Issue 26, November 2002
Editor’s letter
Welcome to the new issue of OPS2 and we hope you like the new direction. No, we’re not about to set off on a jazz odyssey, but we have made some positive changes to the magazine, and after almost two years of existence, we felt it was high time for a spring clean.
The first difference you’ll notice is the absence of a section called ‘Previews’. This has been replaced by the all-new Monitor section, an entirely fresh way of tracking the progress of the biggest games in development – it also gives you the chance to influence our coverage by voting for the games you want to read about.
The Spy section has been overhauled – it’ll still feature the latest news and announcements, but you’ll also find a whole raft of bite-sized features within its pages. Our Shortlist database is now much more user-friendly and it will offer a definitive Buyers Guide to a specific genre each month.
The world of Playstation 2 is constantly innovating and evolving as this month’s batch of exciting new games proves. You can always be sure that, as the official magazine, we’ll be innovating and evolving along with it.
Sam Richards, Editor
Feature
The Alternative Gaming Rulebook – A set of challenges to liven up your next multiplayer session or replay of an old game. Suggestions include one-man doubles in tennis games, racing in reverse or playing with one hand and/or your eyes closed while someone else gives you instructions on which way to move. I’ve actually done some of these. It’s quite fun!
Monthly Articles
The Money Shot – Each month’s greatest gaming moment immortalised in a photo or illustration. This month, the Morph-o-Ray from Ratchet and Clank.
OPS2 Interview – David Doak
To the Death – A bloody battle to prove what’s better. This month, Old games VS New games. New games wins in a one-sided stomp.
30 Days in Tokyo – This month, a visit to Gundam World 2002, and Ultraman haiku.
The Big Issue – Answering a question that’s been on readers’ minds. This month’s question: Why can’t I play Timesplitters 2 online?
Designer Genes – Readers write in with their game ideas and pitches. This month, Legend of the Voodoo Mask. An action-adventure where your character, the Wolf Man, must explore an island to find four voodoo masks in order to defeat the evil Shadow.
From Zero to Hero – A supporting character gets their day in the limelight. This month, Otacon: A Date With Destiny. Given the poor guy’s awful track record with romance, I’m not sure I want to play that game…
The Butcher – Tearing into gaming clichés. This month, bullet time. Blame The Matrix for this one.
Hideo Kojima at the Movies – The creator of Metal Gear gets his own monthly column celebrating the films that inspired his game. This month, The Great Escape.
Buyers Guide – Listing a selection of PS2 games from each genre, tiered under Essential, Excellent, Good, Average and Poor, and providing a PSOne Alternative. This month, Horror. Devil May Cry and Resident Evil: Code Veronica X are Essential. The Thing and Silent Hill 2 are Excellent. Project Zero, both Onimushas and Dino Stalker are Good. Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare, Blood Omen 2, Shadow of Memories and Shadow Man 2 are Average. Resident Evil Survivor 2: Code Veronica, Vampire Night and Ninja Assault are Poor, and Resident Evil is the PSOne Alternative.
What If? – This month, what if the PS2 started a world religion? Of course, the Playstation religion wouldn’t be complete without it’s Ten Commandments, which are duly provided.
Previews
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City – “If GTA: Vice City handles as handsomely as it looks, Rockstar will have another sure-fire winner on its hands. And anyway, even if we told you the game stank, you’d still buy it. Exclusive review next month, people!” Meltdown
The Getaway – “The Getaway’s hype may be huge, but SCEE’s flagship title is living up to most of it. On this form, you’ll have to buy The Getaway and GTA: Vice City. Maybe a bank job’s in order? Geezer.” Meltdown
Devil May Cry 2 – “Devil May Cry is the coolest action game on PS2 and seems certain to be returning with more action, more depth, an extra character and big bad Dante as cool as ever.” Hot
Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance – “Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance is looking and playing way better than ever. With superb animation and attention to detail, it looks like we could all be in for another Mortal Monday (ask yer dad.)” Boiling
Kingdom Hearts – “Kingdom Hearts is the lovechild of the American ‘Mouse House’ and the Japanese Final Fantasy universe. Don’t be deceived, this is not a kiddie FF-lite game. It’s a unique, charming and huge action RPG.” Hot
Pro Evolution Soccer 2 – “Pro Evolution Soccer 2 is a safe bet for the title Best Football Game Ever. Mind-bogglingly realistic, incredibly deep and playable, and more addictive than strawberry-flavoured crack.” Meltdown
Auto Modellista – “Auto Modellista features reassuringly good gameplay and a stunning aesthetic. It’s array of customisable aspects should keep you tinkering away in the garage, too.” Boiling
Metal Gear Solid 2 Substance – “MGS2 Substance is the result of Konami listening to its fans and giving them what they really want. More than just an enhanced MGS2, this promises to be a profoundly satisfying game in its own right.” Boiling
Red Faction 2 – “Red Faction 2 is easy on the eye and instinctive to control. A massive Multiplayer mode as well as flying and underwater action are all eventually promised. The future looks rosy.” Hot
Star Wars: Bounty Hunter – “Star Wars: Bounty Hunter is an enticing prospect, exploring the seedier side of the Star Wars universe. It looks as if the action will come thick and fast for Jango, so let’s hope the game has depth.” Hot
Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness – “Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness promises to bring new finesse to the biggest-selling Playstation series ever, but Core mustn’t change the two elements people love: the girl and the guns.” Hot
Updates for Colin McRae Rally 3, Rocky, James Bond 007: NIghtfire, World Rally Championship 2 Extreme, Robocop, Haven: Call of the King, Ty the Tasmanian Tiger, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4, and Micro Machines.
Reviews
WWE Smackdown! Shut Your Mouth – “The Smackdown! series moves to a new level. Aspects of play still need perfecting, but this is still a great value package.” 8/10
Ratchet and Clank – “Brilliant. A gripping comic space opera that’s outstanding in every way. Gaming really doesn’t come much better.” 9/10
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin – “Ethically it’s on shaky ground, but if you’re the kind of steely soul untroubled by sentiment, Hitman 2 is a stone-cold killer.” 9/10
Burnout 2: Point of Impact – “A massively enjoyable collection of four-wheeled thrills that leaves you itching for just one more go...” 8/10
Ferrari F355 Challenge – “Competent, challenging and realistic, but probably a bit too fiddly and specialist for anyone weaned on Gran Turismo.” 7/10
This is Football 2003 – “Noticeable improvements make a good game better, but it’s still scrapping with FIFA for second place in the footy war.” 7/10
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2 – “Breathless driving, police interference, cool short cuts and superb 3D. This is an enjoyable and hugely satisfying racer.” 8/10
Madden NFL 2003 – “A polished, tweaked and greatly enhanced revision of the most authentic gridiron series around.” 8/10
Riding Spirits – “A good attempt at offering a two-wheeled GT3 but may be too intimidating for some.” 7/10
Terminator: Dawn of Fate – “We were looking forward to this, so it’s a real wasted opportunity. Another potentially decent film licence trashed.” 4/10
Twin Caliber – “A semi-interesting idea for a shooter, utterly cocked-up in execution.” 3/10
Way of the Samurai – “To be blunt, this below-par slash-‘em-up will only appeal to swordaholics” 5/10
Kelly Slater’s Pro Surfer – “Kelly Slater’s Pro Surfer looks great and initially entertains, but ultimately proves to be a shallow thrill.” 6/10
Taz Wanted – “Beyond the vibrant look this is a game that tries every trick in the book to appeal. It fails...” 5/10
Crashed – “Initially enjoyable, but there’s nothing to keep you coming back. A missed opportunity.” 5/10
NHL 2003 – “Keeping the excellent core of NHL 2002, with some well-placed tweaks and new features.” 7/10
RC Sports Copter Challenge – “Fed up with death and destruction? This provides a few hours of chilled out chopper action.” 4/10
UFC Throwdown – “Bold, brutal, blood-spattered. UFC Throwdown is not pretty, but then neither is the sport it simulates.” 6/10
NHL Hitz 2003 – “Fast, furious, all-out arcade fun, but still lacks the depth of its EA rival.” 6/10
WTA Tour Tennis – “In-depth game modes are betrayed by an engine that fails to excite. And where’s Kournikova?” 4/10
Sub Rebellion – “Ace Combat beneath the waves? No, just that familiar sinking feeling.” 4/10
Street Hoops – “A fair basketball game, but its blinging good looks aren’t matched by its predictable moves.” 5/10
Hardcore
A walkthrough for TOCA Race Driver, plus Prisoner of War, Freekstyle, Stuntman, Devil May Cry, Onimusha Warlords, Aggressive Inline, Rez, Turok Evolution, MX Superfly, Transworld Surf and Rune: Viking Warlord.
Playable Demos
Tekken 4
Red Faction 2
Burnout 2: Point of Impact
Superman: Shadow of Apokalips
Summoner 2
Ferrari F355 Challenge
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin
Ratchet and Clank
Micro Machines
Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex
Footage
Alpine Racer 3
The Getaway
Kingdom Hearts
World Rally Championship 2 Extreme
Total Immersion Racing
Shox
Star Wars: Bounty Hunter
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Trivia
* The big subject this month is, obviously, the new look. By this point in the PS2’s life, it had fully replaced the PSOne and gone mainstream. The directive of the redesign, therefore, seems to be to make the magazine more mass-market and pivot away from exclusively the hardcore audience and early adopters. This can be seen in things such as the more irreverent and casual tone of the writing, the editor’s letter being much shorter than before, down from 400-500 words to around 200 (I’ll be honest, I miss the essays), and the busier, more vibrant design, with less of the blue aesthetic prominent in earlier issues.
* To elaborate on the Previews VS Monitor differences, the biggest one is that there is now an audience participation element, where readers can e-mail, visit the website or send in the form included in the magazine to say which games they want covered in this section (In practice, this resulted in the same games coming up every month, so it didn’t last long). Some previews have the writer playing the game for one hour and describing the experience (In this issue, Kingdom Hearts and Red Faction 2 get this treatment), and there’s an Update section at the end for those games that don’t have enough new info for a full article.
* Monitor also measures how much the team anticipate the release of the game being previewed, on a five-point scale from Tepid, through to Warm, then Hot, Boiling and finally Meltdown. I’m simplifying a little bit here, because there was initially a sixth score at the bottom of the scale, Frigid, but no game ever scored this and it was quickly dropped.
* A few features have been given a bit of a shuffle. The demo pages are moved from the front of the magazine to the back, the OPS2 interview is now part of Spy instead of being a separate feature, and the sales chart has moved from Spy to the Shortlist at the back. Thanks to there being more space now, it’s also expanded from counting down only the top 10 to the top 20.
* As a counterpart to the Star Letter, the letters page has also added Handbag!, a section for making fun of the worst letter received that month, and awarding a handbag as a booby prize.
* Highlights of this month’s Spy section include a rumour that videogames had been banned in Greece (It’s not true, by the way), and Shinji Mikami going on the radio to promote a conspiracy theory that Sony deliberately made Playstations break easily to inflate sales numbers through purchasing replacements, while complaining that Kingdom Hearts outsold Resident Evil 0. Nowadays, Mikami could just fire up Twitter for that sort of thing.
* Odd advert of the month: Crash Bandicoot in bed with a bevy of lovely ladies to promote The Wrath of Cortex. It’s not entirely unexpected though; Crash did famously put Sex: Yes on his driver’s license, after all.
* Despite getting a rave review without a single criticism or flaw, not even the slightest nitpick, Ratchet and Clank doesn’t get 10/10. If I may put on my tinfoil hat, I wonder if it’s because they didn’t want to face accusations of dumbing down or getting more lenient with their scores so that it’s easier to get 10/10. Before the last issue, there had been only one 10/10 in two years, and had Ratchet done it, there would have been three 10/10 games in three consecutive issues (spoiler alert for next month, although Vice City was a lock for 10/10, especially after the GTA3 debacle).
* Star Wars Episode II is referred to as “the best Star Wars movie since The Empire Strikes Back”, which is almost certainly the highest praise it’s ever been given.
Quote of the Month: “God, it’s shit being a frog with no brain isn’t it?” It took decades, but Frogger has finally thought of trying to cross the road when the green light is showing.
Cover price: £5.49
Page Count: 146
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