Issue 31 (March 2003)

                                                                   Issue 31, March 2003

Editor’s letter
       Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet! You are a plague and we are the cure! Sorry, just empathising with my temporary Agent Richards persona a little too strongly there. A hired suit, a pair of shades and a pot of Brylcreem and suddenly I think I can walk through walls and dodge bullets. Lucky I tested out the former ‘ability’ first and escaped with only a slight graze to the forehead.
       Matrix fever has descended and suddenly everyone is wandering around the office in long leather coats, spouting cod-philosophical platitudes. If you haven’t seen the trailer yet, point your browser to www.thematrix.com and watch agents trampolining on the bonnets of moving cars, Trinity’s thrilling motorbike chase and Neo fighting off 100 cloned Agent Smiths. Then turn to page 70 to find out why Shiny’s Enter the Matrix videogame is just as important to the Wachowski brothers as the two new movies, Reloaded and Revolutions. We’ve also been the first magazine to actually play Enter the Matrix and can exclusively report that it makes Max Payne’s ‘bullet time’ look like a pensioner tripping over his laces.
Sam Richards, Editor

Features
Ghost in the Machine – Starcraft: Ghost

Game Online – An online playtest with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4, Everquest Online Adventures, SOCOM US Navy Seals and Tribes Aerial Assault.

Evil Unleashed – More online action, this time in the form of Resident Evil: Outbreak.

Enter the Matrix – Go on, guess what game this feature's about. It also covers all three films, the Wachowskis and even The Animatrix.

Monthly Articles
The Money Shot – Each month’s greatest gaming moment immortalised in a photo or illustration. This month, doing splits above patrolling guards’ heads in Splinter Cell.

OPS2 Interview – Ed Boon

From Zero to Hero – The minor characters of PS2 are given a day in the limelight. This month, Yorda’s Bemani Ballet. After escaping the castle at the end of the original, Ico’s other half gets a hobby, and practices in rhythm action style.

To the Death – A bloody battle to prove what’s better. This month, The Sims VS the real world. The Sims wins 3-2.

30 Days in Tokyo – This month, drums and ping pong with Taiko No Tatsujin and Excite Ping Pong.

The Big Issue – Answering a question that’s been on readers’ minds. This month’s question: How do you get a job making PS2 games?

Designer Genes – Readers write in with their game ideas and pitches. This month, The Prisoner, in which your character is imprisoned for a crime they didn’t commit and must escape. Watch out for Rover!

The Butcher – Tearing into gaming clichés. This month, Medal of Honor.

Mash-Up – Combining two games. This month, robots play football in Ring of Red Card.

Hideo Kojima at the Movies – The creator of Metal Gear gets his own monthly column celebrating the films that inspired his game. This month, Dawn of the Dead.

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, Fighting games. Virtua Fighter 4 and Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance are Essential. Tekken Tag Tournament, Marvel VS Capcom 2, Guilty Gear X and Dead or Alive 2 are Excellent. Tekken 4, WWE Smackdown! Shut Your Mouth, Ready 2 Rumble: Round 2 and Rocky are Good. The Bouncer, Bloody Roar 3, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai and Barbarian are Average. X-Men: Next Dimension, Mike Tyson Heavyweight Boxing and Godai: Elemental Force are Poor, and Soul Blade is the PSOne Alternative.

What If? – This month, what if Sony made customised editions of PS2? Choose from hippie, baby and OAP models.

Previews
Metal Gear Solid 2 Substance – “MGS 2 Substance is made for the Attention Deficit Disorder generation. With loads of great challenges, mini-games, Snakeboarding and a Document bonus disc, you’re looking at a definitive package.” Boiling

Devil May Cry 2 – “Devil May Cry 2 just keeps looking better and better. Leave all fears of unvaried gameplay and samey environments behind and look forward to next issue’s review.” Boiling

Splinter Cell – “Splinter Cell looks better than we dared dream. Crucially, the gameplay is spot on, and a better balanced checkpoint system means the PS2 version should be less frustrating than the Xbox version.” Boiling

Club Football – “Club Football has it all to do. The fact that it is an officially licensed product of 17 separate teams is building it up for a potential fall, but from what we’ve seen so far it could surprise us all.” Hot

Silent Hill 3 – “Silent Hill 3 is shaping up to be an absolute horror show. The visuals look filthy (in a good way) and with a heavily expanded arsenal, this should be our bloodiest visit to Silent Hill yet.” Boiling

Music 3000 – “Music 3000 can’t be mastered quickly – it’s a huge and occasionally daunting prospect. But stick with it and you’ll have one of the most advanced music creation utilities at your disposal.” Hot

War of the Monsters – “War of the Monsters is full of monstrous cartoon ultra-violence. But will it possess the addictive endurance needed to match its massive strength?” Hot

Updates for Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, RTX Red Rock, Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc, Vexx, Shinobi, Moto GP 3, Frogger Beyond, Galerians Ash and Guilty Gear X2.

Reviews
Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven – “An infusion of ninja style and killer gameplay across nine sumptuous levels. A great return to form for a classic title.” 8/10

The Mark of Kri – “Not quite a classic but the ‘looks nice, plays nasty’ dynamic is inspired. A real dark horse.” 7/10

Silent Hill 2: Director’s Cut – “A more complete package than SH2 – but still leaves plenty of loose ends that only your own intelligence can tie up.” 8/10

Dr. Muto – “A very playable platformer indeed, but one that merely fattens rather than advances the traditional genre.” 6/10

Evolution Skateboarding – “Wait for MGS2 Substance – its brief use of this game engine will tell you all you need to know about Evolution.” 4/10

Disney Golf – “PGA Tour Golf + Walt Disney toon icons = a surprisingly enjoyable and playable game.” 6/10

Rocket Power: Beach Bandits – “Niggly, unevenly paced, ‘kiddie game’ effort that does very little to stimulate or excite.” 3/10

Pac-Man World 2 – “A cute, uncomplicated platform game that frustrates at times, but may appeal to younger players and retro fans.” 5/10

Shrek Super Party – “Funny film, funny old game. It’ll be a laugh combined with friends but only until they grow up.” 4/10

Speed Challenge: Jacques Villeneuve’s Racing Vision – “There are so many better racing games out there. Not even the budget price can save this one. A pity.” 2/10

Air Ranger Rescue Helicopter – “Despite no-frills production values, this provides short-lived but genuine entertainment.” 4/10

Evolution Snowboarding – “Ugly graphics, irritating music and barely any gameplay to speak of. A poor excuse for a game” 2/10

Monopoly Party – “You shouldn’t buy this for the same reason you wouldn’t buy the Burnout 2 board game.” 2/10

Lego Island: Extreme Stunts – “A pick and mix of ideas that’s perfectly weighted for its younger audience. A small success.” 5/10

Hardcore
A walkthrough for 007: Nightfire, plus Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, WWE Smackdown! Shut Your Mouth, Zone of the Enders, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai, Ape Escape 2, Treasure Planet, Virtua Tennis 2, Sega Soccer Slam and Star Wars: Bounty Hunter.

Disc Content
Playable Demos
Splinter Cell
Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc
Dr. Muto
The Mark of Kri
Zapper
Wakeboarding Unleashed
War of the Monsters
Grand Prix Challenge
Timesplitters 2

Footage
Pride FC
Vexx
Shinobi
Rolling
The Making of Primal
The Making of Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness

Trivia
* It’s a throwback to see the Wachowskis referred to as brothers, considering they’re sisters now.
* The teaser poster for Final Fantasy XII is revealed this month, and the team aren’t impressed, comparing it to “a crap prog rock album cover” and “a new age craft shop poster.”
* Sad news this month as publisher and develop Rage is reported to have closed down. Some of their unreleased games were picked up by other developers, but Lamborghini wasn’t so lucky. However, a playable demo was released by Official Xbox Magazine, so it still exists in some form.
* At one point, Hideo Kojima considered acquiring the rights to make a Dawn of the Dead game, but he felt he couldn’t do the film justice. Ah, what could have been…
* Turns out, there really is a Burnout board game! Who would’ve thought?

Quote of the Month: “I keep getting wafts of ylang-ylang oil.” The final verdict on the Final Fantasy XII poster. It would go well with the hippie PS2 model, now that I think of it.

Cover price: £5.49
Page Count: 146