Money,weapons, lifestyle aspect
Not only do the cameras, which are identifiable by a camera icon on your screen popping into view, keep a close eye on your murdering exploits, but the ship’s crew will also be watching in certain areas. For example, you won’t be able to murder a fellow passenger in the bar or the restaurant. These places also provide a safe haven if you need a bit of breathing space from your pursuer.
Money is used for a various things within the gamer including certain chores in the embedded sim-based system that sees you having to do tedious chores such as showering, reading a book, sleeping, going to the toilet and eating. Each chore has a sim-styled circular icon that depletes over time. Once your icon starts to move into the red section you’ll need to replenish it by carrying out these tasks. For example, if your food icon is running low, you could head to the ships restaurant and buy something to eat, or buy something from one of the food dispensers in the hallway. As a knock on effect of eating, your toilet icon will reduce meaning you’ll have to either head back to a cabin or public loo in order to relieve yourself, and so it continues. Although this part of the gameplay could be seen as a distraction to the main action orientated objective, some people will probably enjoy carrying out these tasks and it does add more to the intensity of the situation. It’s these moments of taking a shower or having a nap when you are at your most vulnerable, after all there are no cameras in your cabin.
Click for larger imageMoney is also needed in case you are fined for entering restricted areas of the ship, facing a court fee for landing in jail, or buying clothes and weapons from the numerous shopping establishments. Money isn’t just limited to the aforementioned things; it can be used for a whole multitude of dealings and be lost just as easily.
Money is gained through killing your quarry. The better the weapon you use the more money you’ll earn. For example, using a Winchester rifle to kill your quarry will accumulate more cash than using a rolling pin. A list of the weapons and their various values can be accessed via the user interface.
Weapons are dotted around the ship and appear randomly at the end of each round. They can be found in drawers, cupboards, hanging on walls or practically anywhere on the huge liner. There’s a fair amount of variety with the weapons available, including flare guns which light up your quarry like a bonfire and even letter openers; the more powerful the weapon the more damage you’ll inflict.
Click for larger imageOn occasions you’ll spend a fair deal of time scouting around the numerous floors of the vessel trying to find a decent weapon, but you can be pretty sure, if you get to know the maps inside and out, that you can second guess where a weapon will be located. Be careful not to brandish your weapon or attack a passenger in full view of a camera or guard, otherwise you'll be straight to the lock-up.
The Ship’s map system is crucial if you want to win. You’ll need to familiarise yourself with every nook and cranny so you can dash to a certain point if need be. Your quarry appears on the map in orange and could be based on any of the ship’s floors. Switching to the map to view your location in relation to the quarry can be dangerous due to you being stalked by a crazed fellow passenger, so it’s wise to learn the decks off by heart so you can choose the optimal route to reach your mark before the timer runs out.
Thankfully, the map menu is easy to use. You can switch between the different floors of the ship and selecting the various icons, such as a dinner plate which will show you where the restaurant is located or a pool ball which shows you the pool room (ideal for picking up a pool cue for a weapon!). You’re also able to change your attire, equip weapons, read books and access all the game's functions promptly.
The gameplay can be pretty frantic as you dash around trying to find weapons, searching for your quarry, avoiding your executer and attempting to balance all of the sim-styled needs, but the satisfaction of taking your quarry out of the equation whilst he sits on the loo is worth the effort.