Devastation could have been a great game, but it is deeply flawed in fundamental ways and is instead just another first-person shooter thrown into the pile of mediocrity. There are some really interesting elements of this game that make it worth mentioning.

For starters, it uses the Unreal engine, and has been put to good use. Basic physics and ragdolls are also there, so let's give developer Digitalo some respect for that. The levels are also lovingly constructed. Ruined urban environments are filled with trash and rats and burning barrels, the level of detail is amazing. The stages are also well paced and filled with a cinematic feel as combats and ambushes are accompanied by throbbing music that heightens the tension another notch. There is a great variety to the levels as you battle your way through labs, sewers, city, prisons, and insane asylums. Along the way you pick up a wide variety of weapons, from submachine guns and pistols to sniper rifles, lasers and the ingenious rat bomb. Set a rat free, control is as it makes its way to an enemy position and detonate. Those little guys are a highlight of the game. The katana is pretty cool too.

Now for the negative parts of the game. As you progress through the game you also pick up AI controlled bots who are supposed to aid you in your missions. The further you progress, the more of them you get until you screen is swarming with aimless pistol toting morons. That's right, these guys are dumb. They get stuck on each other, couldn't hit the broadside of a barn while shooting, block your shots, and what's even worse, if one of them dies, mission failed. You can toss them better weapons, and there is a basic command interface for them, but most of the time your commands do little more than make them run in circles shooting or defaulting to following you around, and blocking hallways you need to get through.

Thankfully the enemy AI is just as clueless. While they are better shots than your teammates, many times you are able to walk right up to them and shoot them in the head with no reaction from them or their allies. When the AI does kick into gear, their skill level is little more than running towards or away from you, or occasionally bunny hopping. The faceless clone hordes of your opposition are usually little more than speed bumps. They are only challenging in great numbers or in any of the great scripted sequences that make this game challenging.

Midway through the game, the play style changes slightly. Your goal switches from plowing through enemies to complete the level, to a hunt for enemy spawn portals. The blasting action gets ramped up at this point, especially when you and your allies get a spawner of your own. With unlimited supplies faced with unlimited forces, pretty soon the game slows to a crawl.

Multiplayer is non existent at this point in time. There are no servers hosting games. The two game modes, arcade and simulation, add some replayability to the game. The difference is that arcade is your standard shooter, while with simulation you are limited in the number of weapons you can carry.

At its release, Devastation was far from a spectacular game, and it really doesn't stand the test of time at all. With much better shooters on the market, you may want to invest in something with a little more modern than the mediocrity you'll get here.