Chili Con Carnage

In this day of me-too action games, you could definitely find something worse than Chili Con Carnage.

If you’re not offended by constant references to burritos, fajitas and, erm, chickens, then Chile Con Carnage does demonstrate how a third-person shooter can be fun on the PSP in spite of its controller deficiencies.

The ridiculous stereotypes, somewhat offensive writing, and ho-hum gameplay all manage to come together to be something worth playing.

CCC is a fun shooter romp for your PSP. If you can look past its faults, there is a lot of fun to be had here.

The third-person camera sometimes causes frustration, but otherwise this by-the-book action shooter serves up a spicy helping of mindless bloodshed.

Maybe if the developers had taken a risk and gone for more polish in the combo system and great level design instead of loads of game modes this could have been something really interesting.

Like biting into a jalapeno, this is fresh, frantic and explosive fun while it lasts.

Chili Con Carnage is a game that doesn't take itself seriously, which is definitely a good thing. The problem is that the slipshod controls make you not want to take the entire package seriously. When 90% of your game is about shooting, the shooting and aiming mechanics had better be dead on target.

Of course, mindless shooting can get repetitive, but the game's pick-up-and-play nature is great for playing on the go. [Apr 2007, p.86]

The storyline is laughable and not always in a good way. On the other hand, you get a pair of entertaining multiplayer modes to entertain those friends with a single PSP in addition to those with a network connection and a system of their own.

Taking some well-worn lessons from other shooters, you won't have to strain your mind to be able to enjoy this fun and action-packed shooter on your handheld.

The game kind of falls apart when it gets too difficult; the speedy pace just isn't as compelling when you're attempting the same thing over and over, especially when the mechanics periodically flake out.

After playing "Portable Ops" the other week, it's great playing a game that doesn't really demand too much of you, and that's nothing but a plus point. There's no variation in game play, and I'm not too sure about using a mass of people to increase difficulty, but as a whole, the game is just too fun and addictive to allow the faults any right of passage.

Chili Con Carnage is short-lived, but incredibly fun. The complete focus on crazy, stupid gunplay, tons of enemies, and decent graphics and environment make it a guilty pleasure.

Based on the evidence, I believe that Deadline Games is capable of putting out something more satisfying—but in its current state, Chili Con Carnage is more like chips and salsa than arroz con pollo.

Unfortunately, Chili Con Carnage is much better at sparking a racially-charged debate than it is at being and entertaining product. [Apr 2007, p.50]