Issue 22 (July 2002)

Issue 22, July 2002

Editor’s letter

This issue is all about E3. For those who don’t already know, E3 is the Electronic Entertainment Expo, held annually in the Los Angeles Convention Centre towards the end of May. It’s the world’s biggest videogames show – an opportunity for everyone in the international games industry to get together, show off their latest products, make contacts and share information. Most importantly, it’s the place where most of the Playstation 2 games you’ll be playing over the next year or so are unveiled. All the major software companies have saved up their biggest announcements for E3, and Sony should also have a fair bit to say regarding its online strategy for PS2.

Inside the Convention Centre itself, the two show halls become teeming festivals of videogame celebration as publishers aim to out-do each other with the scale of their extravagant displays while the industry’s finest fight to get a play of the latest pre-release gaming delights on offer. Throw in giant video-screens blasting out promo footage, hordes of busty models dressed in themed costume, a smattering of minor celebs (last year’s ‘big draw’ was Gary Coleman of Diff’rent Strokes fame) and a sea of bearded, obese Americans who seem to be granted entry to the show purely to block the path of journalists sprinting to their next appointment, and you’ve got an idea of E3’s thrilling, frenetic nature.

Our task is to bring you news of the biggest games first; to uncover details of all the latest titles and, where possible, to play early code and deliver our first impressions. We’re going right to the wire on this issue in order to file stories back directly from LA. As I write this, we’re still in the UK, packing our Hawaiian shirts and suntan oil, hoping that we might get a chance to grab a few hours of poolside sun. Then again, if the rumours I’ve been hearing are true – a GTA add-on set in Miami, Timesplitters 2 online, Silent Hill 3 and a new game from Metal Gear guru Hideo Kojima starring Solid Snake – the daiquiris and the celeb-spotting will just have to wait. Turn to page 62 to read our stop press E3 report and see what we uncovered. It’s going to be a great E3, and that means it’s going to be another great year ahead for PS2 owners.

Sam Richards, Editor

Features

OPS2 Interview: Tarrnie Williams.

E3 Showstoppers – This year’s E3 article. The highlights include Timesplitters 2, Metal Gear Solid 2 Substance, Silent Hill 3 and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.

Hex and the City – Devil May Cry 2

The Krypton Factor – Superman: Shadow of Apokolips

Getting Away With It – The Getaway finally re-emerges, having been MIA since Issue 5.

Monthly Articles

Character Assassination – Creating Frankenstein’s Monster as a videogame character. This month, the most evil PS2 villain ever – behold, ManBearTroutPecker! Part man, part bear, part trout and part woodpecker. What a horrifying fiend!

Pocket Heroes – This month’s cards are Ryan McKane from TOCA Race Driver and John Mullins from Soldier of Fortune Gold. Mullins replaces Snake as the worst card, with a very high Attack stat, and bottom-tier scores in every other category.

30 Days in Tokyo – This month, a competition to find the best-tasting gaming-themed food. The Kingdom Hearts cider is the clear winner, as it’s the only one approaching edible.

The Burning Question – Asking 5 questions to 3 industry figures. This month’s question: Are developers getting the most out of the PS2 yet?

Designer Genes – Readers write in with their game ideas and pitches. This month, Dead Depths, a survival horror game set in a shipwreck at the bottom of the sea.

What If? – This month, what if PS2 characters ran for office? Of the running candidates, Max Payne gets my vote.

Previews

Stuntman – “Driver-style handling and incredible photo-realistic graphics… but is Stuntman more than just a movie-inspired obstacle course for cars?”

Pro Evolution Soccer 2 – “It may be the NTSC version, but can Pro Evolution Soccer 2 live up to the premier league standards set in the original?”

Transworld Surf – “Shaping up nicely, but it will have to go some way to transcend its hardcore roots. Maybe Infogrames could micro-market it to Newquay schools?”

Circus Maximus Chariot Wars – “Well, at least it’s original, but will Circus Maximus be a case of Chariots of Fire or just plain dire?”

Ejay Club World – “Not the biggest rush in the world, but if you put in the time, it looks like Ejay may give sonically impressive and incredibly satisfying results.”

Pac-Man World 2 – “Pac-Man World 2 is solid and satisfying rather than innovative and inspiring, but it’s a competent title and a comprehensive archive.”

Reviews

V Rally 3 – “Not as instantly playable as WRC, but effort pays off with some very satisfying racing. It’s head and shoulders above the majority of PS2 rally fare.” 8/10

Prisoner of War – “Escaping from POW camps is all well and good, but you remain a prisoner of often rigid game objectives. Even so, this is a bold, compelling action game.” 7/10

Soldier of Fortune Gold – “No-brainer first-person shooter that’s average at best. Desensitise yourself to the violence and there’s not much left.” 5/10

F1 2002 – “It hardly revolutionises the sport, but certainly offers enough depth to keep fans happy for another year.” 7/10

Fireblade – “A refreshing arcade-style shooter with plenty of novelty gadgets to keep things varied. Just a pity it’s not very pretty.” 7/10

Britney’s Dance Beat – “Rhythm action fan + Britney fan = Britney’s Dance Beat. It’s a simple and extremely tightly focused equation.” 6/10

Rally Championship – “A fast-paced, playable racer, but ultimately, its true worth is only to while away the time until McRae arrives.” 6/10

David Beckham Soccer – “Peddling a decrepit PSOne footy engine in Beckham’s name was never going to work – and it draws attention to the fact that superstar endorsements often disguise a crap game.” 4/10

Everblue – “Curious? Don’t be. We applaud Everblue’s bold inventiveness as we walk it along the PS2 plank and feed it to the sharks.” 3/10

Army Men RTS – “Army Men RTS bring some respectability back to the franchise. And about time too.” 6/10

High Heat Major League Baseball 2003 – “Scrappy but enjoyable. Worth a shot if you found All-Star too uptight.” 6/10

ESPN NBA 2night 2002 – “Tightly put together, but gameplay has been sacrificed for detail.” 5/10

Sky Sports Football Quiz Season 2 (PSOne review) – “Top quizzer that’s fun to play with mates, but only true footy fans need apply.” 7/10

Hardcore

Part 1 of the Final Fantasy X walkthrough, and the final part of the Deus Ex walkthrough, plus Virtua Fighter 4, 2002 FIFA World Cup, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2002, LMA Manager 2002 and Mister Moskeeto.

Disc Content

Playable Demos

F1 2002

Britney’s Dance Beat

2002 FIFA World Cup

Gitaroo Man

Time Crisis 2

MTV Music Generator 2

Footage

Fireblade

Men in Black 2: Alien Escape

Premier Manager 2002

TOCA Race Driver

Turok Evolution
V Rally 3

Ape Escape 2

Gran Turismo Concept

Kingdom Hearts

Tekken 4

Ratchet and Clank

Primal

Lilo and Stitch film trailer

Trivia

·         Future editor Tim Clark joins the team in this issue.

·         There’s a brief review of the Resident Evil movie in this issue, which praises it as one of the better videogame movies, and that although it doesn’t adapt any of the games, it does capture the spirit of the series. Since the laser corridor became a recurring fixture of the games after this, the film had to have gotten some things right. Come to think of it, I’m surprised Alice hasn’t been carried over to the games yet.

·         Between Prisoner of War, a stealth game set in a POW camp where you must follow the rules and observe patterns while plotting your escape, and the diving simulator Everblue, there’s a fair bit of originality in this month’s review crop.

·         Games that would never be made today #3: Games with superstar endorsements, such as Britney’s Dance Beat and David Beckham Soccer. Why not? The quote from the David Beckham review sums it up, but for a slightly longer explanation, these games tend to have very little content due to cashing-in on brand recognition alone, and nobody is going to play them once the celebrity in question is out of the limelight. You’re better off having them endorse an existing game (like FIFA, to use David Beckham as an example), rather than making one specifically for their superfans to buy.

Quote of the Month: “We had a Catwoman suit as well, but the rubber perished.” The suit was at the offices of the Superman developer, and strictly for display purposes, you understand.

Cover price: £5.49

Page Count: 146