In addition to the campaign, Serious Sam 3 also offers a survival mode. It's a testament to the underlying gameplay that the fun factor outweighs the annoyances caused by the lack of polish.
Still, even with all of the technical issues, Sam somehow manages to soldier on. This was most noticeable with the headless kamikazes, as their screams sounded as if they were coming from all directions, even on a Dolby Digital setup.
In-game, the sound is usually on point, though positional audio seems to be lacking. There is also noticeable pop-in as you run through the levels, with things like ground cover magically appearing in front of your eyes. They are common enough that it makes us wonder if Microsoft issued a certification waiver in order to see the title released.Īmong other things, the game freezes for a few seconds every time it autosaves, there is a temporary freeze whenever an Achievement pops, cut scenes sometimes start without audio (which kicks in after a second or two), and visual tearing is common. Oddly, there are a number of visual and audio issues that plague the XBLA version of Serious Sam 3. Simply because you cleared out an area doesn't mean it's safe to turn your back on it. This means you always have to be listening for the teleport sound. At certain points, enemies will warp in from all sides. Tactics in the traditional sense aren't exactly applicable to Serious Sam 3. Use it at a chokepoint, however, and it's like leading lambs to the slaughter. The cannon fires relatively slowly, and the balls are easy to sidestep in the open. For example, lobbing rockets can certainly be satisfying, but the devastator gun is better for taking out small groups due to wider splash damage. Just because a gun is more powerful doesn't necessarily mean it is the most efficient weapon for the job. Once you get past that initial quarter of the game, the weapon variety opens up, and that's where the fun begins, as the guns can be just as over-the-top as the baddies.Įven though Serious Sam 3 throws a lot of weapons your way, it still expects the player to use them wisely. Sam does take a page from the current-generation competition by easing players into things with the first couple of levels, keeping both the weapons and early enemies basic. Firefights can happen in corridors, but wide-open spaces are more common. Gameplay is in line with what players have come to expect from previous games in the series. The game isn't afraid to poke fun at genre conventions, and Sam is more or less a self-aggrandizing caricature of the "buff dumb hero" stereotype. Most of the dialogue is corny with a side helping of heavy cheese, but there are a few laughs sprinkled throughout. He doesn't give a damn, he's good with a gun, and high explosives are the perfect solution to most of his problems.
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