration fails to be anything more than another title to add to the ever-growing pile of generic science fiction games.

Disintegration's blend of FPS and RTS is an interesting one, but unfortunately it fails to fully deliver on both. It's a competent game and can be fun at times, but most of its mechanics fail to work in the simplest of ways. Maybe with a little, more time Disintegration could have been something special.

Despite all the game's flaws,they've created something new, and it works. There's a world and a concept here that has the potential to deliver something truly epic - and the gameplay itself, when it's at its best, is pretty damn great. There are lessons the team will have learned in making Disintegration, and I hope they get the opportunity to grow as a studio and create a truly special sequel. The potential is there.

Those looking for a more solid FPS might want to look elsewhere, but it’s a fine alternative to the team shooter, where you can have the camaraderie without the people.

Disintegration is a dull experiment. Taking shallow replicas of two genres and squeezing them together results in a largely forgettable game that can hardly even be considered a curiosity. The technical issues and average presentation don't help matters.

The flaws in Disintegration’s execution are easy to spot. Restrictive level design and a limp narrative hamper the single-player, while the multiplayer suffers from a dearth of content and no way to make the squad combat sing. Perhaps a sequel could expand on the genuinely good ideas V1 has brought to the FPS table. Disintegration is an interesting genre blend that ultimately falls short.

Disintegration is a tactical FPS with good ideas, but a poor execution.

Disintegration is a hybrid between FPS and RTS that ultimately fails to deliver a satisfying experience on both ends. Its uninspired singleplayer campaign is filled with technical issues during cinematics and during missions. I never felt like I was having fun while playing the same type of objectives over and over again. Not even the somewhat decent multiplayer modes can save Disintegration from falling short of its expectations.

How ironic that a game that purports to be about fighting against conformity ends up giving in to a stultifying homogeneity.

An interesting mix of first person shooter and real-time strategy, from the co-creator of Halo, but the chalk and cheese mix of gameplay elements never really gels.