Midway’s “The Suffering: Ties That Bind”, a sequel to 2004’s not-sequel-worthy “The Suffering,” is a run of the mill third-person action game that adds nothing to an already overcrowded genre.
Players take control of Torque, a grizzly inmate who has just survived an invasion of demons on the Alcatraz-like Carnate Island. As the game begins we find Torque fleeing in a raft toward Baltimore, Md. But when Torque gets to Baltimore, he finds that the city is also infested with demons. So what is our generic anti-hero to do? Kill demons.
Combat in “Ties That Bind” is dull and uninspired. Generally, Torque’s confrontations boil down to strafing around a room while shooting enemies until they stop moving. Torque’s arsenal is made up of underpowered versions of action game staples: pistols, shotguns, machine guns, rocket launchers, etc.
Whenever the onscreen “Insanity” meter fills up, players are able to press a button that transforms Torque into a hulking creature. When in creature form players can quickly cut through hordes of enemies, which would be great if it weren’t so boring.
Level design is linear and “Ties That Bind’s” graphics aren’t anything special. The character animations are decent and the enemy design is interesting, although many of the enemies are straight out of “The Suffering.” The game’s plot is confusing and uninteresting.
“Ties That Bind” isn’t a horrible game; it’s just average in almost every way. It does little to set itself apart from other action games and isn’t worth its $50 price tag. Don’t waste your time with “The Suffering: Ties That Bind.”

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