Another high-profile summer blockbuster from Hollywood gets the licensed videogame tie-in treatment as Activision and Z-Axis offer up X-Men: The Official Game for our collective ‘entertainment’. However, Hollywood tie-ins generally exist as little more than sideshow attractions to boost both the movie’s exposure and its global till receipts (Batman Begins is perhaps the worthy exception), so does X-Men: The Official Game transcend that stereotype by delivering a game faithful to the source material while also providing genuine gaming attraction? The answers to those questions are ‘yes’ and ‘no’ respectively.

X-Men: The Official Game has plenty of franchise oomph in terms of star names providing their physical likenesses and vocal talents to the game’s characters, and the likes of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and Patrick Stewart as Professor Xavier all help to cement an air of believability to the game’s narrative structure, which is a stage-setting prelude to the events of X-Men III: The Last Stand. Game music is also lifted directly from the movie and its beautifully orchestrated pacing certainly adds further enhancement to the authentic vocal performances.

Yet, for all its franchise credibility, X-Men: The Official Game feels sadly flat, stilted, and under developed—much like most movie tie-ins—and the game as a whole falls well short of the most basic videogame requirement: fun. This ultimately damning failure arises through various components of the game, which include a strictly limited and predetermined selection of playable X-Men characters, a sporadically unhelpful in-game camera, disappointing level design and visuals, no mid-mission game saves, and unbelievably repetitive gameplay.

Having only Wolverine, Iceman, and Nightcrawler (a weak cast at best) as mission-specific rotating playable characters seems an almighty waste of considerable resources when gazing across the wealth of X-Men that are either unused or relegated to NPCs during the game. Girl gamers will not be best pleased to discover that not one of the central characters is drawn from the female mutant gene pool, which is made all the more disappointing and inexplicable by the intermittent in-game appearances of Storm (Ororo Munroe) during Wolverine’s levels. In relationship to the player’s usage of Wolverine, his missions are merely devolved exercises of hack-and-slash frustration that quickly grow tiresome, in no small part due to a trailing camera that cannot move throughout 360 degrees of vision and the game’s distinct lack of save points. Indeed, Wolverine’s amazing adamantine claws are not especially useful when attackers are inflicting damage from beyond his field of view and the camera won’t swing into a user-friendly position in order to help adapt to given situations. The simple fact that the camera is completely open and moveable during Nightcrawler and Iceman missions only further instils a sense of perplexed despair when saddled with the game’s claw-wielding lead mutant. However, Nightcrawler and Iceman levels fair little better in terms of originality and entertainment value, and even though the game’s triple character structure ably showcases the individual powers and abilities of each mutant—teleportation, surfing on an icy slide, miraculous healing, etc—there’s little on display to hold player attention for more than a few curious hours.

Graphically, X-Men: The Official Game is built around a serviceable 3D engine that copes relatively well without ever excelling in the presentation department. Environments are largely dull and dark affairs (typically places such as Alkali Lake and Dark Cerebro) that try their hardest to exude an air of menace and foreboding, but instead only conjure up a sense of unfortunate underachievement. Character representations are impressive throughout; all the in-game characters appear like their movie selves, and players can look forward to seeing the likes of Magneto, Pyro, Sabretooth, Silver Samurai, The Sentinel, Multiple Man, Colossus, and a returning Lady Deathstrike all thrown into the mix. The game’s main plotline gradually unfolds between missions via comic book storyboard frames that sport thoroughly believable—but largely static—versions of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, Halle Berry as Storm, Alan Cummings as Nightcrawler, etc. Though certainly well implemented and competent in delivering the narrative segue moments (perhaps thanks to the actors’ voices), these rendered animatic storyboards ultimately smack of being unfinished elements left static rather than seen through to a completed and worthy end. In fact, the whole game feels much the same.

As already mentioned, the musical score for X-Men; The Official Game is lifted from the movie itself and it’s superb from start to finish, imbuing a degree of impact and ambiance to proceedings that’s sadly lacking across other critical departments. Game sound is carried along ably by the vocal performances of the assembled acting talent, but atmospherics, battle sounds, death cries, etc, are all perfectly acceptable behind the stellar cast. Deaf gamers, or those with hearing impairments, can follow the storyline in X-Men: The Official Game thanks to optional full subtitle accompaniment—which is handy as the storyboard segues contain a great deal of information before each new mission.

As with most modern videogames, X-Men: The Official Game holds a considerable amount of unlockable extras to be abused outside or alongside its central gameplay. In this case, various Danger Room challenges (the Danger Room is a training simulator) can be unlocked during the game, as can new X-Men costumes, and also character-specific moves and powers. Despite the moderate distraction handed down by this minor extra content, and the game’s interesting preceding storyline (to the new movie), the fact remains that X-Men: The Official Game holds limited appeal for hardened X-Men fans and casual gamers alike. Only three playable X-Men characters (all male—Ed) is the game’s first slap across the face of the consumer, whereas two of them being dull as dishwater emerges as the second. Banal and repetitive gameplay is then the equivalent of a swift kick to the solar plexus, while the Wolverine-missions’ game camera sticks a metal claw through the eye as it all-but kills any form of fluid movement and on-the-go navigation. Add uninspiring visuals, grimy presentation, and lacklustre story explanations and you’re left with great music and great vocal performances…both of which are taken from the X-Men III: The Last Stand movie. Make of that what you will.

Review by Stevie

Following a massive battle between the forces of Magneto and an invading Apocalypse, the city of Genosha lies in scarred ruins, its people all-but destroyed, and a desperate Magneto left with only one choice: seek help. And so, the nefarious Brotherhood of Mutants form a fragile alliance with Professor Xavier’s X-Men in an attempt to rid the world of a common evil that threatens all. Meanwhile, Apocalypse is abducting individual mutants and performing mysterious genetic tests on them, sampling their DNA, searching for something specific—but what? Join the X-Men and the Brotherhood in their quest to thwart Apocalypse and discover the unsettling truth behind his relentless pursuits.

ThumbBandits.com is primarily a girl-gaming site. A safe haven for gaming’s female demographic, where all things girl-related concerning videogames can be discussed, admired, and criticized without fear of stunted discrimination. Yet, the site’s ‘Latest Reviews’ page rarely contains titles that offer the female demographic a true girl’s adventure in terms of character content—and this is not down to coverage choice, but publishing trend. Well, allow Activision and Raven to put that little inadequacy to rest. Here come the X-Men.

X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse. Not a particularly good start considering the “Men” of the title, but look beyond the overtly male packaging and you’ll find an instantly accessible game that allows players to freely exercise interchangeable character favoritism from start to finish. And that’s the key. The game itself plays somewhat like Phantasy Star Online; it’s a third-person adventure that embraces progress via action more than careful exploration. And though not an RPG in the strictest sense of the word, character interaction with NPCs is certainly in evidence but not essential to the game’s evolution. At its core, the player leads a band of four on-screen mutants from chapter to chapter, and each of them steadily levels-up in strength and ability through experience points amassed by defeating foes—and here’s where ThumbBandits’ faithful female followers get their money’s worth.

If so inclined, players can elect a four-strong team of mixed sex mutants, or same sex, and for once that means choosing from a broad selection of powerful and interesting male and female characters. Though the guys still outweigh the gals, including the likes of Cyclops, Wolverine, Juggernaut, Colossus, Magneto, Nightcrawler Iceman, and more, the female offering includes Jean Grey, Rogue, Storm, and Scarlet Witch. Other non-playable lady mutants appear during the story, and it’s a shame that Mystique is not included to the playable ranks, but it’s still not often that a videogame places its entire female contingent in prime position for complete and utter ass kicking from the off—and X-Men Legends II is all the more refreshing because of this.

Progressive leveling-up can be assigned directly by the player or automatically by the game, and increases character special moves and mutant abilities, as well as providing better access to the wealth of applicable equipment options. The equipment store is situated in various ‘base headquarter’ areas within the game, where players will also find other members of the X-Men and Brotherhood who offer advice and mission tips. This is also where players can interact with Professor Xavier (voiced by Patrick Stewart), who doles out mission directives and generally acts as the fragile balance between the two bands of mutant forces.

Aesthetically, Rise of Apocalypse is slickly presented throughout. Visuals are well crafted, from the impressively rendered story sequences, to in-game design, character models, and overall animation. Frame rate levels remain constant and secure amidst often-frenetic onscreen action and the player never feels separated from the brawling. Character controls initially border on the worryingly extensive, yet soon become second nature as intuitively swift button combination’s provide instant access to great sways of impressive mutant moves. Game sound is also fabulously complementary, and ably enhances the experience with a moodily orchestrated score accompanied by snappy mutant dialogue and resonating sound effects. The central story is well voiced by all attending actors, and those players with hearing deficiencies can fully enjoy each passing event through the implementation of comprehensive subtitles.

Beyond the game’s central story mode, Rise of Apocalypse also has a co-op mode and online multiplayer options (for up to 4 players) via Network Ethernet. And, through the attainment of various hidden items in the main game, players can also unlock masses of extra content, including classic comic covers, concept artwork, character pin-ups, and ‘danger room’ missions for special bonuses. All in all, there’s plenty to hold your attention should the main game become stale—which it probably won’t.

Running against the usual flowing dirge of comic book videogames, Activision has turned in a pretty impressive year where Marvel licenses are concerned. Ultimate Spider-Man certainly swung elegantly from publisher to consumer, and now X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse offers solid third-person thrills, an intriguing plot, relentless action, progressive leveling, and mass character variety. Let us all turn a blind eye to the truly abhorrent Fantastic 4—but two out of three winners in a genre that generally disappoints is still an admirable achievement.

Review by Stevie

Henshin-a-go-go baby! The immortal words of Viewtiful Joe, back again for his second outing. At first I was a little worried as I had heard that the only difference was a new character. Oh my god! Not another game gone the way of Devil may cry two – lets add a character and that will be enough to warrant a new game! However, it seems that Joe may have a little more up his sleeve.

Layout and Menu systems
The layout of this system is very simplistic. All the fonts look rather childish and are very brightly colored. This just adds to the games fun image. It is really easy to understand and navigate your way through the menu systems. With all the colors flashing around it is difficult not to enjoy yourself just thinking about playing the game.

Graphics
As with the previous game the graphics are not state of the art but the way they are designed is nothing short of artistic genius. It is almost like being able to control the events in an old movie. A mixture of old cartoons and comic book drawings. I am a major fan of movies and comic books, so this style graphic design appeals to me in so many ways, So colourful. Just stunning.

Sound
Viewtiful Joe has some of the best sounds of any game I have heard in a while. The music is full of Chunky guitar riffs and whaling solos. In a nut shell the sounds of this game add so much to the game purely because it adds to the fun of the game. I loved the music in the first and I love the music in this game even more. If you love cheesy film music from the late eighties and early nineties, you will love it.

Playability
This game is very easy to get into and even easier to love. The controls are easy to understand and the levels are just generally good fun. Due to the introduction of a new character there are some new moves available to purchase. This adds a bit of length to the play time of the game. If the plot doesn’t have you intrigued or in stitches of laughter then I will eat my hat. (Please don’t make me eat my hat as it has hard bits in it).

Lastability
Unfortunately, Viewtiful Joe 2 has a limited lastability. There are only so many hours that you can punch and kick in slow mo and fast forward before you get a little tired of it. Even with the new moves it seems that the entertainment can only last you until you have completed the game. Once you have done that then you have probably played enough. If you haven’t then you could always try to complete the game with a perfect score…

Who is this game for?
This game is mainly for fans of the first game I would say. There isn’t a vast difference between this game and the first. However, I feel this game would probably be better liked by female gamers due to the introduction of a strong female character. One let down is that the game has no subtitles. Sometimes the voices are difficult to understand. Those with hearing difficulties would find this particularly irritating and would find the story hard to follow. The story is a little odd anyway. Let’s turn people into Oscars!!! GREAT!

Pros and Cons
+ Colourful graphics
+ Great Character Voices
+ Cool moves
+ Unlockable moves
+ Generally good fun

- Sylvia does tend to be a little annoying
- Music becomes repetitive (Just like the commentary)
- No subtitles to show what the characters are saying.
- Two playable characters but no two player mode? Hmmm…

The First hour
Pre-game –Looked at the game in complete awe, for I had waited many moons to try this sequel. I had to clean the drool from the disc so I could play it. Also prepped myself for all the witty dialogue I was about to hear.

After 30 mins – I had managed to make it through the first couple of sections without a blemish and I had also achieved a viewtiful score each time (I rock).

After 45 mins – This was a good moment as I could finally afford to get double mach speed. Oh the joy!

After 60 mins – Was starting to feel the repetitiveness of the game. However, I continued to punch my way through hoards of bad guys.

Viewtiful Joe 2 is a good game. Good playability, nice graphics, thoroughly entertaining. However, there just isn’t enough new material for a sequel. In my opinion this game only merits an 8/10. I love this game but I think that so much more could have been added. Not quite disappointing but a little bit of let down. Still a brilliantly weaved game. Capcom…keep them coming.

Review by Stephen

Viewtiful Joe has often caught my eyes on the game store shelf when I’ve been browsing for new games but since I haven’t really bought a new Gamecube game in months, I’ve consistently overlooked this title and went for something on the Xbox or PS2 shelf. When a copy of Viewtiful Joe popped through the letterbox for the PS2 however I couldn’t help but be a little excited at finally getting to experience this game. I’d heard some good things about the Cube version and I have to say I wasn’t at all disappointed with the PS2 port.The first thing I noticed about Viewtiful Joe is just how fantastic the graphics look. The unusual cell shading mixed with a retro feel to the game makes it instantly attractive and interesting to view. The tongue-in-cheek cartoony feel of the game mixed with the 2D/3D graphics provide a lush and detailed setting for your adventure featuring movie fan Joe.

Joe is just your average guy, out for the evening with his girlfriend, treating her to one of his favorite old fighting movies at the local cinema. When his beloved girlfriend is snatched by the Darth Vader-esque villain on the screen and sucked into the movie, Joe has to step up to the plate and become the hero he’s always dreamt of being. He is guided in his quest by Captain Blue, a true hero who has now passed and whom Joe must live up to.

The beginning of the game only hints at what is to come. You enter into a very basic training mode which shows you how to kick and punch however this is only scratching the surface of what Joe can do. He truly is a superhero worthy of challenging any others for their crown. His maneuvers gradually grow throughout the game and although you start off with basic moves capable of defeating most enemies, the fun lay in expanding your range and pulling off some truly breathtaking moves. As Joe progresses he learns new combos and outlandish feats of strength and power. In fact you’re rewarded for the more insane and ridiculous moves you can pull off when attacking your enemies and trust me there are plenty of enemies around. The enemies in the game are as unusual as the rest of the graphics. You’ll regularly encounter soldiers, bats, mummies, flying leprechaun like creatures and more.

As you make your way through the game, the aim is to rescue your girlfriend whilst becoming the superhero you already feel you are in your own mind. The Kung-fu like fighting merges perfectly with the old movie touches added to the overall look of the game. You make your way through a series of episodes and you’re graded after each of these and within each scenario inside these also. The grades range from V (Viewtiful), A (Awesome), B (Baaaad), C (Crappy) and D (D’Oh!), and the more cool moves you pull off the higher the grade. You’ll also have the opportunity to power up as you move through the game and this is a brilliant addition as not only does it help you achieve the moves you’ll need to progress later on but it also lets you buy extra hearts and health etc to keep you playing longer. Oh a word of warning here, if you’re hoping to save then please put you memory card in when you start the game. I had serious trouble trying to save at the save points throughout because i hadn’t used a memory card at the beginning. You will definitely want to save your game because it can be very taxing at times and there are a few difficult areas which will take some time to work out. Don’t let this put you off though because this is in part what makes the game so good. It’s challenging but never loses its sense of fun with it. On a few occasions early on I found myself getting a little frustrated at what to do next but that’s purely because I hadn’t yet learned how to best use the special skills that Joe has. Once you learn how to use these it really adds to the feeling that you’re interacting with your environment. Joe can slow down time which is brilliant for attacking difficult enemies and multiple enemies. It can also be used to help slow down fans and moving platforms so you can proceed. He can also use mach speed to speedily go where no Joe has gone before and this is perfect for attacking bosses.

The more you play, the more confident you’ll become in attempting new moves in combination with special abilities and its these that will boost your scores. The inclusion of VFW power means that there’s a good balance between the length of time you can stay in special abilities mode. It lasts a fairly long time and in VFX mode you can perform your way out moves. If it runs out you revert back to being dull old normal clothed Joe but don’t worry that doesn’t last long and you can still punch and kick in this mode anyway. The controls for fighting are tight and accurate. No need for numerous buttons and menus etc in this game, its straight forward but accomplishes so much. It makes you feel that you’re obtaining great fighting combos with very little effort and that’s another great aspect of the game.

The sounds in Viewtiful Joe are spot on. They sound like traditional comic book sounds if thats possible. There’s the thwack, bop, thud type noises and of course the soundtrack running in the background to add a little atmosphere. The inclusion of cheers and clapping when you do something amazing really makes you feel like its part of a movie, as well as the director shouting instructions when you die, take a break and so much more.

Female Gamer Angle: Obviously you’re only playing as Joe, he’s the hero and you’re saving his girlfriend, but who cares! It’s great fun and as we always say here at Thumb Bandits… we as female gamers want good games, sure it would be nice to be able to play the girl rescuing the boy or indeed girl, but it’s just not going to happen that soon.

Overall, Viewtiful Joe is a brilliantly addictive unusual game. I’m not sure how it is quite classified but that just doesn’t matter when it’s this much fun. Clover Studios have done a brilliant job of porting this over and Capcom are onto a winner with this title. There are numerous hidden bonus characters to unlock and the PS2 version is lucky enough to have Dante from Devil May Cry as one of those unlockables. This game doesn’t really alter much as it progresses however it doesn’t seem to become dull. It feels fun and it makes you want to continue playing. A completely engaging game which is definitely a must have for any PS2 owner. Go buy now. ‘Cut, Cut, Cut!’.

Review by Tracy

In the past, big-name Hollywood movies have often been mirrored by a separate release that follows an almost exact vein of subject matter. Most notably, in 1991 Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves clashed swords with (surprise, surprise) Robin Hood, and in 1994 Kurt Russell’s Tombstone faced down Kevin Costner’s Wyatt Earp behind the OK Corral. In short, rival companies occasionally squeeze the same genre for all it’s worth, while exploiting incredibly similar structure, narrative, and execution.

What came first, the chicken or the egg? Well, in this case, the chicken is Radical’s Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, and the egg is Activision’s Ultimate Spider-Man, and their respective release dates would decree that the chicken did indeed come first—by just over a month. Yet 30 days of birthing separation apart, the two games are almost exactly the same. Their aesthetics may differ, their storylines and characters may follow separate paths, and their creators may not share the same studio space, but the similarities are glaringly obvious. And, while Ultimate Spider-Man is an incredibly slick, well-crafted, and beautifully presented game, it unfortunately suffers through those similarities and the later release.

Set across a sprawled, free-roaming New York City environment, Ultimate Spider-Man revolves around Peter Parker’s emergent battle against long-time friend Eddie Brock as he assumes his father’s ‘legacy’ and becomes the evil Venom. However, in a gameplay twist—and somewhat oddly in terms of central empathy—players also intermittently assume the role of Brock’s Venom during the game’s unfolding plot. Along the way, both Spidey and Venom will encounter and battle various Marvel-inspired heroes and villains, such as X-Men’s Wolverine, the Green Goblin, Electro, The Human Torch, R.H.I.N.O, Silver Sable, Nick Fury, and Carnage. All of which lend an expansive and ever-apparent sensation of comic authenticity to the experience, while playing some minor role in the game’s leading narrative.

All-important gameplay is handled superbly well for Spidey, as he swings and springs effortlessly from street to street and building to building, the player never once having to struggle with web-shooter control thanks to the game’s intuitive location awareness and immediate button response when needed. However, Venom’s controls differ somewhat in that he’s able to leap across great distances while possessing super-human strength and power. Unfortunately the towering skyscrapers of New York don’t often allow for a genuine sense of free movement while using Venom, but thankfully the game’s core element is occupied with Spider-Man, and Venom’s appearances are limited to narrative twists and story explanations.

Interacting with the environment in its entirety means plenty of easy and joyous web-swinging and wall-crawling fun while also enjoying considerable acrobatic prowess and crime purging through an array of effective and impressive fight moves. Vast distance can be covered quickly and, quite frankly, you’ll never tire of enthusiastically swinging to your required destinations. Plenty of icon-marked timed ‘races’ across rooftops and through city streets, coupled with ‘combat tours’ against various roaming street gangs, lead the player gently down a road of familiarity with Spidey and soon his movement and fight controls become fluid and second nature. Completion of map-prompted ‘city events’ such as sporadic muggings, varied rescues, and thug confrontations open further scripted story-arc moments and generally provide the highlighted segues between boss battles, plot expansion, and temporarily assuming the role of Venom.

Graphically, Ultimate Spider-Man closely resembles a living three-dimensional comic, with considered artistic attention invested in the inked line weights and slightly exaggerated comic design of the characters. This impressive in-game feel is furthered by the application of cel-shading, which, while adding extra depth in terms of 3D during close-ups, does perhaps compromise the 2D world that’s providing inspiration for the game—to the extent that cut-sequence characters appear a little ill-fitting and chunky. Environmental depth is broad in scope and unfailingly crisp in execution, while detail fade-out over extreme height and distance is subtly handled without losing that invaluable sense of stretching horizons and dizzying vertigo. Animation is fabulous throughout, the game betraying no sign of chop or slow-down as Spidey assuredly swings down busy city streets alive with chatting pedestrians and frantic traffic. Presentation is, on the whole, wonderfully captured and unfailing in its quality.

Game sound is handled well, and exists through a dramatic musical score overlaid with guiding Spidey dialogue, comedic one-liners, dense ambiance, and peripheral NPC chatter. Fight sound is suitably meaty without ever crossing the blurry line from comic book to realistic, and indeed all the audio aspects fit together comfortably and are complementary to the overall game by their relative innocuous nature. While never forcing their way into your psyche by way of repetition or monotony, the sound elements always remain on just the right side of noteworthy. Unlike most narrative-heavy videogames, Ultimate Spider-Man strangely offers its hard of hearing demographic no in-game subtitle option, though the comic cut sequences do contain text so the story shouldn’t be completely lost. And dedicated girls gamers are sadly left with no playable female heroine, the game only offering up NPCs in the form of mysterious Silver Sable, and the ever-faithful Mary Jane Parker. Spider-Girl? Now there’s a thought, eh, Marvel?

Obvious comparisons with Hulk: Ultimate Destruction exist through the employment of the GTA-esque free-roaming gameplay mechanic, arena-based boss battles, collection of hidden tokens to unlock masses of game extras, and map-prompted story elements, not to mention the almost identical gameplay feeling derived from both titles. Whereas Ultimate Spider-Man certainly outshines Hulk in terms of gloss and polish, the big lumbering green menace usurps Spidey through immersion factor. Swinging merrily through lively New York streets simply doesn’t compare to the absolute ‘destructive’ pleasure procured from Ultimate Destruction. Indeed, the oddly disruptive Venom interludes offered up in Ultimate Spider-Man lean heavily toward that missing element of player power not found within Spidey’s elegant repertoire. Venom can leap across distances, clamber up tall buildings, and fling cars, bikes and trucks at enemies…much like the Hulk. Perhaps some inter-studio spying took place between the two development teams? Who knows?

However, the simple fact remains that though Ultimate Spider-Man is a visually stunning and thoroughly entertaining title, true to its source material, and undoubtedly fun to play, it doesn’t quite achieve the same levels of satisfaction provoked by Hulk: Ultimate Destruction. Of course, specific character fans will naturally gravitate toward their favorite hero—and neither will be disappointed—but for those more comic-neutral gamers, Mr. Hulk provides the more rounded, all-powerful, and immediately visceral experience. Ultimate Spider-Man is quietly graceful, immensely enjoyable, and beautifully realized, but the fizzing spit of web shooters and warning buzz of spidey-sense simply can’t overthrow that basic compulsion to “Smash!!” anything and everything while gleefully succumbing to Ultimate Destruction’s gritty superiority.

Review by Stevie

Fo Shizzle homies it’s time to review Street Crime New York City. I will firstly point out, to you my humble reader, that I am bereft of feeling when it comes to these sorts of titles, I see them as filler titles and not ‘true’ games, because any moron can throw together a 3rd person shooty shooty with gangsta speak, a few rap songs and perhaps a car chase or two. There’s no spark or newness, since the GTA series have essentially milked the idea of street ‘hood’ to death and then some. I will remain objective though, I’m just that kind of gal.

The Big Apple … setting (unsurprisingly) for True Crime New York City, followup to the 2003 title True Crime Streets of LA. I never played that title, but it was met with fairly good reviews overall on its release, though most suggested it lacked polish. Sadly True Crimes: New York City seems to have a similar fate. The game begins with what is essentially a prologue background story in which you play as ‘Marcus’, a bloodied gang member type whose family have a history of crime, but let’s not spoil the story. Essentially Marcus slays a few hoodlums and is let off the hook by a family friend, Detective Higgins and a mere five years later Marcus, with the aid of Detective Higgins is now a NYC cop, just picking up his detective badge, ahh how simple that was after mowing down that gangster scum at the beginning of the title. And so the real game begins with a bang as it were a little further along.

Detective Reed, you’re a bad, bad man … but who cares about that, let’s get to the GTA styled missions and side missions. For me, there is little here that hasn’t been done better elsewhere. The story is full of the cheesiest cop / gangster cliché’s you’re ever likely to see / hear. There are the usual informants that will lead you to another scumbag and so it goes. The overall structure is okay, but there’s nothing overtly gripping. It’s all a bit crap really and repetitive, get mission, do mission, arrest perp, get career points. There’s also good cop / bad cop points, but I never really saw that these had any effect on the game overall. Each mission (for the most part) is quite samey and laden with henchmen you must mow down to progress. Some of the side missions were okay, but again they just felt hollow.

It’s gritty, It’s the city … environments are, in a word ‘samey’. I understand this is NYC and perhaps, to the non-visitor there this may be the case, but I’ve live in NYC and in my personal experience the city has a lot more to offer than a bunch of buildings and work places that inside seem surprisingly similar. The city itself is fairly well done and it’s a shame the same effort was not put into other aspects within the game environment. Character models are well done, but again I got the feeling I’d seen some of the same models a couple of times in the game, at different scenes, very strange. Driving sections were also pretty good, but at times it did feel that the framerate suffered for it. Along with this there was a bit of clipping and there’s not much left to say.

Cut that siren off god damn it! … The audio in the game is actually not too bad, some fairly decent voice acting even exists (names to drop: Lawrence Fishburne and Christopher Walken), let down only by some instances of sound pause, a very strange phenomenon, like a paused explosion or crash. It also cuts out completely at times. Music wise, it’s a NYC cop title with a lead African American gangster come copper main character, I’ll give you one guess, of course that’s all you need. It’s rap, at least for the most part. There are a few genres covered but essentially my brovaz and sistaz it’s rap with a capital C. Profanity abounds, but then you would expect that I suppose given the 18+ rating and the seedy NY underbelly of the story. For me it just felt a little forced and over done. No-one f_cking needs to swear that f_cking much, surely to f_ck? You get the picture. Deaf and hard of hearing gamers will find the subtitles option tucked away, not in the ‘audio’ section, but in the ‘display’ section of the options menu.

Good cop, Bad cop, Male Cop, Girl Cop … Yes there are female characters in the title and sadly I didn’t see one that had me thinking “She’s pretty cool”. I think the first female character you see is a female cop and this essentially sets the scene for the rest of the title. She’s in a position of power and wearing a teeny tiny mini skirt, I’m fairly sure this isn’t the usual dress code for a cop in a city like NYC, maybe she was undercover, making a Britney Spears video. Yes the ‘hoes’ are here too and even a ‘Godmother’ styled villain, but don’t panic, just as the usual racial stereotypes are in full effect, so is the usual array of crappy, one dimensional peripheral female characterization. Ahh bless them for not even trying.

At the end of the day … well why not finish a review of a clichéd game with one of the most annoying clichés in the English language. The story is trite and the ‘free-roaming’ gaming experience is never as free as you might want it to be. There are some nice touches, such as the cityscape itself, but overall it’s a repetitive title that relies heavily on the GTA loving crowd. Add to this a few glitches and it all became a little frustrating, the game froze on me 3 times, not too bad considering the time I spent with it you may think, but I’ve played other games longer and they’ve not crashed, so it really depends on your outlook. On the upside, the overall cinematic feel will be enjoyed by those of you who like gritty cop shows and some of the cutscenes are fairly entertaining. For this girl though, it was less Cagney and Lacey and more G-Unit and P-Duddy. A slightly above average 3 out of 5 for the GTA style certain gamers adore.

Review by Eden

Those cheeky time traveling thieves, the TimeSpilitters are back again. Once more trying to steal the time crystals so that they can control time, and take over the world…the universe….and everything!!!!

Now if only there was someone who would follow them through time and take em down!! Ah Cortez, it’s good to have you back. But this time it’s not only the Splitters that Cortez will have to deal with…

I’ve been a BIG fan of the TimeSplitters series since getting the original as one of my first games for my PS2 and loving it, and playing it for hours. And then the follow up was even better, so I have been really looking forward to this third installment.

I’m not even going to try to explain the story to much because it goes back and forth more than a back and forth machine on the back and fourth of July!!! There are times when another Cortez will protect you (Cortez), and then later in the level YOU will be the other Cortez from earlier protecting the Cortez (you) that you were earlier….(read it slowly..it sort of makes sense???!!!) Even later there’s more than one future and past Cotez’s in on the action at once. It does work, and it is really cool seeing the you from earlier, and being the you from later… I’ll leave that for now, but take it from me, when you play it, it’s a great idea that works well.

The fact that there is an actual story is a bit of a thing really. The first game was a ‘bad aliens – kill em – different time periods’ sort of situation. And some people complained about it not having story at all. I personally did not mind about the lack of a deep story line because the game was so flippin playable, especially in multiplayer. With TS2 and more so now with Future Perfect, they have put more
effort into the story, I think to try to appeal to the more middle of the road gamer. And thankfully it does not make the game any less playable, if anything it makes me want to get a bit further each time to find out where I’m going next, and what’s going to happen. But it does seem easier, even on the normal setting. Stick it on hard if your a player and you should get a decent challenge though

There are some quite funny film and game references. Such as on one level you have to help the human resistance to defeat the ‘Ultranet’ robots!!! And on another level you have to help to hack into a mainframe (very Matrix style). One of the new baddie zombie types is very ‘flood’ like, exploding when they come near you, and on another level you dress like a scientist, and you’re told that your name is Gordon…??? (what game could that be???) And there are lots of other funny bits in the single player campaign. Most of these are when you team up with other NPCs (although some of these characters are the you from earlier…or later…or both!!!) At some points in the game you get to take control of vehicles, including jeeps, and in the Scottish castle level, a truck with a machine gun mounted on the back. At this point you can choose to drive the truck, and let the computer character mount the gun, or you can take control of the turret, and have your buddy drive you. Although on this level it’s a straightforward road, on other levels you’ll need to turn the vehicle more, and this can be a bit awkward because of an erratic camera, but it’s only a minor quibble.

The main single player game is well worth playing through, and it’s really fun to do so as well. But even after competing the single player portion of the game you won’t be finished….not by a long shot (sniper shot). There are loads of Arcade and Challenge levels to be getting on with, including loads of different modes in single player (these can also be played in multiplayer as well) Some of these levels include having to blow zombie monkeys heads clean off, and racing a remote control cat!!! Getting all the medals in these arcade and challenge levels will take quite a while, but it’s worth doing for the unlockable characters
(Around 150).

The multiplayer aspect has always been a strong point for the TimeSplitters games, with a wealth of different game types, loads of great characters, and really well put together and well thought out maps. And Future Perfect is just as good, actually it’s even better now. This is due to TS finally going online. So now you’ll always have real people to be playing against, rather than bots. The map maker in this third game has been given a bit of a makeover, and is now easier to use, and so this makes it easier to produce more multiplayer maps, so that ‘if’ you do get bored with the standard ones you can create your own!! And now that the game is online, you can download new maps made by other people the world over…so the number of maps to play on is limitless. This gives the game endless replayability, because as well as multi player maps, you can also create story levels (and download story levels created by other people). The only problem here, and it’ll only apply to the PS2 version, is storing the maps. A memory card will fill pretty damn quickly if you start downloading lots of maps!! So unless you wanna buy lots of new memory cards, or one of those maxdrive thingys, then you can only have a few maps at a time. Like I say, it’ll only be like that for the PS2 version, on the Xbox you’ll be able to keep tons of maps. That way you’ll always have a different map for the next match.

Graphically the game looks great…really great, one of the best looking games I’ve got for PS2. Nice colourful cartoony characters, and on some levels there is lots going on in the background, like the castle level, which is being attacked by planes, and having missiles fired at it. And the graphics don’t suffer because of all this action, which is really good.

Sound is good too. With a decent soundtrack (that still sounds so very Goldeneye), and good voice acting, some of which is really funny. And the guns sounds spot on, as are the explosions and other effects. For the hearing impaired or deaf gamer the game features subtitles and mission objectives are written on screen.

Female aspect of the game. Well in the story mode you play as Cortez, so no female aspect there!! But in the multiplayer, there are loads of female characters to choose, so a big yay for the girls – at least in multiplayer – then!!

Overall I’d say this game is a must buy if you like first person shooters, even if you don’t, give it a try…it may convert you! You’ll be playing this games for months to come. First of all to complete the story, then to unlock the characters in the arcade and challenge modes, and what’ll keep you playing is the fantastic multiplayer.

Now…it’s Time to Split!!!

Review by Roy

EA boasts that The Sims 2 is the best-selling PC title of all time, and, as the publishing giant continues in its efforts to conquer next-gen consoles it’s seen fit to release The Sims 2: Pets. As the name suggests, in this new title your Sims can have pets. These come in the form of various cats and dogs and gerbils. These creatures have individual personalities and, much like your Sims, they have wants and needs that must be satisfied. A huge aspect of this title is that you have to teach, train, discipline, and praise your pets. If it sounds like a lot of work—that’s because it is. Of course, that’s not to say that it’s not good fun too, but it just takes a lot of time and patience to get that perfect cat or dog.

Gamers who already own The Sims 2 on PlayStation 2 will realize that The Sims 2: Pets is really the same game just with a new expansion. Those gamers who haven’t owned the previous title, well, this game is for you. There are plenty of new and creative aspects that will also keep serious fans happy. There are new elements in the form of a park, and new shops, where you can buy accessories and buy your pet’s bling. In the park, your dogs can run free and socialize with other pets, your Sims will also have the opportunity to make friends and possibly find love.

As you have complete control over the characters, you can choose to be male or female. You can choose to have a large family, small family, or even be a single parent. The possibilities with The Sims 2 are really endless. The Sims 2 isn’t prejudiced and you can have same sex relationships, you can even have aliens living in your neighborhood. You can even have alien babies! To be honest, it’s great to have a title that isn’t about killing and zombies. This game is a non-violent and entertaining title.

I don’t know if it’s because I normally play The Sims on the PC, but I found the control system on the PS2 to be a little clunky and more difficult to acclimatise to. I feel that the button layout isn’t as simple and it takes a while to use the buttons instinctively. I also feel that this is the only thing that lets the console game down. I would rather suggest to someone to buy The Sims 2 on the PC; although this is a negative, it is the only negative that I could foresee.

Seeing as The Sims titles are universal in terms of dialogue, your Sim(s) will never speak a word of English. They speak in ‘Sim’ gibberish, and it is always entertaining to listen to them hold conversations with other Sims. When listening in you can almost understand what they are saying. I’m sure that in years to come there will be universities that teach Sim…much the same as universities that specialise in Klingon (oh, dear—Ed). Sadly, because of this, there are no subtitles for hearing impaired gamers. However, it’s unnecessary to have subtitles though.

The graphics in The Sims 2: Pets are fun and colourful. They also have amazing options when creating your characters too. The attention to detail that’s gone into the clothing is astounding. Not only do you have an amazing range of fashion to choose from, you can also crop the length of skirts, shirts, and jumpers. To give you an idea of how detailed this title is you are given the choice of 12 different skin tones. Each of these is lovingly detailed with moles, freckles, and other real life characteristics.

When selecting your new furry friend(s) you can create them and change them through a wealth of design options, to the point where you can even change their size and shape. You can individualise your pooch, kitten, etc, by changing its fur and colours—there are fantastic colours to be unlocked during the game. The choice of dog breeds is amazing also; think of almost any dog breed you like and it’s more than likely that you’ll find it there. There are also fantastic new animations and you have the joy of teaching your pets tricks too. I strongly suggest teaching your cat or dog to play dead, it’s hilarious.

Inexperienced Sims fans will be amazed by this title, it is a fantastic game and it offers so much more than its predecessor. However, as I mentioned earlier, fans going from PC to the PS2 might find the control system a little difficult to get used to. Other than that though, The Sims 2: Pets is an amazing title and it does then pose the question: where will The Sims take us next?

Review by Amanda

I remember the Spy Vs Spy game way back on the Commodore 64 (better than the spectrum). So when I heard that the game was getting a 3D revamp, I was quite excited, as I recall the C64 game being quite a laugh, especially in multi (two) player mode. And it turns out that this game is very much the same as the previous one in that respect, that it’s more fun in multi player than single.

Single player has you being either the black or white spy, and being sent out on missions, usually to recover a certain item from a specific area of the map. The info about what the item is and where to find it are shown at the beginning of the level, but can also be seen at any point in the game by pressing the select button. The baddies that are out to stop you vary from level to level, apart that is, from the other spy’s, who are also looking to find the ‘secret’.

And that’s pretty much it for the single player part. Although at the start of each level, in your hideout, you can purchase different weapons and different tools for the coming level. Your hideout is also used as a health restore point when your running low. This can be a bit of a pain backtracking to refill your health though! The weapons and booby traps do make up for it though…a bit. Your weapons can include chainsaws, bazookas, and flame throwers. And there are mines and other traps, some that can only be put inside something..like say a safe.. The spring loaded boxing glove..’springs’..to mind!! But using tools can render some of the traps useless. If you are carrying a monkey wrench, then you can defuse a spring loaded boxing glove before it can do you any harm. It’s just a shame that the controls are quite unresponsive, most noticeably when you are required to jump. It can become quite frustrating quickly.

Other game mode choices are, Classic, which is more like the original version. You are in a building with another spy, and you must find the five hidden items before your enemy does. You can plant traps along the way to try to take your foe out, but be warned, so can they!! It’s a bit more stealthy, but not quite Splinter cell, or Metal gear, but it does seem a bit more fun than the uninspiring story mode. Modern is the other mode choice, and this is the same as classic mode, but using the maps from the single player game.

Multi player is where this game makes up for most of the single player short comings though. Online you’re playing against other people who have the same problems with the controls as you do, so you are all on a fair level. There are the usual game types, including deathmatch variations, including last man standing, and there’s one where you have to collect a m.a.d icon and keep hold of it for as long as possible (oddball Halo style). One major gripe about the online part of the game, and it’s not really the games fault, is the lack of players. This is the Playstation 2 version I’m playing, and when I go online to find a game to join, there is usually none…NONE!!!! The few games I have played have all been a great laugh, but waiting….waiting….waiting….waiting….X100 puts the online thing down a bit, which is a shame because it’s the most fun part of the game. Maybe it’s because it’s a cheap game?? Maybe it hasn’t got the greatest reviews?? But I thought there would be more people!! Perhaps the Xbox version will have more gamers online playing?

Graphically the game is o.k-ish. It looks sort of cartoony, which is good because it’s based on a cartoon strip. But it’s not as good as say XIII, another cartoony game based on a comic book. But they do there job o.k.

Sound is not exactly stellar either. But again, it does enough to be o.k, nothing more though. For deaf gamers the game would be fine, there is no speaking, the spy’s only do an evil cackle type laugh when they take one of there foes down. And all the info for the level, and what to do, come up on screen at the start of each level.

Girl gamer aspect is pretty decent, as the spy’s don’t come across as being either male or female, although I reckon they may well be fellas. But they look as if they could be anything!!

I’m going to give this a six out of ten, because of the samey story mode, and the dodgy controls. But if you have online (especially Xbox Live because there is nobody on the PS2 online!!), then you can add one to that, because against other people this game is a great laugh, and surely that’s a good thing. Oh yeah, it’s only cheap, so if you see, and you’ve got a few quid spare…..maybe…

Review by Roy

Generally speaking, hack-and-slash videogames quickly devolve into mindless level-by-level button-mashing frenzies, which are made all the more apparent by shallow connective storylines and weak characterizations. However, with Spartan: Total Warrior, developers Creative Assembly and publishers Sega hope drawing upon established Total War roots and tangible ancient mythology will successfully complement their focused yet frenetically charged hack-and-slash adventure.

The Roman Empire chases along its path of conquest, and all fall before the might of Emperor Tiberius. Yet proud Sparta refuses to yield against the Roman onslaught, and one man—yes, you guessed it—might still lead the Spartans to victory. Infused with the will of Ares, Greek god of war, and simply know as ‘Spartan’ throughout the story, our muscle-strewn and dreadlock-attired hero soon becomes the man of the hour as the game’s frantic opening levels outline his leadership and gameplay qualities. Faced with the Roman hordes clambering mercilessly at Sparta’s walls via lumbering siege towers, the Spartan’s true worth is swiftly put to the test.

The first thing you’ll notice while rushing to spill Roman blood, repel borders, tip boiling oil, and operate giant catapults, is the astounding lack of slowdown as literally hundreds of fabulously animated Roman and Spartan warriors clash all around you. Of course, individual Roman legionnaires will naturally turn their attentions your way should you venture too close, but otherwise the A.I keeps everyone busy with their own personal survival struggles. It’s truly astonishing to witness the game running so smoothly amid the dwindling thresholds of the PS2, and, furthermore, cosmetic areas of the game are not compromised to afford access to the required power. That said, when placed alongside the overwhelmingly intense nature of the fighting, the sheer number of battling warriors, fizzing arrows, and ground-shaking explosions often leads to a momentary sense of dizzying disorientation.

Missions set across Sparta throw the player in at the gameplay deep-end and subsequently demand a swift acclimatisation to surroundings and expectation. Yet, this is war in an authentic sense, and real opponents would rarely wait expectantly while you formulate sword balance, movement fluidity, and attack stance. Beyond Sparta’s borders, other areas and characters of historic note await the Spartan and his quest to overthrow Tiberius. You’ll infiltrate a Roman encampment, battle through the Barbarian lands, experience the wonder and terror of a ransacked Troy, and even adopt a semi-GTA change of pace amid sprawling Athens. All in all, Spartan: Total Warrior offers a considerable amount for the asking price.

While taking massive liberties through historic inaccuracies styled to present a more exciting experience—the inclusion of possessed war machines, Medusa, necromancy, skeleton warriors, and the waking dead—Spartan: Total Warrior manages to admirably pull players in to its compelling narrative structure. This is furthered by the ability to evolve the central character’s attributes and win new weapons of devastation, gain a wide variety of magical power moves, share the fighting glory with a small band of close-knit NPCs, and engage in impressively satisfying boss battles. Existing as pivot points for the plotline, the boss battles strip away blood-soaked swordplay in favour of one-on-one power struggles between Tiberius’ top-ranked henchmen and the ever-fearless Spartan. Beowulf, leader of the barbarians, offers up a particularly testing contest within an uncomfortably confined arena of deadly fire, while the mythical and multi-headed Hydra challenges through a more regimented but no less fulfilling approach.

General gameplay unfolds around set missions of accomplishment that always require battling blindly through masses of seemingly relentless bodies. However, as repetitive as it may sound—and many genre titles suffer with this mechanic—Spartan: Total Warrior exudes a power of execution through its hacking and slashing that never fades in attraction and/or entertainment. Coupled with the varied weapons at your disposal and the separate power moves resplendent within each, the game’s central fighting aspect remains appealing and fresh throughout. Whether using the mighty Spear of Achilles to wade through a sea of the undead, or calling forth a power move to temporarily petrify the screen’s entire contingent of enemies, Spartan: Total Warrior skilfully holds attention through its fabulous array of pure destruction.

Graphically, Spartan: Total Warrior’s PS2 aesthetic may land just the wrong side of blocky, grimy, and edged, but somehow this matter not; environments were decidedly blocky by nature in ancient Greece and Rome, and surface polish was in short supply too. The various cities and outdoor areas are all well realised, and Troy’s sprawling ruins emerge as a definite visual highlight. Although Spartan: Total Warrior never achieves the same atmospheric heights as, say, Ubisoft’s Prince of Persia series, the necessity for ultra subtle lighting, eerie particle effects, and hazy horizons is completely negated by the immediacy of one man against thousands. The visuals are impressive—of that there’s no doubt—but pausing to complement the coders and architects while dismembering countless Romans and returning the restless dead to their shallow graves is simply not an option you’ll ever ponder.

Game sound is wonderfully woven into the experience, and certainly adds a genuine level of authentic observation to proceedings. The musical score mirrors the general time period and swings elegantly between the grandiose swells of battle and the ominous gathering of tension. Battle effects are thick, cloying, layered, and mercilessly real; relieving a Roman legionnaire of his head brings with it a rush of sprayed crimson, an immediate limpness of the body, and a soft slump to the floor—and this is going on around you without end. Weaponry clashes are typically realistic, the piercing reverb of steel on steel always stinging the air with its weighted ferocity. Voiceover work is handled well, and all the performers offer decent and solid turns in their respective roles. The central Spartan is stereotypically fond of smouldering amid his growled exchanges in order to add to his heroic allure—but perhaps this is to be expected. Girl gamers can enjoy the somewhat historically ill-placed Electra as a direct NPC in the Spartan’s small assembly of intermittent battling comrades, though she’s never open for actual control. And players with hearing impairment can follow the game’s story through full-text level preambles and cut scene subtitles—though missing out on the growling isn’t a major loss.

Spartan: Total Warrior is an amazing addition to the hack-and-slash genre, never more so than after watching its glorious achievements on the PS2. Elements of free-roaming mission accomplishment through direct battles, assigned protection, fortuitous propaganda, simple revenge, and ultimate realization all culminate in a gameplay experience that sits proudly atop a towering pyramid of bloodied corpses. The immense level of battle immersion created and sustained throughout Spartan: Total Warrior successfully raises it head and shoulders above the competition. Not only the best game of its kind, but it may yet prove to be a dark-horse contender for game of the year.

Review by Stevie