Issue 34 (June 2003)

                                                                     Issue 34, June 2003

Editor’s letter
       I hope you’ve noticed that things have changed around here. And I don’t just mean my ugly mug turning up on this page, as enjoyable as that must be for you right now.
       A quick perusal through this hit-splattered issue should be enough to acquaint you with the ways of the new OPS2. In short – because you’re clearly keen to get on and check out Enter the Matrix, Gran Turismo 4 and all the other incredible, exclusive and head-explodingly exciting stuff we’ve got here – we’re intent on giving you the PS2 magazine you’ve always wanted: lively, funny, a little bit saucy and fit to bursting with exclusive coverage of games you have to play.
       Mostly this has involved subjecting the team to a rigorous and belittling regimen of full body searches, 15-hour days and flavoured milkshakes. I hope you like the results. If not, you know who to blame.
       And I didn’t mention regime change once…
                                                             Richard Keith, Editor

Features
New Jak City – Jak 2: Renegade. I wonder if there’s an alternate universe where Jak didn’t go darker and edgier after the first game, and the result was Jak 2: Paragon.

Fight For Freedom – Freedom Fighters. This feature is printed vertically for a double page spread of Josef Stalin as the Statue of Liberty, so you’ll have to rotate the magazine to read it. The feature is also written as in-universe Soviet propaganda warning of the protagonist and his allies and equipment. It’s a very creative way to cover the game, for sure!

Monthly Articles
Funny Nicknames – This month, a Wu Tang Clan name generator.

Hideo Kojima at the Movies – Having gone over all of his filmic inspirations since Issue 26, Kojima dedicates his last column to listing his top 20 favourite films of all time.

“Oh Good Gawd!” – The worst promotional item and/or screenshot sent to the magazine. This month, a picture of a bazooka from Conflict: Desert Storm 2.

Previews
Medal of Honor: Rising Sun – “Medal of Honor: Rising Sun looks even better than we were hoping for. How satisfying the gameplay will be still isn’t clear. But we are looking forward to having a good war already…” Boiling

Beyond Good and Evil – “Beyond Good and Evil shows a lot of promise from the word go. Blending puzzle elements with vehicles and combat is nothing new but it’s done here really well. It won’t suit everyone, though.” Hot

Return to Castle Wolfenstein – “Return to Castle Wolfenstein is promising to be a truly great FPS. Sadly, without any multiplayer or online gameplay, this might just shoot itself in the foot.” Hot

Starsky and Hutch – “Starsky and Hutch is a cracking licence. We always dreamed of being a streetwise cop with an eye for the ladies, but it’s looking like Empire might let us down. Nice wheel/gun combo, though.” Warm

Clock Tower 3 – “Clock Tower 3 isn’t as detailed, deep or polished as the similar Silent Hill 3, but it is equally as sinister and definitely more disturbing. A BBFC ‘18’ certificate beckons, wethinks.” Hot

Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution – “Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution should raise the pulse in any beat-‘em-up fan. Fingers crossed there will be enough here to satisfy those who already own the current VF4 instalment.” Hot

Soul Calibur 2 – “Soul Calibur 2 isn’t massively different from the last one, but it’s been buffed to perfection. We reckon it’ll be the best beat-‘em-up on PS2, or we’ll swallow our swords.” Hot

Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon – “Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon provides a refreshing change of pace. A compelling story and real-world, non-abstract puzzles should garner it cult following at the very least.” Hot

Updates for Final Fantasy X2, Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter, Dark Chronicle, Wakeboarding Unleashed, Indy Racing League, Chaos Legion, Destruction Derby Arena, XGRA and Ghosthunter.

Reviews
Enter the Matrix – “ETM comes highly recommended. It’s one of the finest movie tie-ins out there – if only the gameplay was a little deeper…” 8/10

SOCOM: US Navy SEALs – “Engrossing tactical action, with the added bonus of online play. But if you haven’t got broadband, you won’t fully appreciate it.” 8/10

Midnight Club 2 – “The first great online racer for PS2, with exhilarating speed, colourful attitude and tight-as-a-drum controls. Yes!” 8/10

Bloodrayne – “The blood-sucking, Nazi-slaughtering near-porn excitement soon dulls into all-too familiar adventure territory.” 6/10

Rygar: The Legendary Adventure – “This would make a fine and worthy addition to any action fan’s game collection. Brevity is the only pain.” 7/10

Ace Lightning – “Pedestrian platformer squeezed out of a weak licence. Don’t let lightning strike you.” 4/10

Downtown Run – “A mildly diverting racer. Much like when somebody says “Look, a bear!”” 4/10

Dancing Stage Megamix – “Top sweaty disco fun, marred by a flimsy selection of songs. All together now – big fish, little fish, cardboard box.” 7/10

Whirl Tour – “This is cutesy Tony Hawk’s with motorised scooters. Its irrelevance should be obvious to all.” 5/10

Syberia – “A genteel and often charming adventure with a diverting storyline, but there’s more excitement in a bag of crisps.” 5/10

Chessmaster – “Good virtual practice for playing the real thing, but it’s not really going to excite us, is it?” 6/10

Zapper – “Mediocre hop-along platformer proves that you can’t polish up a tired format.” 3/10

Speed Kings – “Great to have a gutsy motorbike racer at last. It’s perhaps not the classic that Burnout is, but is great fun all the same.” 7/10

Def Jam Vendetta – “Don’t be fooled by the rocks, this is a decent wrestler in Phat Farm clothing, but makes some rookie mistakes.” 7/10

Tom and Jerry in War of the Whiskers – “A shambling, punishing and emaciated excuse for a fighting game. It wants putting down.” 3/10

Premier Manager – “Brave. Different. At times even promising. But where’s the actual football management?” 3/10

Hardcore
The final part of the walkthroughs for Splinter Cell and Devil May Cry 2, plus Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven, Jak and Daxter, Silent Hill 3, Metal Gear Solid 2 Substance, Contra: Shattered Soldier, Big Mutha Truckers, Primal and Legion: The Legend of Excalibur.

 

Disc Content
Playable Demos
Silent Hill 3
Def Jam Vendetta
Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution
Rygar: The Legendary Adventure
Burnout 2: Point of Impact
Airblade
Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance
Wipeout Fusion

Footage
Enter the Matrix
SOCOM: US Navy SEALs
Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis
Pro Beach Soccer
NBA Street 2
Silent Hill 3
Shinobi

Trivia
* There’s another redesign this month, although it’s less drastic than the last one. It’s more of a retool than a full-blown new look. Look at the editor’s letter to see the major change. Specifically, the “a little bit saucy” part. Yes, we have now entered the infamous lad’s mag phase, which means lots of scantily clad women, any excuse to print bare breasts, a paparazzi-esque upskirt photo of Lisa Maffia as she is signing an autograph, a competition to find the fanservice in Enter the Matrix with a prize of getting to be a gimp for a day, and constant sex jokes. Practically overnight, the magazine has become akin to a 10-year-old boy who has found the word sex in the dictionary and thinks it’s the funniest thing in the world. I feel it’s demeaning to both the readers, who are treated in a patronising manner instead of being credited with some intelligence, and the magazine staff, who are dumbing down their work and not doing themselves justice when we know from the previous 33 issues that they’re capable of better and shouldn’t have to sink to this level.
* This month’s star letter is from Melissa in Hampshire, who writes in to complain about the coverage of Fear Effect: Inferno in a previous issue, and more generally, lesbianism as a marketing gimmick and source of titillation for straight men. The timing of this letter’s printing couldn’t be more unfortunate. If you’re reading this Melissa, I’m afraid you ain’t seen nothing yet.
* It took 34 issues, but the section of the magazine at the back that has DVD and music reviews and other non-gaming related articles finally has a name: Comedown. This month also sees the addition of Down the All-Night Garage, which reviews a crappy direct-to-DVD film based on the cover art. I quite like this one, and since it doesn’t appear every month, the joke doesn’t get stale. There’s also Rhythm Nation, which reviews porn films, and lasts until Issue 39. Now let us never speak of it again.
* Finally moving away from laddishness for now, this issue adds bios to the staff page for the core team members. This is a positive change as it enables more focus and personality for the whole team, whereas previously it was mostly the editor and one or two others who really got a chance to put their personality across. See, it’s not all doom and gloom this month!
* This issue also sees the debut of Kwik Fitz, a column hosted by Paul Fitzpatrick that collects various gaming rumours. This stuck around until Issue 89, well after Paul had left the team. The pun was just that good.
* The next issue promises a first look at Killzone, which is described as “The best game we’ve ever seen. Ever!” And you thought Halo-killer was hyperbolic!

Quote of the Month: “It’s like Granny’s good china on the day Jesus popped in for scones.” Jak 2 has really good graphics.

Cover price: £5.49
Page Count: 146