Slavjanks can be a hit or miss. You usually expect somewhat choppy gameplay, but that can be outweighed by originality in the narrative, visuals, or even the gameplay itself.
"Patriot: DemocratiZation" is a miss. It’s neither fun nor interesting to play. Its mid-2000s visual charm and silly plot are not enough to outweigh the atrocious gameplay, which is both annoying and bland.
I will give this game credit where credit is due: the developers were aware of the common slavjank criticisms, such as convoluted progression sequences and hyper-accurate enemies, and they worked on solutions. “Solutions” is the keyword here. The issues are still present, but there are also “solutions” meant to counterbalance them.
Enemies are hyper-accurate and hyper-reactive. They are basically laser pointers on legs that, once aggroed, immediately lock onto the player and run toward his position. I am not exaggerating the laser pointer analogy. It literally feels like the computer projects a laser from the enemies’ heads, aiming at the player’s hitbox the instant it’s exposed. Even the slightest part of the hitbox triggers a perfect shot. It’s ridiculous. If the player peeks around a corner, the enemy behind it fires instantly, then stops as soon as the hitbox leaves the reach of its “laser aim,” as if there’s a continuous beam being broken. Gunshots are just an audio cue in this game.
As if aim-bots with wallhacks weren’t enough, the player’s hitbox is bigger than his view area. This means that before the player even has the chance to see an enemy, the enemy can already see the player’s “shoulders” and shoot with marksman-level precision. It is literally impossible to avoid damage once enemies are aggroed.
Enemies are aggroed by sighting the player or by gunfire. In this game, it’s typical to enter a room and find a bunch of dummies wandering aimlessly. The moment the player fires a shot, those dummies instantly transform into killing machines and snap their laser aims onto the player. There is no stealth. There’s a so-called “silent rifle,” but by the game’s logic it’s as loud as any other weapon. What a joke.
Now this review faces the same question the developers of this game did: if nearly every enemy delivers unavoidable damage, how can a player ever hope to progress past the first location? Well, here are the “solutions”: make enemies deal minuscule damage and make them drop health kits and armored vests frequently. Death by a thousand papercuts.
Combined, these problems and solutions create a monotonous, boring, annoying gameplay loop: peek the corner, shoot an enemy, duck back into cover. Don’t try to be smart, take angles, or attempt other “tactical” maneuvers. In this game, the player is forced to mindlessly expose himself, then immediately hide from the laser beam to avoid continuous damage, all while trying to score a kill or two. After the massacre is over, the player has to methodically walk over every corpse to collect ammo, health, and armor. Rinse and repeat.
To the developers’ credit, I was never stuck. I always had enough health and ammo. This abundance, however, also meant that there was no real challenge. Just unfair engagements and generously replenished resources.
Unfortunately, there is another major adverse effect of such balancing. Throughout years of playing other shooters, I have been conditioned to interpret “getting shot” as a failure of my skill. In most shooters, you’re not supposed to get hit, and if you do, it means you made a mistake. In this game, I got shot constantly, by nearly every enemy. Even though I logically understood it wasn’t my fault, I still instinctively felt as if it were. It did not feel good. Along with bland gameplay, it felt draining and annoying. I was constantly on edge. And not in a good way.
On the other hand, there are the convoluted progression sequences. These were plentiful, but thanks to the mini-radar that always points to the exact area to go, none of them actually caused any issues. I had to shoot explosive barrels to make a hole in a wall, drive a truck so I could jump on top of it to reach a vent, and find an electric fuse for an elevator. Again, the problem and the solution together didn’t create an engaging puzzle-solving experience; they just made the whole thing uninspiring. Not bad, not good, simply forgettable.
Unfortunately, this game does not offer anything to counterbalance its annoying, tedious gameplay. The story is serviceable, and the visuals have retro charm. Sometimes, games can be so bad they’re good. This one is so bland, it’s just bad.
Do not recommend to anyone. A complete waste of time.
