Binary Domain for PlayStation 3

GF Rating

9

Excellent

A spiritual successor to Vanquish? Not quite, but

posted by Vsonic (EAST STROUDSBURG, PA) Mar 9, 2012

Member since Jan 2010

17 out of 17 gamers (100%) found this review helpful

This is one of those games practically guaranteed to become a cult classic. It's not getting the same kind of aggressive ad campaign as the Mass Effects and CODs, and other derivative sequels to manufactured mega-franchises, of the world, but that does not speak for lack of quality. Hopefully, this will find it's audience and sell enough over a long period of time like fellow Sega under-the-radar hits such as Valkyria Chronicles and Bayonetta.

The story of Binary Domain concerns a "Rust Squad", or an international group of ex-soldiers who destroy robots. A bunch of sentient androids called "Hollow Children" have infiltrated human society all over the world, and a Japanese scientist is to blame. So off they go into Japan to deal with the problem. What follows is a tad slow to start (seriously, the first 15 minutes are a bore), but quickly builds into something pretty special. Even though it has Virtua Cop-esque, "inspired by 80's action movie bravado" dialogue at the start, it's impressive how quickly Amusement Vision actually starts writing natural dialogue and crafting a compelling narrative. It never gets up to Blade Runner or Ghost in the Shell-level stuff, but it's quite good. Especially for the Yakuza developer.

Speaking of which, the gameplay and visuals are also an impressive step up from that series. The campaign never lets up; it's stuffed with a large variety of set pieces, story beats, boss battles and other encounters. Unlike the odd Yakuza Dead Souls, this is a very solid shooter. It feels a lot better than something like Uncharted, with rock-solid aiming, terrific feedback and really great hit detection. There's a large variety of robotic foes, including great bosses. And a lot of them can be "manipulated" - shooting out legs will cause them to crawl on the ground, for example. The character models are impressively detailed and the environments are clean and futuristic like in Vanquish.

Do not ignore this because of lack of hype. Give it a re

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GF Rating

7

Good

Underestimated Game

posted by spacedout33 (YUCAIPA, CA) Jun 4, 2012

Member since May 2011

4 out of 4 gamers (100%) found this review helpful

Binary Domain is a surprisingly good game that I have understandable underestimated in its ability to be both functional and fun. Being from Sega, whose track record can be seen as anything but steady, it is very easy to simply pass on this game and not give it a second look. However, you would be missing out on a pretty good game that though not perfect in execution does keep you coming back for more and having fun.

Though understandably repetative Binary Domain does hit great notes at being a solid shooter with the ability to percisely attack your enemies so that you can quickly make some nonfunctional while dealing with others. The cover mechanisms works though needs some work on it as there is unnesscessary wall sticking and imperfect movement sometimes. Thoguh the addition of a fairly accurate and useful microphone system does add some points. There are also some minor RPG elements (with upgrading your weapons and stat system) that help to improve variablity.

The graphics and sound are decent though throughly bland at many points, the one saving grace is the art design of the robots which are given a very "I Robot" quality to the game and helps to immediately familiarize people with the game if they have seen the movie. The voice acting is one of my bigger complaints with the game being very much stereotypical "Space/War/Bro-Marine" with those slight ronin sensibilities as would be seen from a Japanese import.

All in all Binary Domain is a definete rent, it is surprisingly well done and very fun to play though repetative gameplay and overall lack of polish keep it from being a total buy for me but fans of futuristic, thrid person, squad based shooters may have some fun with this.

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

Short and sweet.

posted by npauley (KENOSHA, WI) May 10, 2012

Member since Feb 2012

2 out of 2 gamers (100%) found this review helpful

I liked the overall plot on this game a lot.. it really leaned towards an obvious conclusion but then all of a sudden took an interesting twist. The philosophy of where computers end and life begins has always interested me though. The game play was smooth.. very nice graphics.. the campaign mode was only about 6 hours long, but kept me interested.. The boss fights are often very long and often times i was begging for them to end because i was completely out of ammo and supplies. Good game. definitively worth checking out. I give it a 9/10 =P

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

Binary Awesomeness

posted by jonalduck (WEST DEPTFORD, NJ) Apr 3, 2012

Member since Dec 2011

2 out of 2 gamers (100%) found this review helpful

Although when picking up this game I expected a more futurist style of playing and graphics, I still was not disappointed. I loved the fact that you could update your favorite teammates skills and guns so they could be better equipped to help your character. Besides the upgrades, the design and style of the game was very futuristic looking and quite smooth. I liked that you could interact with normal citizens at certain points in the game to gain more info about what was going on in your surrounds. For the actual game play I was very satisfied; having one weapon that you can constantly update as you go along was awesome. The AI wasn't too bad either, if you updated their skills/weapons enough they were actually helpful in battle. Although this time the enemies were bionic, the fighting was still quite entertaining. I personally thoroughly enjoyed this game.

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

Amazingly Underated!!!

posted by KMA2k10 (RIVERSIDE, CA) Mar 6, 2012

Member since Jul 2010

6 out of 7 gamers (86%) found this review helpful

Best summary for this game is this is what you would get if Final Fantasy & Gears of War had a baby! This game story screams final fantasy from the character interactions to the boss fights to even the settings. The gameplay is gears of war thrid person cover shooter directional buttons map for weapons. Its really good fun. Rarerly do i think a game ever deserves a 10 but this one does!

Pros:
Great story
Great gameplay
Great graphics
Great Characters
Fun RPGish elements for upgrading characters

Cons:
The only con in this game which really is nitpicking is i upgraded my early characters spending a good amount of money on them only for them to disapear for 40% of the game, had i known that i wouldnt have spent so much money on them

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GF Rating

8

Very Good

Rentable

posted by cpt4500 (LAGUNA HILLS, CA) Feb 29, 2012

Member since Feb 2012

5 out of 8 gamers (62%) found this review helpful

Pros:
Weapon Upgrade System (clear cut and simple)
Story - 4hrs in, so far it's a decent story.

Cons:
Skill tree (nano-machines) are a little odd, never really introduced to your character. I did the training course and it didn't talk about these item(s), so you have to fin for your self.

Playing this has me feel like I did in the arcade playing Terminator 2 FPS back in 96-98'

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

Great game!

posted by Ekuriox (FORT WORTH, TX) Mar 1, 2012

Member since May 2003

2 out of 4 gamers (50%) found this review helpful

Playing as a third-person shooter... Binary Domain reminded me of Army of Two, but staged into a well defined future. Controls are simplistic and the game will have you wanting to know what happens next.

Dan Marshall is part of the Rust Crew of the IRTC, a private military operation that deals with robotic mishaps.
Global climate changed the shape of the world and by 2080 robots were used for every endeavor man needed. Used for labor and military power, robotics had advanced well beyond practical ability. Problems arise as a new type of robotic emerges into the public eye. Known as "hollow children" -- A type of robots that did not know they were robots.
Dan Marshall along with other covert operatives that were put together by the remaining nations of the world has sought out to find the person responsible for creating the "hollow children" .

Epic storyline, Sega has created a marvel of a game. The game also features a voice-command(optional) that allows you to give orders to your squad or you can use the button for giving command. The AI works well without commands, though. The graphics are brilliant; the robots are lethal; the gameworld was designed nicely.

The multiplayer is pretty fun as well... I do wish they would have implemented Co-op in the story mode. But there is several types of game modes to play in... Invasion which is you and a few others fight of hordes of oncoming robots. Standard Free for all and capture area, with a few other game modes are available in online gameplay. The online gameplay is pretty fun -- Binary Domain implements a class system, leveling system, that requires a bit of strategy, but it is completely fun.

If you like Sci-fi, futuristic shooters... This title is awesome and well designed.

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GF Rating

8

Very Good

Nonstop Robo-Stompin' and One-Liners

posted by Vhashaar (Puyallup, WA) Apr 6, 2012

Member since Mar 2012

1 out of 2 gamers (50%) found this review helpful

For me, Binary Domain fell into the same lines as Vanquish (also a Sega game). It looked ambitious in the previews but I had some doubts if fighting the same sort of enemy in a samey environment would hold my attention - and its Sci-Fi concept (while intriguing) was previously expressed in a CG Anime called Vexille.

I was interested, but I was leery.

The game certainly delivers a solid action experience, but there are some glaring issues at times. They don't break the experience, but they are detractors.

I will address the Multiplayer first, briefly. I found it disappointing when stacked up against other currently available offerings. The competitive mode has a small server base of 5 v 5, giving players a 5-class roster with weapons and equipment that can be purchased with kill-points for that spawn only (a la Counterstrike). It is a solid third-person cover shooter, but its sluggish pace and uneven class balance only entertains for a few matches.

The cooperative survival mode offers escalating waves of challenge for up to four players who must work in tandem to survive! But somehow, offering 50 waves per session is painfully banal. Breaking the session into 10 rounds seems sensible, but this mediocre Horde mode shouldn't last 2 hours per sit down.

Now, then. The story:

It's an 80's action movie. No really, there's a big bad faceless corporation, they have shadowy motives, limitless robot armies, and only ONE MAN (with a colorful cast of supporting characters) can gun them all down and save the day!

The cover and shooting mechanics are immediately familiar to current gen games, the weapons have a nice stat-upgrade curve to make them feel meaty. I especially enjoyed the facial and modelling detail. The characters look appealing and the enemies come apart deliciously under fire.

Some missteps include mediocre voice acting and painfully long knockdown/recovery animations that can cost you a tense boss fight.

Relentless action, grea

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GF Rating

7

Good

just didn't keep my interest

posted by chuck74 (SAN DIEGO, CA) Mar 11, 2012

Member since Dec 2009

1 out of 2 gamers (50%) found this review helpful

Overview
==================
This is a good game....just didn't keep my interest. It has an I-Robot style story and the little bit of story I've gone through is decent. There just are better shooters out there and I just couldn't keep interested enough to play. However, it is a very solid 3rd person cover shoot.

Pros
=================
1) graphics were good
2) controls were solid
3) multiplayer was solid (not laggy)

Cons
=================
1) good just isn't good enough anymore
2) spawn camping in multiplayer is big flaw
3) no motivation to keep playing

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GF Rating

4

Weak

Needs improvement

posted by Jrock98 (HIALEAH, FL) Apr 8, 2012

Member since Aug 2011

3 out of 7 gamers (43%) found this review helpful

Sega needs to think outside the box in this game. It allows users to play and it has somewhat of a interesting storyline.

Major bite off of Metal gear sound effects in the menus.

The speech thing doesn't affect the outcome of the game.

no multi endings.

gameplay too short.

weapon fun factor is too low.

no puzzle moments.

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GF Rating

4

Weak

Waste of Time

posted by rapini (ROSELLE, IL) Apr 27, 2012

Member since Mar 2009

2 out of 5 gamers (40%) found this review helpful

I enjoyed blasting Bo in the face every time he said. "I think we bit off more than we can chew" every 30 seconds! The game is average but way too many downside points like the poor communication, lack of usable weapons, bad camera angles, not to mention the rest of the bad 1970's dialogue.

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GF Rating

1

Horrible

Absolutely Horrible

posted by dwmagee (ENCINITAS, CA) Mar 14, 2012

Member since Mar 2012

3 out of 9 gamers (33%) found this review helpful

I don't write reviews but this game was so bad I had to. The voice commands that the game is centered around are forced and nothing will happen in the game unless you give one of the few commands.
The game play is slow and when sprinting the character will dive up against cover when you don't want him to.
There is an in game store which is nice. However, you can only upgrade one weapon for your character and that is the only gun you use other than a few random ones it allows throughout the game.
Finally, the dialogue for the story sounds like it was written by eight year old Japanese kids with words like "yankee man" for the Americans thrown in.
I made myself suffer through two hours of this game then I promptly sent it right back to gamefly.

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GF Rating

4

Weak

Meh!

posted by cid2042 (Seattle, WA) Apr 24, 2012

Member since Oct 2011

1 out of 3 gamers (33%) found this review helpful

First I would like to point out I have not played my way through the entire game but after the first couple of levels I find it difficult to continue. The Voice Acting in the game makes me cry. The dialog seems forced like you were watching a high school play.

There doesn't seem to be anything new beyond the Voice Command which by the way works best in a quite room. Don't sneeze or burp because the mic will pick that up and confuse your team mate.

I say pass on this game. The lack of story, terrible voice acting and slow game play made this game a complete bore for me.

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GF Rating

2

Really Bad

Don't Waste Your Time

posted by chimptor (SHREVEPORT, LA) May 13, 2012

Member since Apr 2010

1 out of 4 gamers (25%) found this review helpful

Binary Domain is garbage!! I had played halfway through, quit the game came back to play and it went back at the beginning!!!!!! WTH?????? Also I never picked the black guy cause all he could seem to do was swear and say" we bit off more than we can chew" hyper annoying!!! This is a total pass. Don't say you weren't warned!!!

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GF Rating

7

Good

Binary Don't Bother

posted by StarRaven (BOYNTON BEACH, FL) Mar 2, 2012

Member since May 2011

1 out of 4 gamers (25%) found this review helpful

This game isn't bad and you can tell the developers put a lot of effort into the game.

The graphics are pretty good, especially the facial animations. The voice acting is good, if not a little over done and racial stereotypical.
Controls and shooting and stuff is all okay, not perfect though, not as good as other games.

There's a lot of story to the game too, which is a nice surprise. Lots of long, well thought out cut-scenes, but it's just hard to care about what's happening.
I actually had a hard time convincing myself to play the game again each time I'd turn it off. I'm not sure why, because when it was on, I enjoyed it just fine...
The game has voice recognition. But, it's pointless. Talking and interacting with teammates is a nice touch, but the dialogue options are AWFUL, can't even make a good decision.

It's not a bad game... but, it's hard to recommend it too...

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

binary domain

posted by milkman40 (THEODORE, AL) Feb 18, 2013

Member since Aug 2012

one of the best game i have ever played my 8 year old boy loved it.

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GF Rating

7

Good

Where Does Man Stop and Machine Begin?

posted by NineEraser (BRONX, NY) Feb 11, 2013

Member since Aug 2012

Story: One rule is that robots cannot be made to be as sentient and life-like as humans. One corporation breaks this rule, making machines so human that the robots don’t even realize they aren’t human. These robots, known as Hollow Children, are a threat to mankind and it’s up to the Rust Crew to stop them. It is an interesting story, but not without its clichés of B action movies.

Graphics: Human models and levels are good. Nothing that will make your mouth water, but they get the job done. It shines when it comes to robots. Many have cool designs and multiple animations depending on what part of their body gets destroyed. One boss even gets a different animation each time its legs are destroyed. It gives a sense that these creatures can take a beating and you need to annihilate the entire body for them to be stopped.

Sound: Nothing stands out here. It does enough to keep you immersed. The voice acting delivers the right emotion for the situation, but the dialogue itself is a little cliché and something you will hear from a B action movie. This is not always bad as the dialogue does have spots of being entertaining with character interactions.

Gameplay: Combat is similar to the FPS norm with a few quirks. You can give your teammates certain commands in combat through a headset (or if you don’t have one by a button). How they follow your commands depend on their trust level with you. The more trust the better they will help in combat and follow orders.

Fun Factor: It is fun. Destroying robots with your teammates complementing you is enjoyable. Boss battles are cool and differ enough to not feel monotonous. Unfortunately once the game is over there isn’t much to go back for. Online modes are fun, but at this stage it's hard to find people.

Binary Domain suffers from being average. Nothing is wrong with the game, but it does do anything to stand out against other competition. Still it s a thrill to play and will probably be a cult hit.

My Verdict: C

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GF Rating

1

Horrible

Another bad game that could have been awesome

posted by OdofWar (BEAVERTON, OR) Dec 2, 2012

Member since Feb 2009

This game sucks, plain and simple. Looking for a game where the guys act like girls and the graphic/game play is bad? then this is your game.

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GF Rating

4

Weak

Medoicre sci-fi shooter

posted by tjsmoke (NORTHAMPTON, PA) Nov 2, 2012

Member since Dec 2008

I can't find a whole lot to recommend "Binary Domain" beyond a rental if there's nothing else available. The story isn't very engaging, nor are the characters. The dialogue sounds more like bad anime, and the controls are only so so. The shooting doesn't feel like it packs much oomph, and the enemies, while having some variety, are all robots that don't seem to do much more than run into your line of fire. Graphics are decent, but the environments aren't anything special, as you've seen them all before. With so many better games out there this one's not worthy of much of your time. Rent it and return it within a day or two.

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GF Rating

8

Very Good

Nearly loved it

posted by dharmaint (BREWSTER, NY) Sep 29, 2012

Member since Apr 2012

Beautiful environment. Clean. Dialogue was good at different points. I'd replay it.

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GF Rating

7

Good

a solid rental

posted by Backspaced (LEXINGTON, KY) Sep 20, 2012

Member since Jan 2010

Binary Domain is, quite simply, a game about shooting literally hundreds of robotic enemies. Yet thanks to some impressive bosses, solid set-piece moments, and visual target destruction, the game avoids tedium and proves to be worth renting, though still not quite good enough to warrant a purchase.
The story behind BD is far too convoluted to go into detail here, but suffice to say, you're after a man named Amada who is manufacturing robots that believe they're human, known as Hollow Children. While mostly standard sci-fi/shooter fare, there are a few twists within the games final two hours or so that are genuinely surprising, giving the otherwise so-so plot a satisfying finale.
Of course, one doesn't play a game like BD for a fantastic story in the first place, and thankfully the combat is more interesting than the plot. Robots take visceral damage as they're shot, their armor shattering to reveal vulnerable inner circuitry, with weak points in their legs and heads. A headshot causes enemies to attack each other, and a legshot forces them to crawl towards you. A variety of weapons (though mostly standard fare) ensures plenty of ways to literally fragment the enemy.
Boss fights are numerous and mostly well done, involving towering mech-monstrosities, each proving a satisfying and climatic showdown. My two favorites are the Spider, whose legs can be destroyed one by one, and the Tsar, which you fight from a moving van. The final boss and the Guerrilla (whom you unfortunately fight twice) are far less enjoyable, but are the exception to the rule.
Previews touted the squad-based trust system, which is strangely underused during gameplay. Agree with your teammates and avoid shooting them in the back (the AI is aggressive and good at returning fire but not at staying out of your way) and you'll do fine.
I did not play multiplayer, but a lack of replayibility in single hold back BD from being a purchase. Chapter select does not allow you to carry over upgrades or mon

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GF Rating

7

Good

Same Old Story

posted by meb730 (HENDERSON, CO) Aug 30, 2012

Member since Oct 2011

This game was just good. The depth of this story was for a 5th grader and the graphics could have been better. Like any game I play though it grew on me. That is why it is a "7" at most.

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GF Rating

7

Good

l do not have this game.

posted by allbeast77 (PALMDALE, CA) Aug 21, 2012

Member since Aug 2012

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GF Rating

3

Bad

Pretty Bad- Rated 3

posted by GeneralxRampage (COPLAY, PA) Aug 18, 2012

Member since Mar 2012

I always wanted to play this but rented other games first because I had doubts about this game. I played Vanquish right before this and thought this should be good because its the same maker. Totally different though. Graphics are good but I think the gameplay sucked.

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GF Rating

8

Very Good

Great Shooter Game. Maybe a little short..

posted by BigKev72 (EL CAJON, CA) Aug 4, 2012

Member since Aug 2012

Great game overall. I had some difficulties with adjusting to the aiming sensitivity at first. Good visuals and story line. I enjoyed the interactive movie scenes.

If you are experienced with these types of shooter games I would suggest playing above normal difficulty. It's far to easy on normal settings. I was upset as to how easy and fast I finished this game, I wanted it to last longer.

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Binary Domain for PlayStation 3 Reviews by Gamers

Release Date

GF Rating

Number of Players

ESRB

Compatible With

Buy

Binary Domain

7.3

Critic & User Reviews

9

A spiritual successor to Vanquish? Not quite, but

7

Underestimated Game

9

Short and sweet.

9

Binary Awesomeness

10

Amazingly Underated!!!

8

Rentable

10

Great game!

8

Nonstop Robo-Stompin' and One-Liners

7

just didn't keep my interest

4

Needs improvement

4

Waste of Time

1

Absolutely Horrible

4

Meh!

2

Don't Waste Your Time

7

Binary Don't Bother

9

binary domain

7

Where Does Man Stop and Machine Begin?

1

Another bad game that could have been awesome

4

Medoicre sci-fi shooter

8

Nearly loved it

7

a solid rental

7

Same Old Story

7

l do not have this game.

3

Pretty Bad- Rated 3

8

Great Shooter Game. Maybe a little short..

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