Issue 3 (January 2001)

Issue 3, January 2001

Editor’s letter

“Why did you buy your Playstation 2? Was it because you ache for sophisticated adult gameplay? Perhaps you simply want your arcade thrills faster than light? Or maybe you want to play as the cute dinosaur from that Disney film. Then again, you might just want it as a DVD player and have a go on the odd game. Hell, that Timesplitters looks a giggle, so why not whack it on after Blair Witch?

Many of the letters we’ve received after out debut issue have touched the hardcore/mainstream, old/young arguments. While some readers see Playstation 2 as the magnifying glass that will bring out the gaming nuances hinted at in such PSone titles as Metal Gear Solid, others see it quite simply as ‘a good laugh.’ For all the future promises, goes the argument, this is just a games console that plays bloody good games and lets you watch movies. Yes, goes the counter-argument, but such future advances as broadband delivery and episodic gameplay will sort the men from the boys and show that games aren’t just for kids. It’s a console. It’s the future of computer entertainment. It’s a DVD player. Donald Duck: Quack Attack. Fight Club. Resident Evil. Toy Story 2. Hardcore. Mainstream. Yada yada yada.

The piecemeal answer to the above is, yes, that it’s all of the above. No one ever argued over what a video recorder was – it was what you watched on it that counted. The same’s true of the Playstation 2 but crucially, it’s also not – unlike your trusty VHS, Sony’s latest and greatest won’t be standing still under your TV. Those who crave straight-ahead gaming thrills or just want to watch the latest movies will be happy with Playstation 2 straight out of the box, their pleasures increased as the content gets better. Count us in with that crowd for sleepless nights and thrill-packed days but after such visceral pleasures, I don’t think it’s snobbish to ask for, well, more. From the game developers we interview to the boffins busy inventing new peripherals, those people behind the scenes are desperate to realise the best from Playstation 2. They want it to evolve into something that will offer us experiences we haven’t even dreamed of yet. Co-operative online gaming, tactile interfaces, real-time interactive play… Buzzphrases, yes, but what buzzphrases. We all liked playing Pong but wouldn’t it have been great to feel the white dot when you volleyed it back?

New readers – and there’s hopefully a few of you after Christmas, if that’s you, welcome – will wonder what the hell I’m on about. Hopefully a few older readers will too. The fact is the Playstation 2 is what you want it to be. Why not write to us and tell us what your vision of the future is. This and future issues show some of our ideas. It’s just a shame we’re usually so busy leathering each other at Timesplitters to finish the damn things.

Mike Goldsmith, Senior Editor

Features

OPS2 Interview: Phil Harrison

I’m With the Band – A feature on Bemani music games such as DDR and Beatmania.

Race From the Prize – PSone developer Psygnosis rebrand as Studio Liverpool for Formula One 2001.

Larceny in NYC – Grand Theft Auto III. The first look at how the leap to 3D would revolutionise not only the tabloid-baiting favourite, but also gaming as a whole.

Play as you Go – Mobile phone games using WAP. A bit more advanced than Snake then.

Return to the Land of the Damned – Soul Reaver II and Blood Omen II form the Legacy of Kain tag team.

The Third Place – A behind the scenes look at the Third Place commercial to advertise PS2 directed by David Lynch. A man vomiting up an arm while a duck and a mummy receive therapy is meant to sell PS2s apparently. The real question: is this better than the Xbox advert where a baby shoots out of his mother’s womb at rocket speed, aging as he goes, before crashing into an open grave?

Calendar 2001 – Since it’s the first issue of 2001, what better time to look ahead to the year’s upcoming releases?

Monthly Articles

The Beautiful Game – Stealing bits from other games and mashing them together to make the ultimate super-game. This month, driving games.

30 Days in Tokyo – More robots this month, with the likes of Aquaroid the robot jellyfish, and SDR-3X, a robot that sings and dances.

The Grid – A head-to-head comparison of multiple upcoming games of a similar genre or theme. Ironically, I’m highlighting this now when it’s not covering games this month, but rather peripherals. This feature appeared in the first two issues, but it didn’t have a name until now. Issue 1 compared superhero games, and Issue 2 did RPGs.

5X5 – Asking 5 questions to 5 industry figures. This month’s theme: retro games.

The Ladder of Lust – A change of pace this month, as male characters are ranked instead. We’re not limited to human characters either, as Crash Bandicoot ranks at number 3. Maybe we should have limited this to humans…

Designer Genes – Readers write in with their game ideas and pitches. This month, The Verdiak Invasion. Form a mercenary army to repel an alien invasion, but beware! The aliens have psychic powers and can brainwash your mercenaries over to their side. This was another feature that also appeared in the first two issues, which I didn’t mention due to the first two games being example pitches from the magazine staff.

Game Over – Silent Scope. The president is safe – for now…

Previews

Dark Cloud – “It’s already due for release in Japan but Dark Cloud will need some tweaking to appeal to western tastes.”

Unreal Tournament – “The US version is out already. It contains a few flaws, which should be ironed out in time for the release over here.”

No One Lives Forever – “A Charlie’s Angels-scale blockbuster on PC, it could elbow Lara aside as the PS2’s most enjoyable girl-power release.”

Sky Odyssey – “Too far off to draw conclusions but looking remarkable already. It also plays like a blinder.”

Knockout Kings 2001 – “Slicker than Marvin Hagler, as brutal as a hungry Mike Tyson and as long-lasting as George Foreman. Frank Bruno need not apply…”

Lotus Challenge – “Bold and British with a few surprises thrown in for good measure. Sounds promising indeed.”

Robot Warlords – “A different approach to the whole mech thing happening at the moment that could prove very successful.”

Reviews

Moto GP – “Halfway to a racing game classic. A few more tracks and a little more originality in the gameplay would have made it much more appealing.” 7/10

Theme Park World – “A very enjoyable and charming game which has a lightness of touch that will appeal to those usually put off by plodding business sims.” 7/10

F1 Championship Season 2000 – “Its easy nature will undoubtedly please the crowds, but, ironically, not necessarily the hardcore racing fan that would feel inclined to acquire yet another F1 title.” 6/10

Street Fighter EX3 – “A decent fighting game but doesn’t give TTT fans enough to worry about. Great for fans, not a big enough progression for the neutrals.” 6/10

Dinosaur – “Like the movie, Dinosaur is a vacuous trip through prehistoric times that completely fails to entertain. Don’t inflict this on any child.” 4/10

Gun Griffon Blaze – “Piloting a mechanical wonder that makes the Terminator look like C-3PO is bound to hold a visceral appeal, which Gun Griffon Blaze captures with considerable flair.” 7/10

Silpheed: The Lost Planet – “Polygon-for-pixel translation of an eighties shooter, with shocking slowdown and lacking a single original idea. Avoid.” 3/10

Dragon’s Lair – “Seventeen-year-old technology crammed on to a DVD disc – and it bloody well shows.” 2/10

Dragon’s Lair II: Timewarp – “Pull some fingernails out in a random manner and you will have some idea of how this game plays.” 1/10

Hologram Time Traveller – “Give the money to charity instead. It’s far more rewarding, and you’ll feel much better about yourself.” 0/10

PSOne Reviews

Final Fantasy IX – “A real high to end on. It’s not for everyone but all will gasp in awe at Square’s continued technical brilliance.” 9/10

Ready 2 Rumble: Round 2 – “Will have you in stitches for the first two hours, barely amuse for five, and totally turn you off after a few days.” 6/10

007 Racing – “The game is a crude and messy scrapheap, the handling is appalling. Even the super slow two-player mode can’t save this license to kill.” 3/10

FIFA 2001 – “The true essence of football hasn’t been harnessed. Come on, FIFA, bite the bullet and copy ISS – a winning formula that outclasses this offering.” 6/10

Hardcore

Custom levels for Timesplitters, and cheats and hints for Madden 2001, Theme Park World, NHL 2001, Sky Surfer, Dynasty Warriors 2, Surfing H30 and Ready 2 Rumble: Round 2.

Disc Content

Playable Demos

Dynasty Warriors 2

NHL 2001

Footage

Wipeout Fusion

Kessen

Street Fighter EX3

F1 Championship Season 2000

Theme Park World

Trivia

·         Another dominant PS2 franchise emerges this month, in the form of Pro Evolution Soccer, also known as Pro Evo or PES to its mates, and currently going under the moniker of Jikkyou Soccer Winning Eleven. With three of the four staff profiles citing it as their most anticipated game, you can already see how central it will become to the magazine.

·         Also debuting this month is Shiny Red Car, the game that would come to be known as Burnout.

·         After the last of the launch titles were reviewed last month, a look at most of the scores for this month’s review crop will tell you that we’re now into the post-launch lull of dross that wouldn’t get a look-in if it weren’t for the fact that people are starting to finish the games that came with their PS2s and there’s nothing else worth playing out yet. Leading the charge are Dragon’s Lair II: Timewarp, the first game to score 1/10, and Hologram Time Traveller, one of only two games ever to score an ignoble 0/10. The other one is a very long way off yet. You’ll never guess what it is, unless you have a copy of the relevant issue on hand to consult, and I’m not telling you which issue that is!

·         New this month is the OPS2ometer, which ranks the highlights and lowlights of each issue. There will be several rebrandings, but the basic premise remains the same all the way up to the feature’s retirement in issue 89.

Quote of the Month: “Its name means reptil with parallel septum comb.” The digital encyclopaedia included in Dinosaur could have done with a run through a spellchecker.

Cover price: £4.99

Page Count: 162