The PSP is a poor, unlucky console: gamers complain about it receiving PS2-hand-me-downs that are drab and boring, but when a gem does show up, they seem to ignore it. Chili Con Carnage is such a game. A retooled version of 2005 action game Total Overdose, this portable version scraps (almost) everything bad from the original, and adds even more craziness and 'spice' to it, creating a truly enjoyable game that features over-the-top action, like its supposed to.
Total Overdose was known for its big explosions, crazy storylines and its over-the-top acrobatic moves that could be executed in slow motion, ala The Matrix. However, the game was criticized badly for featuring an open-ended city that just didn't work. Featuring an even more bizarre title than its big brother, Chili Con Carnage strips away the superfluous elements from the console game, while focusing on its strong parts: the action… and the story, of course.
This story line takes the award for weird storyline from its big brother. The game begins with hero Ramiro Cruz as he visits his father, who's a Policia Federal Agent, on his birthday. As the old man opens his gift (a box full of adorable kittens!), he is killed by a drug cartel boss who literally bursts into his office to chop him into bits (oh, the poor kittens). A tale of revenge begins, as Ramiro goes on a killing spree that puts him up against Mexico's worst scum.
Chili Con Carnage drops the free-roaming part of Total Overdose to focus solely on the game play, as well as a bunch of other features that breathe fresh life into this game. As with the first, Ramiro pulls off various acrobatic maneuvers in slow motion that would put even John Woo to shame. The game play is focused around a combo system that depends solely on this - leaping around the room in slow motion, shooting the hats off an enemy while trying to don his hat on your head, at the same time aiming for another headshot is an experience that no other game provides. The combo meter increases depending on how long you can keep killing enemies, as well as how crazy your kills are; it drops when you aren't shooting anything. The points raised through combos lets you earn medals, which can only be a good thing for perfectionists who can go back to previously played levels to try and complete everything.
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