Metareview: Clive Barker's Jericho (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

Clive Barker's Jericho spawned from the depths of hell yesterday and reviewers are starting to chime in with their scores, which hold inconsistent numbers between outlets, but similar issues. For those who pay attention to our GameTap Thursday posts, you know you could've gotten the game on PC with almost no potential for buyer's remorse from the service for free yesterday -- well, technically, for the cost of the $10 monthly fee, but new subscribers would only pay a measly 99 cents. Jericho surprised us at E3, showing potential from a game we had heard next to nothing about. Although it's apparently not everything we were hoping for, it seems to get a passing grade -- with some angry exceptions. Surprisingly, scores seem across the board.

• GamePro (90/100): "While the stage design is awesome, there are some horrendously long load times involved. It makes sense given the game's graphical prowess but it really cuts into the sense of immersion that the game's atmosphere does such a great job of instilling. ... Jericho still manages to shine bright. Its slick style, amazing graphics, and dark atmosphere really make it stand out."

• Game Informer (60/100): "If broken gameplay mechanics and community college acting didn't weigh down the game, it might actually be worthwhile. Each environment features a macabre twist on a historical period, and they rival Painkiller in their haunting heavy metal video backdrop appearance. Unfortunately, the creepy locales and ultraviolent action don't translate into a frightening experience. And isn't that where Clive Barker is supposed to shine?"

• 1UP (30/100): "I'm also perplexed by the absurdly long (and frequent) load times, given that the game looks like complete garbage. Every level feels like it was made with an FPS construction set: boring, ugly, bland, ugly, dark, and ugly. (Did I mention ugly?) And yet, you work through the stages in ridiculously short chunks, as though the system can't handle the massive amounts of blandness. It's mysterious. ... But the thread holding Jericho above that pit of legendary awfulness is thin and fraying. Mr. Barker, you're better than this."