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The nicest thing I can say, which is one of two or three nice things I can say about the game as a whole, is that 24 The Game really nails the look and style of the show. Cutscenes use the same camera techniques and mannerisms that define the show, including the trademark multi-frame shots. The various characters are instantly recognizable, their voices spot-on, and the animation, at least in cutscenes, lifelike. It's a testament to the quality of these cutscenes that they genuinely feel like an episode of 24, complete with Keifer Sutherland's announcement of "the following takes place between" at the beginning of each in-game hour and dramatic events occurring near the end. It's also nice to note these cutscenes can be paused, a welcome feature in cutscene heavy titles.

The other nice thing to say is that it's refreshing to see 24 The Game attempt to cover all aspects of the 24 universe. The show itself is more than just Jack Bauer shooting terrorists, and it's nice to see that the game attempts to reflect this. Various genres and actions are represented throughout the game, from car chases to hacking mini-games to interrogation. Unfortunately, these attempts to convert every aspect of 24 into playable bits don't always go as one would hope.

Take, for example, the action-based gameplay. A big part of both show and game alike are the constant shoot-outs. In the show, these usually take the form of Jack Bauer or another CTU agent methodically killing all the terrorists in an area, taking cover behind objects and pecking away at the enemies as they appear. But in its emulation of this, the game doesn't fare so well.

Another problem lies with the unresponsive controls. Characters don't always take cover after the player hits X, which makes the guns-blazing technique all the more attractive. This issue also crops up with the climb command, as climb and roll are both assigned to the circle button, characters have a tendency to roll instead of climb. This makes certain missions, such as the timed back alley chase in which speedily climbing over objects is necessary, needlessly frustrating.

Other parts of the game seem to fare better, at least, initially. Interrogation, which involves a series of carefully timed button presses, is handled very well. These sessions also feature multiple takes on each line of dialogue, a nice touch which helps to lessen the blow of repeating each segment in the event of failure. However, even multiple lines of dialogue don't make the deviously-designed later interrogations any less frustrating, especially when it comes down to repeating the last three minutes because of one slight screw-up.

The various computer mini-games, routing networks, copying data, tracing radio signals and the such, are probably the game's best moments as they're more logic-based than the rest of the game. However, even these segments are marred by the game's inability to provide accurate instructions. Not all of the mini-games are self-explanatory, such as the radio tracing portion where upon the player is told to use the left analog stick to locate radio signals. What the game doesn't tell the player is that the stick must be carefully manipulated in small increments, as this movement controls the radius and intensity of the search. Instead, the player is left to discover this themselves through trial and error, a process that ends up more frustrating than entertaining.

The problem of vague objectives is one that crops up throughout each of 24's various modes. When driving, the player is occasionally told to lose the cops on their trail. In terms of gameplay, that indicates fancy back alley driving. Instead, the actual solution is that of repeatedly smashing into the cars until they explode, a process made all the more tedious by the sluggish controls mentioned above. At one point in an action segment, I failed a mission because I hadn't accomplished an objective the game had yet to mention.

Even the story, the shining highlight of 24 The Game, is problematic. At the end of the day, the main plot is the only one to be properly concluded, the various subplots unresolved, seemingly forgotten. The game also abuses the real-time nature of the story much more than the show ever has, magically transporting characters across LA in the span of a minute. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on your stance, the main plot is an interesting one, one that eventually serves as an end cap to the first two seasons of 24 and explains some things.

As a game, 24 The Game is absolutely horrible, an unfinished, barely playable, multigenre wreck. But judged as a lost season of 24, the game fares notably better. In this sense, 24 The Game is simultaneously one of the best and worst licensed titles to hit in some time. The game successfully captures the essence and style of the hit show, but that's all it does right. Without the license, the game would have no appeal whatsoever, but thanks to the 24 branding, things are slightly redeemed.

The good news, perhaps the best of this entire review, is that the game is rather short, only six to ten hours long, bugs and glitches permitting. At that length, it's easily beatable within a rental period, and as that one-time playthrough will likely be enough for even the most ardent 24 fan, that's the best alternative for those who simply have to play, those who simply need to know what happens, regardless of how bad the game may be.