Mechanics

Six members to control. That's a nasty thing. The control system seems smart but nasty implemented. By pressing the space button, a quick-menu appears from where you can choose which member to control. A short cinematic appears in which your spirit flies from one character to the one you have chosen. This is the problem. Looking fancy at the beginning of the game, this cinematic moment will bring lot of problems as you progress into the game. Being a squad based fps, you don't have time to lose, while being in the middle of a fight. A single click command would have been much better changing the character. If you don't want to use the quick-menu, you can jump directly into another character only if you stand near one. This method is much faster, but you lose the freedom of choosing the right character at the right moment. The A.I. of your comrades is medium to low. Sometimes you have to fight almost alone, your comrades being unable to resist an assault more than one minute. There are moments when you have to take control of a character just to help him take cover. They tend to post themselves in front of the enemy and empty their ammo belts. You have two squad commands: advance and stay put. But this is not enough, as they move independently and are unable to take cover on their own.

Abilities

The game does not rely on weapons but more on supernatural abilities. Each team-member has two abilities which are gained through the game. The first one is more common and will be used several times, while the second one has more radical effect and will cause more damage but cannot be used so often. Let's take Black for example: he can control the trajectory of the bullet and can hit up to 3 targets from one shot. Her second ability is to push objects, but this is used only in determined locations. Weapons are used only for evasion and defense, as they don't have enough power against the hordes of demons you have to destroy. It gives you the feeling of shooting with matchsticks.

Learning Curve

Every character is very well depicted as an individual having his own abilities. Learning how to use them will get you to the end of the game. Otherwise you will stumble at every step and and you end giving up. It has a long learning curve for a shooter this days, and there is no special training. First missions are somehow more easy giving you time to use their first powers, but it's not enough to get used to them. You need time and patience to learn it.

Big Bosses

The only thing that makes you continue the game is the cinematic atmosphere and the big bosses. Interactive cinematic scenes appear in key moments in the game.

At this points you can actually control your character by using the directional keys in a given sequence. If you miss one of the commands, you have to start again that scene. As you progress in the game this scenes tend to become faster, so the sequence is harder to execute. Normal cinematic scenes are frequently used by developers, but always from a first person view. In this way the scene seems dynamic and credible. Following a classic concept, Jericho features level bosses. These characters are somehow keepers of every historical age in the old city. Each of them represent an important piece in the story:

Hanne Lichthammer is a German officer in the Nazi regime. She is an abomination from the Second World War. She has the power of teleportation and can control her enemy's mind. She can be found in the World War II Al Khali era.

Bishop Maltheus Sinclaire assembled an army of children and slaughtered them in the battle against Saladin. The souls of the children haunted the fortress, and their hate turned them into Firstborn abominations. He can be found in the Crusaders era.

Governor Cassus Vicus is a pervert and cannibal. He was exiled in Al Khali where he built a palace and temples so that everyone can praise him. He can be found in the Romans era.

Arnold Leach serves the Firstborn and together can be found in the Sumerian era. In the end Leach has an important part in killing the Firstborn, by turning against his master. But if you play on the hardest difficulty level, Ross is the one who will confront Leach.