I mentioned in the beginning that an important element of the Bourne series is constant tension and breakneck pacing, and the game never lets up on that, not even during the cutscenes. Most of the time, just because your control over Bourne stops doesn’t mean that you’re done, and many scenes feature timed button pressing mini-games which you must complete in order to progress to the next part of the level. There’s really no warning for these aside from a very brief sound effect, so you really shouldn’t put down your controller to grab a drink unless you have paused the game or shut it down entirely. A lot of gamers are likely to be caught off guard by this system, and some may suffer many a cheap death at its hands. However, you have to hand it to High Moon for implementing a mechanic that will make sure you are constantly at the ready while playing; no letting your mind wander here, you’ve got to focus.

While the gameplay may be a bit of a mixed bag, the presentation is very well done with just a few minor shortcomings. The game is powered by the Unreal Engine (what isn’t these days?), allowing the developers to create realistic characters and fluid animation. The engine shines most during the hand-to-hand sequences, as the crisp attacks and masterful dodges really draw you in while the fights unfold.

Sadly, these moments are also where the game’s greatest weakness show through, as the camera has a bad habit of getting caught out of position or at a weird angle. It’s obvious the team wanted to go for a visual style that was very reminiscent of the films, so the close-quarters combat is done with a very tight, very claustrophobic camera. Of course, this means that if a character makes a quick move or gets backed into the corner, the camera can have a hard time keeping up and framing the shot, so sometimes you end up with a missing combatant.

Aside from this minor flaw, the graphics are generally superb, especially during firefights. I remember one scene in particular that took place in a library, and as my foes and I traded fire, books went flying from their shelves, pages flapped wildly in the air, and entire racks were blown into splinters before my very eyes. The whole package really does a lot to amp up the sense of danger, and you may find yourself ducking on the couch as a particularly nasty explosion rocks Jason’s position.

The sound work is just as well done, with licensed movie music as well as new tunes for the game coming together to make the perfect soundtrack. It is unfortunate that Matt Damon was not tapped to reprise his role as Jason for the games, but his replacement does a fine job. While the character on-screen doesn’t look or sound anything like Matt Damon’s version of Jason Bourne, he still seems just as fitted for the role.

As I came to the end of my time with The Bourne Conspiracy, I had to ask myself the question of whether this is a game worth buying. And as I mulled that question in my head, I had to really ask myself if there’s enough there to justify the $60 price tag. The game looks and sounds great, and the Takedown aspect of the hand-to-hand fighting system is so cool that I do believe everyone should take the opportunity to experience it. However, the strength of the fighting is offset by the weakness of the shooting, so it all sort of comes out as a wash in the end. There’s no multiplayer in the game at all, and there’s very little replay value once you’ve finished the story once. When all is said and done, Conspiracy shakes out to be a slightly above-average action title, with just enough name recognition and early promise to pique interest. If you’ve got an empty slot in your GameFly queue or happen to notice the game at Blockbuster, it might not be a bad idea to pick it up for a short rental, but not even the allure of Jason Bourne is enough to pull this game across the finish line into the “must-have” category.