Future Tactics: The Uprising, created by the now defunct British development team, Zed Two, illustrates perfectly the good and bad of the videogaming world. A small team, Zed Two have sought to provide a Tactical RPG of sorts, full of innovative ideas and neat touches. But it’s just as clear, both in its “budget” price and in the game itself, that the publishers failed to provide the money needed to bring to life the many unique ideas on offer.

Where the game’s budget shows most clearly is in the presentation. From the cartoon-like graphics, bright colours and low-polygon models through to the meagre animations, everything about the game tries to scream “charm” but instead whispers “bigger budget, please”. An upbeat sound track (provided by another UK legend, Tim Folin) matches the visual approach and the game’s light-weight stylings, but inevitably helps little in creating any kind of engaging mood.

The cut-scenes too are lifeless, with voice acting ranging from acceptable to grating, especially in the case of the lead character. Allowing players to fast-forward through these is not just a nice idea but also one that gamers will welcome with open arms. In a deal reminiscent of a double-dare gone awry Zed Two enlisted the help of the Digitiser legend Mr. Biffo. Like him or loathe him one thing is clear, Biffo’s unique style of writing is not best served in such a structured and linear environment. Though there are some great one-liners the story is under-developed, leaving a shallow and largely bland experience. Both he and the game have come off worse for the experiment.

Unlike gloss, ideas cost nothing. It’s in the battles, the crux of the game, where the Brothers Pickford have sought to innovate most. Mixing action gameplay with turn-based strategy and experience-gathering RPG leanings (in an attempt to find a broader audience, yet give experienced gamers something new) is a brave move, but one that only partially succeeds.

Standard RPG rules apply; select a member of the party and choose to attack or move within a clearly marked “perimeter.” Both the character’s experience level and the environment itself dictate just how large or small the area of movement is. Early levels, based in hilly but largely obstacle-free environments, allow relatively free movement, whilst later levels reveal more creativity.

Controlling the avatar directly, using the analogue stick and jumping over smaller obstacles that may hinder progress, is functional enough but the camera (controlled by the right stick) is not quite so helpful. All too often the camera sticks behind a tree or small hill, and rotation too can be severely limited. A zoom feature - allowing the camera to pull away from its focus incrementally - helps, but it’s a solution which forces the player down a route that shouldn’t be necessary.

With movement complete, another visual radius informs where the player may move after attacking. Ignoring this opportunity of foresight can be costly. Observing the surrounding environment and locating the many enemies to help plan where to run for cover after attacking, is all part of the strategy. Dispatching the enemy in front of you, only to be left in direct sight of two or more foes lurking nearby, is a guarantee of a quick and unsuccessful battle.

Two varieties of attack are available, the first being Direct fire which relies on having an enemy within line of sight. Targeting an enemy is not simple though as the on-screen target is in constant motion, moving violently if a softly-softly approach isn’t taken. It's frustrating early on, but does provide a more involved feeling and is a unique touch, distinct from most combat engines of the genre. Scrolling horizontal and vertical axes are used for the effectiveness of the attack, the closer to centre when locked the more damage they inflict. When targets are out of sight, or for those who like a less direct approach, missile attacks are also available. Utilising a system resembling an overhead sonar, another two-stage lock process demands more gentle action and quick reflexes. Depending on the targets proximity, accuracy and the players skill and weapon level enemies may be dispatched in a single attack.

Optionally, players can take their aggression out on the deformable landscape. Shooting large boulders in an attempt to crush an opponent with the over-sized debris should allow for some deeper tactics to come into play. In truth though, while a lucky few may succeed, it’s mostly a waste of an attack. Similarly, the chance to create hideouts in the form of the craters left after a bombardment should add to the strategy used in battle, but it’s rarely successful in reality.

When enemies decide to move, animations are triggered, providing the player information as to their foes’ whereabouts. Problematically, they are dull to watch and irritating in equal measure. While skipping these may affect the chance of success the camera can be used to similar effect. Watching them, however, combined with the other failings in-game, results in a building irritation that manifests itself in a far more damaging trigger-happy approach to your next attack. More costly to the enjoyment of battle is the error-ridden AI which often results in opponents hurling themselves off cliffs, getting stuck or simply following no coherent battle plan.

Perplexingly, even if a battle is lost, any experience and power-ups gained are retained. It’s an unusual approach but one which comes as a huge blessing. Many of the encounters rely simply on a “move-attack-cover” plan, and replaying battles over and over until a character has levelled up to allow for sheer force to win the day is a common approach.

The multiplayer mode, fortunately, allows for some truly nerve-inducing sessions. Playing out like a modern-day Worms, the strategies deployed have an immediate effect and the loss of some of the energy-sapping animations helps to increase the pace of battle, creating genuinely exciting encounters.

With the feeling that the game will simply throw “more of the same” the player’s way, and with the underlying story doing nothing to engage them, the sense of disappointment early on is palpable. And, though the environments increase in complexity, many gamers will have tired of the repetitiveness and poor AI. High levels of patience and acceptance of the mediocrity that fills so much of the early sections are necessary to find some of the highlights that Future Tactics has to offer. Zed-Two may be gone for good, but the Pickford Brothers will no doubt be back. It can only be hoped that their inventiveness is met with the time and budget to do their creativity justice.