Game Reviews

Clear Vision 2

Star onStar onStar halfStar offStar off
|
| Clear Vision 2
Get
Clear Vision 2
|
| Clear Vision 2

It's been almost a year since Clear Vision crashed on to the App Store in a blaze of gurning, gore-obsessed stupidity.

Way back then, we quite liked its blend of silly, slight sniping gunplay and puerile crime capering - even if it wasn't the kind of thing we'd likely whip out at dinner parties, in public or, frankly, at home unless we could be totally sure that no-one else was watching.

Clear Vision 2 picks up shortly after the first game, with gun-for-hire Tyler on the hunt for his beautiful, busty, and very much kidnapped wife. It's a distinctly less ambitious story this time around, but one that does a least retain its forebear's crudely drawn but well-animated and enjoyable cut-scenes.

Man on a mission

Beyond its story, Clear Vision 2's slender assassination sim setup is near-identical to its predecessor's. As before, Tyler slums around his filthy apartment, picking up jobs, and earning cash to buy new weapons and reach his goal.

Again, your apartment is a rudimentary hub for the game's limited interactions. You can scan the daily newspaper and watch as your infamy rises (fans of the original will be thrilled to know this sequel is as much of a terrifying typo-fest as its predecessor), visit town, and fire up your email to accept new hits.

Barrel of laughs

Mission scenarios are as gleefully varied as ever - take down a troublesome business partner as he sips cocktails, for instance, or drop a rock on someone's head when weapons just won't do. There's still some satisfaction to be gained from each grisly, cartoon denouement - just don't expect any evolution in the game's core.

As before, sniping simply requires you to drag your aiming reticule around the screen and hit 'fire' when your target is in your sights. Eventually, you're also asked to take distance and wind speed into account, using the reticule indicators to line your shots off-centre.

Think first, shoot later

Occasionally there's also a puzzle element to proceedings, with some mission briefings dropping clues when your target isn't so obvious. These segments were the highlight of the first game, so it's a shame Clear Vision 2 does little to build on the basic concept.

Likewise, despite the introduction of new ways to earn money between assassination attempts - a stock-buying mini-game joins underground boxing, for instance - there's still little incentive to bother. You're never too short of funds to continue and even weapon upgrades are largely optional this time, making them more superfluous then ever.

Clear Vision 2 is just about a worthwhile proposition if you absolutely adored the the first game - but with a far less compelling narrative, brisker running time, and significantly reduced interaction, even Clear Vision 2's gleeful sense of sadistic stupidity struggles to help the game hit its mark this time around.

Clear Vision 2

A short, unambitious, and utterly superfluous sequel to a game that already offered little beyond its bawdy, juvenile sense of humour
Score
Matt Wales
Matt Wales
Following a lifetime of adventure on the high seas, swabbing the editorial decks of the good ship IGN and singing freelance shanties across far-flung corners of the gaming press, Matt hung up his pirate hat and turned his surf-seared gaze toward the murky mysteries of the handheld gaming world. He lives to sound the siren on the best mobile games out there, and he can't wait to get kraken.