Issue 33 (May 2003)

                                                                      Issue 33, May 2003

 

 Editor’s letter
       Some of you may have been expecting to see me sporting a ponytail and a green vest-top (balloons shoved down the front) on this page, in anticipation of the Tomb Raider review we promised last issue. Well, we can only apologise. Lara has stood us up again, so my cross-dressing fantasies will have to wait for another time. Despite all kinds of promises and guarantees, Core Design still hasn’t finished making The Angel of Darkness and still can’t give us a completion date. We cling to the hope that the delays are due to last-minute gameplay improvements as opposed to an indication of panic on the developer’s part.
       Instead, we’ve decided to champion a game that arrived sooner than expected… and one which has turned out to be an absolute corker to boot. Silent Hill 3 is the most shocking, unnerving and disgusting videogame experience we’ve ever had – and we mean that in the best possible way. It has made us afraid of our own footsteps and has put us off bacon for life.
       This is my last issue as Editor or OPS2, but it’s always good to go out on a psychologically unbalancing note. Next issue there’ll be a new face on this page – I’ll leave the vest-top and balloons behind, just in case.
Sam Richards, Editor

Features
For Your Eyes Only – Eyetoy Play

The Great Escape – Erm, The Great Escape. This was brought to you by the Department of Redundancy Department.

Monthly Articles
The Money Shot – Sometimes you get a monthly article defined entirely by a single instalment that overshadows every other entry. This is one of them. Behold, the Silent Hill Bacon Monster!

Paul ‘Fitz’ Fitzpatrick wore a full-body meat suit made of 253 rashers of bacon for this. That amateur Lady Gaga needs to get on his level! Coincidentally or not, this is the last issue to feature The Money Shot. I choose to believe that everyone involved knew the feature had peaked and they’d never be able to top this.

OPS2 Interview – Tim Wright

To the Death – A bloody battle to prove what’s better. This month, Silent Hill VS Notting Hill. Silent Hill wins 4-2.

30 Days in Tokyo – This month, Final Fantasy X2 is released in Japan and sells gangbusters. That tends to happen when your game has not one, but three waifus in it.

The Big Issue – Answering a question that’s been on readers’ minds. This month’s question: Why don’t more Japanese games get released in the UK?

Designer Genes – Readers write in with their game ideas and pitches. This month, Battle My Crew, a dance battle game. This is another one that predated a virtually identical real game later on, in the form of B-Boy.

The Butcher – Tearing into gaming clichés and sacred cows. This month, The Sims.

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, Stealth games. Metal Gear Solid 2 Substance and Splinter Cell are Essential. Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, Conflict: Desert Storm and Deus Ex are Excellent. Headhunter, Prisoner of War, SOS: The Final Escape and Ape Escape 2 are Good. Sly Cooper and Operation Winback are Average. The Shadow of Zorro is Poor, and Syphon Filter is the PSOne Alternative.

What If? – This month, what if the Playstation 2 had never been invented? Without videogames, the world would face an invasion of do-gooders helping little old ladies cross the road and baking unlimited muffins for everyone. No-good do-gooders! I do fancy a muffin though.

Previews
Enter the Matrix – “Enter the Matrix is looking good, amigos. The martial arts fighting is fast and fluid while those punches and kicks really connect. And as for the bullet time, it’s the original and still the best.” Boiling

Freedom Fighters – “Freedom Fighters has come from out of left-field to become one of our most wanted titles. Why? It looks like GTA: New York with lots of guns and not many motors. Nuff said.” Boiling (So, not that much like GTA, then.)

SOCOM US Navy SEALs – “SOCOM US Navy SEALs looks like the first game to deliver the online promise. It also has an admirable single-player mode. Report for duty this summer and we’ll see you deep in the bush.” Hot

XIII – “XIII has the potential to take the FPS genre in a new direction. With its slick cartoon styling and in-depth story line we’re keen to see whether it’s a winner or just another nameless killer.” Hot

Final Fantasy X2 – “Final Fantasy X2 is Square’s first proper sequel so there will be high expectations. Whether these changes make the game better or just a bit different is yet to be seen.” Hot

Warhammer 40K: Fire Warrior – “Fire Warrior is looking great and having the Warhammer subject matter will guarantee us a huge range of weapons, enemies and locations to shoot up. Bring it on.” Hot

Dancing Stage Megamix – “Dancing Stage Megamix is the ideal game to play with your family. Everyone fancies themselves as Justin Timberlake after a few shandies, so now’s the chance to rate your rhythmic writhing.” Hot

Jak 2: Renegade – “Jak 2 is still a way off, but it’s looking like the game we all hoped for. A little darker, a little edgier, but staying true to the original. Platforms, shooting and furry friends. What more could you want?” Boiling

Updates for Soul Calibur 2, Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon, Wakeboarding Unleashed, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Starcraft: Ghost, Ice Nine, Hulk, Dark Chronicle and Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick.

Reviews
Silent Hill 3 – “Looks like we picked the wrong week to quit horse tranquilisers. The nastiest game on PS2 – we dare you to play it.” 9/10

Shinobi – “There’s a lot to be said for fun, no-brainer action games, and Shinobi’s brain is smaller than most.” 6/10

X-Men 2: Wolverine’s Revenge – “A quality action adventure that blends stealth with hand-to-hand combat. Only a few irritations deny this a higher score.” 7/10

Music 3000 – “A mightily authoritative music title, which works as a fun diversion or a serious tool. Unmissable for wannabe bedroom artists.” 9/10

NBA Street 2 – “A lightning-fast celebration of on-court invention freed from the didactic tedium of the NBA rulebook.” 8/10

ISS 3 – “Like the Adult Channel freeview, a ten-minute blast may well satisfy your curiosity and deter you from shelling out.” 6/10

Moto GP 3 – “By no means a revolution but still a highly recommended quality racer with plenty of depth and some fiendish challenges.” 8/10

Gunfighter 2: The Revenge of Jesse James – “More Billy the Squib than a rootin’, tootin’ blaze of glory, even hardened G-con twirlers may recoil.” 4/10

Dynasty Warriors 3: Xtreme Legends – “Not quite DW: Substance, but a worthy addition if you’re hungry for more Chinese takeout.” 7/10

Mystic Heroes – “For action fans it does the job and just about presses all the right buttons. Won’t change your world, mind.” 6/10

G1 Jockey 3 – “All you could want from a jockey sim and more. Will appeal to anyone into alternative racing games.” 6/10

NFL 2K3 – “If you have Madden, this isn’t really worth a look. Otherwise, it’s a tip-top sim which fans will adore.” 8/10

Choplifter: Crisis Shield – “PC gaming for PS2 can be great for realism. But this lacks enough personality to keep us interested.” 4/10

Sword of the Samurai – “There aren’t many hardcore Kendo-based samurai sims on the market. If the concept tickles your fancy then go for it.” 6/10

NBA 2K3 – “We’re loathe to say it, but there really is no other score we can give the damn thing…” 6/10

All-Star Baseball 2004 Featuring Derek Jeter – “Just 2 minutes and 37 seconds of joy. Then we’re left wanting to take a bat to the disc.” 5/10

Monster Jam: Maximum Destruction – “These monster trucks signal another surefire bet for bargain-bin obscurity.” 3/10

Mary-Kate and Ashley: Sweet 16 Licensed to Drive – “It’s misery being a teen, even if daddy did buy you that sports car.” 2/10

USA Racer – “Racing games really don’t get much worse than this.” 2/10

International Cue Club – “This is just the game if you need to know how carom differs from pool.” 6/10

Activision Anthology – “Nostalgia for parents to enjoy while the kids snigger in the background.” 5/10

Hardcore
Part 1 of the walkthroughs for Splinter Cell and Devil May Cry 2, plus Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven, World Rally Championship 2 Extreme, The Sims, The Mark of Kri, Reign of Fire, Ghost Recon, ATV Offroad Fury 2, The Getaway, Dr. Muto and Hot Wheels Velocity X.

Disc Content
Playable Demos
Shinobi
Moto GP 3
Pride FC
Evolution Skateboarding
Primal
World Rally Championship 2 Extreme
Conflict: Desert Storm
Dynasty Warriors 3
Herdy Gerdy
Project Eden

Footage
Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick
Resident Evil Outbreak
SOCOM: US Navy SEALs
True Crime: Streets of New York

Trivia
* As the editor’s letter stated, this is the last issue for Sam Richards.
* This issue is the first one to give nicknames on the staff page. There’s a different theme each month, and this month it’s everyone’s favourite meat product. Except for advertising manager Scott Longstaff, who gets the nickname Finchy every month.
* Fun fact to tie in with this issue’s lead review, Silent Hill 3 features an unlockable OPS2 t-shirt! Enter the password extra_thumbs to access it. For obvious reasons, this is only in the PS2 version of the game.
* G1 Jockey 3 is reviewed in this issue, the first one was reviewed in Issue 20, so where the heck is G1 Jockey 2?
* The reviews section must have been running short of room this month, as the last five games reviewed are all squeezed onto a single page. These are the first reviews to be shorter than half a page.
* “I bet you won’t print this.” I’ll accept your challenge, ICOs-Aunt on the letters page!
* Starting with this issue, the number of new demos starts to slow down for a bit as we head into the summer and notable new game releases are fewer in number, with repeats themed around upcoming releases to make up the numbers.

Quote of the Month: “He couldn’t sneak up on a corpse.” Introducing Randy Cacophony, OPS2’s anti-stealth hero, who can’t go anywhere without making an almighty racket and being seen from a mile away.

Cover price: £5.49
Page Count: 146