Alongside the likes of Link, Mario and Mega Man (and so many other classic game characters), Bomberman has been a leading iconic figure in the gaming industry for over two decades now, and the cute little mascot's presence has yet to dwindle. In a questionable move which challenges that thought, however, Hudson Soft somehow came up with the misguided notion to infuse the Bomberman series with more attitude and take it in an 'edgy' new direction - and the end result, Bomberman: Act Zero for Xbox 360, puts a black eye on the franchise's proud history.

In Act Zero, the story goes something like this: humans are imprisoned as test subjects within an experimental underground facility where they are equipped with futuristic armored battle suits and trained as soldiers to fight in a game of survival against other test-subject soldiers to be the last man standing and attain status as the Ultimate Human Weapon. It sounds fancy, but in actuality there is no story to what goes on in this game - you just boot it up and start playing.

Complimenting this dark, paper-thin back-story, the most apparent difference between Act Zero and its cutesy predecessors are its edgy new aesthetics. Gone are the bright and colorful visuals of yesteryear, replaced by ominous lighting and dingy, metallic environments and characters. To be fair the graphics aren't too shabby, featuring many finely detailed textures, however, for an Xbox 360 production, Act Zero sure leaves the majority of the 360's powerful hardware capabilities untapped. The futuristic new Bomberman design is completely generic and the level designs are drab and repetitive; even the bomb explosions and other special effects are under whelming in presentation. But worse than anything else, the new art direction simply forgets about the charming style that fans of the series hold dear.

If that wasn't bad enough, Act Zero also sounds absolutely dreadful. The music consists of a single rock/metal riff that loops in the background while you play and is as forgettable as it is repetitive. On top of that, the explosion sounds (or 'sound' I should say, as there is only one sound effect for every explosion) lack any resounding weight to make them exciting or satisfying, while the robotic female announcer is about as unenthusiastic as you will be playing this game.

Continuing along with the game's shortcomings, Act Zero doesn't have much to offer in terms of lasting appeal either; the gameplay is of typical Bomberman makeup, placing you onto a map grid where the goal is to destroy the opposing bombermen by strategically placing bio-bombs to corner the opposition within a bomb's explosion radius. By destroying blocks on the grid, new paths open up and hidden power-ups are revealed, such as movement speed boosts, increased bomb count, remote control bombs and so on. The core gameplay is still very much true to the Bomberman lineage and manages to still deliver some enjoyment at first, but there isn't enough content to hold it together.

Three play modes are available, but critical flaws significantly hinder each one and thwart any potential fun. Standard and FPB modes are for solo play, each taking you on a long trek through 99 stages of bomb-blasting action. Standard mode functions like classic Bomberman games, with the traditional fixed, top-down isometric camera that gives you a bird's eye view of the stage. FPB mode, standing for First-Person Bomber, is a new addition that nixes the fixed perspective in favor of a behind-the-back view that is commonplace in any modern third-person action game (where the first-person part of the title came from is beyond me, as there's nothing first-person about it!) Along with the new point of view, full camera control is in place so you can zoom in and out, and rotate the view to keep up with the flow of the game, in addition to a new play mechanic that gives Bomberman a life bar capable of taking multiple hits without dying, as opposed to the series' traditional system of one-hit deaths. If you can get over the fact that it's a different way to play Bomberman, the new system works fairly well - I actually found myself 'enjoying' it more than the Standard play.

Where both of these solo modes crumble, though, is in the lack of depth or variety to any of the proceedings, and, more than anything else, the unforgivable lack of a continue or save system. You heard me right - if you want to make it through the game's 99 stages you'll have to do it all in only ONE try! You can't save your progress at any point along the way, or continue after you die to retry starting the stage over again - if you die, it's all the way back to square one, no matter how far along you've managed to get. And this game isn't a slouch when it comes to difficulty, so making it all the way through with one life is next to impossible, at least in my experience.

Bomberman games have always been about multiplayer, though, and with full online support over Xbox Live for up to eight players in World Battle, Act Zero's multiplayer could've been the ultimate redeemer for the rest of its sins - sadly it's not. For starters, no local multiplayer is supported whatsoever - you either play by yourself or play online, and that's it. I'm sure I'm not the only person with the same though, but what the hell? How can you not have local multiplayer in a Bomberman game when that has been the franchise's bread and butter since the beginning?! Online support is all well and good, but games like this are at their best when you can get a group of friends together in one room and have at it. As for the online play itself, Normal and Battle Royal modes are the name of the game, with options to play in either Standard or FPB format (along with other tweakable settings) and a World Rankings leaderboard, but good luck finding anyone to play with; gamers are wisely staying away and the online community is like a barren wasteland. I never found more than one or two other players to compete with in any given match.

Had this been an Xbox Live Arcade title, many of its issues could've been somewhat forgivable, but as a full-blown 360 release, Bomberman: Act Zero falls into the category of disappointing missed opportunities. A proper next-gen update to the classic franchise is something I'd love to see, but with its myriad of flaws and questionable change in style, this game simply doesn't cut the mustard. It may hold your attention as a quick rental over a rainy weekend if you're addicted to hunting Achievement Points or want to try your hand at finding some competition online, but overall Bomberman: Act Zero should be treated like an actual bomb - approach with extreme caution, or better still, just steer well clear.

Reviewed by Matt Litten for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).