Issue 40 (December 2003)

                                                            Issue 40, December 2003

Editor’s letter
       There are a hell of a lot of games reviewed and rated in this month’s issue. If you were to buy them all it would empty your pockets of well over £1000. If you were to play them you’d still be finishing some come next Christmas. Even the most dedicated of us can’t make it through more than one game every couple of weeks. Luckily we’re here to make sure you don’t waste any of your money – or time – buying and playing all the cash-grabbing tat that floods the shops during the pre-Xmas November push.
       Not only do we have our incredible and totally exclusive cover DVD giving you the chance to try out games before they’re released, but we have an exclusives-packed review section that’ll give you the official word on every game released this month. Don’t buy a game until you have read the Official Playstation 2 Magazine review.
       If you want to talk about this or anything else regarding games, gags or OPS2 then send us a letter, email, fax or meet us on the uk.playstation.com forums – we’re online every Wednesday between 5-6PM. See you there…
                                                                    Richard Keith, Editor

Features
What is Jean Reno’s Problem? – Onimusha 3, focusing primarily on Jean Reno’s motion capture and voiceover work on the game.

Welcome to the Family… – Mafia. Also includes a set of Top Trumps cards pitting against each other the Sicilian Mafia, the Russian Mafia, the Japanese Mafia and Lisa Maffia.

Monthly Articles
Funny Nicknames – This month, a Hobbit name generator, in honour of Lord of the Rings.

“Oh Good Gawd!” – The worst promotional item sent to the magazine. This month, the novelisation of Warhammer 40K: Fire Warrior, and a Warhammer 40K t-shirt. Possibly in acknowledgement that the joke is wearing thin, the team admit these don’t actually suck, they’re just being ungrateful for the lulz.

Previews
WWE Smackdown! Here Comes the Pain – “While it’s unlikely to win any new fans, both the graphical and gameplay enhancements should send the wrestling fraternity into raptures. We’re looking forward to grappling with the final version.” Hot

Ghost Recon: Jungle Storm – “Although thoroughly proficient in all departments, the single-player campaign doesn’t appear to have made a great leap. However, the prospect of online antics could well make us enlist.” Hot

The Sims: Bustin’ Out – “The Sims’ universe expands beyond the home into a town full of fantastic new options. This looks set to be an essential purchase for gamers who like to use the old grey matter.” Boiling

Manhunt – “Manhunt will shock, for that’s exactly what it’s been designed to do. A huge amount will depend on whether or not it’s able to capture your imagination as well as your bloodlust.” Boiling

Sonic Heroes – “Sole-smouldering slipstream fun with Sonic but a bit more sedate with anyone else. Potentially the best game about a spiny insectivore in ages. Let’s hope the pace keeps up in the later levels.” Hot

Updates for Battlestar Galactica, Driv3r, Tak and the Power of Juju, Legacy of Kain: Defiance, Transformers, Dynasty Tactics 2, Crash Nitro Kart and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.

Reviews
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – “Hardly ringing in any great changes, but with slick looks and feverish swordplay, we’re not complaining.” 8/10

Ghosthunter – “A few camera issues aside, this ethereal beauty makes a good case for possession. Mwahaha.” 8/10

The Simpsons Hit and Run – “Fans will be upset at the severe lack of humour. Others will find it an inoffensively bland GTA makeover.” 5/10

Tony Hawk’s Underground – “Underground takes skating games one step further up the evolutionary ladder. Utterly brilliant and addictive.” 9/10

Dog’s Life – “Dog’s Life is good, innovative fun, but it’s also a bit twee and unexciting. Hands up for Monkey Life!” 6/10

SSX 3 – “Expands an already huge game. Not always successful but with massive style and verve. You should own it.” 9/10

World Rally Championship 3 – “WRC 3 captures the thrills and spills without resorting to petrolhead fanaticism or uber-technical detail.” 9/10

FIFA 2004 – “PES keeps its nose ahead, but this is the best FIFA title ever. The hole in the defence is closing, Konami.” 8/10

NBA Jam – “NBA Jam is approachable for such a well-stacked game, delivering instant fun at the expense of longevity.” 6/10

NBA Live 2004 – “A comprehensive sim that grows with you. But those not in love with the real sport may remain stunted.” 8/10

XIII – “An inspired comic-book conversion that’s full of fresh ideas, looks gorgeous and demands to be played.” 8/10

Time Crisis 3 – “Lightgun gaming hasn’t evolved dramatically but who cares when it’s this much fun?” 7/10

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time – “Innovative, original and enjoyable. Prince of Persia is only let down by some niggling flaws.” 8/10

SWAT: Global Strike Team – “If you’re after a rumble in the name of Peace, Justice and the American way, this is your best bet. Great stuff.” 8/10

Metal Arms: Glitch in the System – “A PS2 Halo for kids. And robophiles. Slow to start, but turns over nicely when warmed up.” 7/10

Gladius – “Initially perplexing, gradually more and more engrossing, and eventually tremendously tactical.” 7/10

Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon – “An engrossing, quirky adventure that satisfies the Indiana Jones and Miss Marple in us all.” 8/10

Backyard Wrestling: Don’t Try This at Home – “It gets fighting and wrestling wrong. We’re not sure how it’s possible for a bloodbath to be this uninteresting.” 4/10

Beyond Good and Evil – “Better than Haven, not quite a Jak 2-beater, this is nevertheless a gripping and totally engrossing platformer.” 8/10

Gregory Horror Show – “One of the craziest things you’ll ever play on PS2. Be glad there’s nobody else quite like Gregory.” 8/10

Rolling – “A decent skate-alike that copies Tony Hawk’s but can’t match the big fella’s gnarled greatness.” 6/10

Ford Racing 2 – “An easy going, accessible racer spiced up by challenge variety. File under cheap and cheerful. Result.” 7/10

Super Farm – “For a favourable price the whole family can enjoy being flung like dung from a Friesian’s fart flaps.” 7/10

Naval Ops: Warship Gunner – “Solid presentation, thoughtful controls and an unusual subject matter make for surprisingly enjoyable combat.” 7/10

Worms 3D – “While it’s not Armageddon for the lil’ wrigglers, the lack of anything new means it’s not the leap we were after.” 6/10

Ratchet and Clank 2: Locked and Loaded – “Doesn’t break new ground like the original, but it’s still a clanking corker that ratchets up a good score.” 8/10

NHL Hitz Pro – “Ice, ice baby… Hitz Pro is offensive second to NHL 2004, but not by more than the width of a puck.” 7/10

Robin Hood: Defender of the Crown – “Robin Hood’s adventures make for an enjoyably energetic addition to PS2’s lightweight RTS portfolio.” 6/10

Dance UK – “Like Gareth Gates and slumber parties? You’ll probably love this. Otherwise, it’s a housewarmer only.” 6/10

Hot Wheels: World Race – “A fun game with great pick-up-and-play value if nothing much else. It’s a bit like Wipeout, just not as shiny.” 6/10

Space Invaders: Invasion Day – “We didn’t expect to like it. We were prepared for a rant. We were wrong. It’s a good, fun, cheap little game.” 6/10

Hardcore
Walkthroughs for Jak 2 and Pro Evolution Soccer 3, plus Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Freestyle Metal X, Primal, Gungrave, Eyetoy Play and Alien VS Predator: Extinction.

Disc Content
Playable Demos
007: Everything or Nothing
Ratchet and Clank 2: Locked and Loaded
Ghosthunter
Dog’s Life
Time Crisis 3
Destruction Derby Arenas
Gladius
Wallace and Gromit: Project Zoo
Need for Speed Underground
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004
Freaky Flyers

Footage
Dog’s Life
Forbidden Siren
Everquest Online Adventures
Kya: Dark Lineage
Dragon Ball Z Budokai 2

Trivia
* New franchise alert! We haven’t had one of these in a while, and this time it’s the turn of Sony’s karaoke game Singstar to make its debut. At this early stage, it’s known by the slightly shorter name, Sing.
* Part of the fun of character creation is to make the weirdest, most hideous characters you can, and the Sims preview continues this fine tradition with Dick Valentine, a party animal seen wearing Freddy Mercury’s wardrobe, and a French maid outfit combined with Sam Fisher’s night vision goggles.
* OPS2’s prediction for how Manhunt would end: “What if Manhunt’s grim storyline actually takes place in James Earl Cash’s mind, as he dies from a lethal injection in prison?” That’s actually pretty close to how Manhunt 2 starts.
* Potential hot take: The Simpsons Hit and Run is better than most episodes of the show past around Season 10 or so.
* The full title of WRC 3 is World Rally Championship 3: The Official Game of the FIA World Rally Championship. Sod typing that out more than once!
* Ratchet and Clank 2 has the subtitle Going Commando in the rest of the English-speaking world. Sadly, it took a while for the UK to start getting the naughty sex pun subtitles.
* Starting with issue 2, there has been a shortlist section giving the scores of all previously reviewed games. It started out on just one page, but as time has gone on, the section has naturally gotten bigger and bigger. This month, it’s finally gotten too big and been replaced by the Hot 100, which only includes what the writers thought were PS2’s 100 best games.
* Remember Rate Your Mate? Of course you do. It was only last month, how could you forget? Karolina writes in this month to say that there were other photos (presumably clothed), but her boyfriend sent in the nudes. She doesn’t seem upset about it, so hopefully consent was given. Speaking of which, there’s another picture this month from Karen, who didn’t know why her picture was being taken (It’s not a nude photo, in case you’re wondering). The accompanying letter says “I had to pretend I was setting up the zoom on my phone!” Judging by OPS2’s response, “The idea was that your lady knew why you were taking her picture”, we now know where they draw the line.

Quote of the Month: “On second thought, a bacon-flavoured uncle is probably as normal as this is going to get.” I’m annoyed that Beyond Good and Evil 2 looks to be a sequel in name only, considering the first one ended on a cliffhanger, but since its release is firmly in “I’ll believe it when I see it” territory, it’s a bit of a moot point.

Cover price: £5.49
Page Count: 146

Issue 39 (November 2003)

                                                            Issue 39, November 2003

Editor’s letter
       Eating your sweets? Had a look at the 12 all-new playable demos on the disc yet? Had a flick through the XIII comic? Seen the world exclusive Medal of Honor: Rising Sun review? Or the world exclusive Club Football review? Checked for your golden ticket to see if you’ve won £5000? Only with OPS2 are these things possible.
       What is also possible is getting your opinions in the biggest selling games mag. We’re after boys and girls capable of writing the sort of hilarious and yet well judged nonsense we knock out every month. Fancy it? Then send me a sample (of your writing…) And if you’d rather appear than write, we’re also looking for people willing to travel here to Bath and tell us what they think of pre-release games. Fancy it? Then drop me a line telling me why you’d be perfect for the job.
       And if you’re wondering why I’m in cartoon form, it’s to celebrate the XIII comic. We love that cel-shaded look so we had Ubisoft doodle us up – check out all the section intro pages. Better than the real thing, that’s for sure.
                                                                   Richard Keith, Editor

Features
Are you a Lord of the Rings? – This feature rates how big a Lord of the Rings fan the reader is, in anticipation of The Return of the King. The categories range from absolute newbie to superfan who knows the most minor characters, who only have one line of dialogue but entire backstories gleaned from supplementary materials.

OPS2 VS The Playstation Experience – The annual visit to the Playstation Experience. As well as the pre-release games and competitions, there’s a fair bit of misfortune, including Fitz’s fighting game commentating career being brought to an abrupt end when the game crashed twice, Tim having a half-eaten sausage thrown at him and then stealing a Coke can out of impatience, and the team being mistaken for the staff of another Playstation magazine.

Monthly Articles
Funny Nicknames – This month, everyone names their favourite comic character, in honour of XIII.

“Oh Good Gawd!” – The worst promotional item sent to the magazine. This month, Digital Fantasy Painting, a guide for creating digital paintings of fantasy artwork.

Previews
Tony Hawk’s Underground – “Every year we ponder how Neversoft will improve the Tony Hawk’s games, and every year it shames us like fickle disciples. Pure, playable genius with a nod towards GTA. Sounds good? No, it’s better.” Meltdown

Worms 3D – “Worms 3D is the first Worms game that hasn’t trapped us in a social-life-destroying mantrap. But we’re prepared to give it more time to burrow into our system. It might be a grower.” Warm

Ratchet and Clank 2: Locked and Loaded – “R&C 2 promises another mouth-watering feast of sci-fi flavoured action. However, it seems to be rather similar to its predecessor. Will it be eclipsed by the fresh and footloose Jak 2: Renegade?” Hot

SSX 3 – “SSX 3 is prettier than the first snowstorm of winter and tighter than Elise’s cheek-caressing salopettes. Grab your board, don a fetching hat and embrace it like the Second Coming.” Meltdown

Ford Racing 2 – “Low expectations have been kicked into touch by a decent racer with neat challenges. That said, in a field packed with competitors, is ‘decent’ enough to win Ford Racing 2 a following?” Warm

Rogue Ops – “Rogue Ops wins nil points in the originality stakes. However, we’ve got to admit it’s a darn sight more competently produced than at least one of the games it borrows from. (That’ll be Tomb Raider.)” Warm

Onimusha 3 – “Onimusha 3 couldn’t be looking any better. Far from detracting from the original formula, the dual-hero system should make for double the action and, with any luck, twice the game.” Boiling

Gran Turismo 4 – “Gran Turismo 4 remains one of our ‘most wanted’ for 2004. We’re still to be convinced by the online mode, but with 100 tracks, over 500 cars and much improved visuals, how can this fail?” Meltdown

World Rally Championship 3 – “While WRC 3 isn’t going to shock anyone, it’s come up with the goods yet again. There certainly seems to be more than enough here to keep WRC fans on the edge of their bucket seats.” Hot

Ghosthunter – “Ghosthunter is a good prospect. As it stands, it has moments of brilliance and of frustration in equal parts, but just how much gameplay can there be in capturing ghost after ghost?” Warm

Updates for Dancing Stage Fever, XIII, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Pop Idol, NHL Hitz Pro, Secret Weapons Over Normandy, Beyond Good and Evil and Maximo VS The Army of Zin.

Reviews
Pro Evolution Soccer 3 – “The most fun you’ll have with 22 tiny men. The perfect football game demands the perfect OPS2 score.” 10/10

Medal of Honor: Rising Sun – “From the attack on Pearl Harbor to the jungles of the South Sea islands, Rising Sun is a must-play.” 9/10

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds – “It plays like an interactive episode of the vamp-tastic TV series. Essential for fans but not quite in Resi’s class.” 7/10

Jak 2: Renegade – “The rarest of videogame animals – an epic treat with quality that soars throughout. You need this game.” 9/10

Bomberman Kart – “The only kart game this conjures up is one that’s driven by men in orange overalls and filled with rubbish.” 4/10

Hunter: The Reckoning Wayward – “A satisfying blend of hack-and-massacre gameplay and decaying minions. Not perfect but gratifying.” 7/10

Finding Nemo – “A cracking story and oh-so-cute characters but the wet wanderings are far too simplistic for our liking.” 5/10

The King of Route 66 – “Wears its arcade origins with pride but the lack of a chunky cabinet leaves limited appeal.” 6/10

Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter – “A respectable outing for the veteran series, but there are far superior examples of the genre on offer.” 6/10

Freaky Flyers – “The mini-games are cool, but it’s not quite enough to justify such a big chunk of your hard-earned cash.” 6/10

Hardware: Online Arena – “One idea, but a good one. Its success rests firmly in the online arena. See you on the battlefield.” 7/10

Chess Challenger – “Despite a lack of thrills and presentation, CC manages to be cheap and rather cheerful to boot.” 6/10

Motorsiege: Warriors of Prime Time – “A pleasant surprise. Original it ain’t but there’s plenty to like and at a tenner this is virtually a risk-free deal.” 7/10

Everquest Online Adventures – “Everquest offers perhaps the purest role-playing opportunity in gamedom – so what’s not to like?” 8/10

Reel Fishing 3 – “Of course it’s not a patch on the ‘reel’ thing, but RF3 does land praise for its detail and gentle atmosphere.” 6/10

My Street – “A larger scale to the online activity and more mini-games would have helped to raise this above the bar.” 6/10

Club Football – “Lacks some depth in gameplay but still a must-buy for non PES-loving fans of the teams involved.” 7/10

Rugby 2004 – “Sloppy work from the masters of presentation, and as hollow as an over-inflated ball.” 4/10

Gallop Racer 2003 – “Simply too dull. Even the most dedicated horse-heads will have trouble staying in the saddle for long.” 3/10

Road Rage 3 – “Seriously low rent ‘racing’. It’s bloody cheap, but in more ways than one.” 1/10

Cool Shot – “There aren’t any other pool games for £9 on PS2. But that’s no reason to buy this.” 3/10

Home Run – “Awful baseball sim. Even rich people with lots of £8.99s to burn shouldn’t buy this.” 2/10

Alter Echo – “However pioneering certain aspects are, the good work is lost in a distortion of crass visuals and sheer linearity.” 6/10

Wallace and Gromit: Project Zoo – “This won’t win any awards, but bigger games should take note of the simple, effective characterisation.” 6/10

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelists of the Roses – “A worthy addition to the world of Yu-Gi-Oh! and a must for fans of card games. We prefer Top Trumps.” 6/10

AFL Live 2004 – “It’s niche for sure but it’s a fair dinkum adaptation of this Antipodean oddity.” 6/10

Bionicle – “Bionicle fans may get a kick out of this but they, and us, deserve a tighter platformer.” 5/10

Boxing Champions – “It’s not Rocky or Knockout Kings but as a budget bruiser it’s worth a punt.” 6/10

Bust-a-Bloc – “Basically a tarted-up Super Breakout clone that goes in to bat with some aplomb.” 6/10

Hardcore
Walkthroughs for Soul Calibur 2, Colin McRae Rally 4, Conflict Desert Storm 2 and Freedom Fighters, plus Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter, Silent Hill 3, The Great Escape, Dead to Rights, Whirl Tour and Starsky and Hutch.

Disc Content
Playable Demos
Jak 2: Renegade
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Conflict: Desert Storm 2
Beyond Good and Evil
Judge Dredd: Dredd VS Death
My Street
The Italian Job: LA Heist
Freestyle Metal X
Disney’s Extreme Skate Adventure
World War Zero: Ironstorm
Rolling

Footage
Medal of Honor: Rising Sun
FIFA 2004
Ghosthunter
Hardware: Online Arena
Legacy of Kain: Defiance
Whiplash

Trivia
* There are 12 playable demos this month, but I only listed 11. What gives? The Italian Job is two separate demos, one each for the racing and stunt modes. Rather odd that there wouldn’t be one demo that includes both modes, as you’d expect.
* As the editor’s letter states, the profile images this month are drawn in the XIII art style instead of using the usual photographs.
* Fun fact, unrelated to the magazine: Ubisoft is recognised as a word when I’m typing this, and yet Playstation isn’t. Go figure.
* OPS2 had an impact on the development of Rogue Ops. Following criticism of the protagonist Nikki Connors looking too much like Lara Croft when the game was covered in issue 37, the developer redesigned the character to make her look more different, the most notable changes being blonde hair, some stylish glasses and smaller (but still pretty big) breasts. To confirm that this wasn’t a coincidence, a member of the development team emailed the magazine explaining the change, while showing off the new design.
* Pro Evolution Soccer 2 ran an ad campaign comparing it to a religion. For Pro Evo 3, OPS2 get in on the fun by running with the Cult of PES, including followers, non-believers, a place of worship, and even the Ten Commandments (Example: “Thou shalt forgive those who buy FIFA for they know not what they do”.) It’s hilarious, if slightly sinister. Pro Evo 3 also starts the series off on a run of annual 10/10s that wouldn’t be broken until Pro Evolution Soccer 2008.
* Road Rage 3 was developed by Atlus. Yes, that Atlus, of Persona fame! They must have seen Driving Emotion Type S, rival JRPG developer Square’s attempt at a racing game, and thought “Hold my sake.”
* Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelists of the Roses out-wacky-spinoffs WWE Crush Hour. The plot involves Yugi and his various friends and enemies LARPing the Wars of the Roses (A civil war in which two rival houses, the Lancastrians and Yorkists, fought over the claim to the English throne) via the medium of card games. Naturally since this is Yu-Gi-Oh!, ancient forbidden magic is heavily involved.
* I’ve been bemoaning the lad content for the last few months, and this month, that new approach reaches its nadir, with the infamous Rate Your Mate. On the back page of this issue, you will find a picture of reader Filip’s girlfriend Karolina, and she’s naked, with copies of the magazine included in the photo to barely cover her modesty. I’m not going to include a photo of the page, partly because I’m not really comfortable with the ethics of sharing a stranger’s nudes, and partly because someone else has probably already done it anyway, so if you’re curious, you can look for it yourselves. Anyway, this article is the primary thing the magazine is remembered for, and by extension, the reason why it isn’t remembered nearly as fondly as the original PSOne incarnation of the magazine, which is quite sad in my opinion. It’s actually part of the reason I started this project, to show off the magazine as a whole, not just the bit that should be on the Never Live It Down page of TV Tropes. For the sake of the person who suggested this article, I hope Twitter doesn’t find it and do some digging, or that writer would be blacklisted from the industry before they could say “It was a different time!”

Quote of the Month: “I like playing games. Sounds like a strange thing for a games journalist to be saying, but there it is.” Frankly, we could do with this sort of reassurance nowadays!

Cover price: £5.49
Page Count: 146

Issue 38 (October 2003)

                                                                Issue 38, October 2003

Editor’s letter
       It’s a fact universally acknowledged in my head that were I to run the world, things would be better for everyone.
       For a start, the magazine you are now holding would include the promised review of Activision’s True Crime: Streets of LA.
       I am still waiting for the call asking me to be earthly overlord, so it ain’t here. Yet. The reason? Activision decided at the last minute that True Crime isn’t ready, so it won’t be on the streets of anywhere for a couple of months. What this does mean is that what could be the biggest original game this Xmas might actually live up to the hype.
       And while we’re on the subject, this is what’ll happen when I am finally installed on my world-ruler throne: A ban on shorts and socks worn together; Jennifer Garner will start wondering where I’ve been all her life; games will always appear on time; money will grow on trees; football will return to its unfashionable 80s state; PS2 online will be worth the effort; I will have a device through which I can hear your thoughts before you’ve thought them; beer will make the world a better place the morning after as well as the night before; and I will wear a flowing claret and blue cloak and a very, very big crown…
                                                                Richard Keith, Editor

Features
Welcome to FIFA Club – FIFA 2004

Heroes and Zeroes – Medal of Honor: Rising Sun.

Death is Not the End – Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. This feature is laid out in the form of a clock face, with each paragraph corresponding to one of the twelve hours.

Monthly Articles
Funny Nicknames – This month, everyone gets cast as Eastenders characters.

“Oh Good Gawd!” – The worst promotional item and/or screenshot sent to the magazine. This month, a Simpsons comic book, chocolate bar and frisbee, to promote The Simpsons Hit and Run. They really seem to have it out for The Simpsons lately.

Previews
Jak 2: Renegade – “Jak 2: Renegade, as you may well have surmised, has got us quite excited. We’re big fans of Jak’s earlier work and fully expect big things from this follow up. Don’t let us down boy!” Meltdown

Tony Hawk’s Underground – “These new shots show that the early play we had was right on – THUG is going to look money. We’ll have to wait for a more extensive playtest, though, before seeing how good the gameplay is.” Boiling

Roadkill – “It’s a blatant GTA rip-off, sure, but at least it’s been executed with a degree of personality. Midway is advised to get this out while the hunger for a new Grand Theft Auto is still near insatiable.” Warm

WWE Smackdown! Here Comes the Pain – “WWE Smackdown! Here Comes the Pain is being made with a love of the, er, ‘sport’ and some well-thought-out additions. Will the blood and bras add to the game? Here’s hoping…” Hot

Pro Evolution Soccer 3 – “Pro Evolution Soccer 3, even at this stage of the game, is clearly an improvement on last year’s PES. We’re hooked and want more. Bring us more Konami. We need more! More! More!” Meltdown

The Suffering – “The Suffering won’t be giving the Japanese masters of survival horror any fervent nightmares yet. This US-made offering is a far cry from Silent Hill. You can’t argue with its shock value though.” Warm

Mafia – “Mafia looks to trade on GTA gameplay and retro good looks, but the game’s success in the PC market is no guarantee of its performance on PS2. Good looking screens, though.” Hot

Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon – “Forget ponderous PC-ported point-and-click puzzling. The Sleeping Dragon looks and plays like a brainy cousin of Raiders of the Lost Ark. You will require a functioning brain, though….” Hot

Finding Nemo – “Finding Nemo is a cutesy game that doesn’t yet inspire excitement. Perhaps it’s the mellow vibe of the game? Or is it simply that fish are better when they’re served with loads of chips and vinegar?” Boiling

Lord of the Rings: Return of the King – “Can you play as Liv Tyler? We’re guessing that’s a ‘no’. But let’s not let that (or her, for that matter) distract us from the fact that this is one ring we simply can’t wait to put our fingers in.” Boiling

Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain – “Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain will stand up as a single-player experience as much as an online game. If the visuals can be spruced up, then Sony’ll have another SF hit on its hands.” Hot

Updates for Resident Evil: Outbreak, Kya: Dark Lineage, Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance, World War Zero: Ironstorm, Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup, Whiplash, Dance UK and Gladius.

Reviews
Colin McRae Rally 4 – “One for experts and newbies alike, Colin 4 is a superlative rally sim with a tank full of satisfying options.” 9/10

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 – “The best golf game on PS2, but the lack of online play is reprehensible. Same score as last time then…” 8/10

Judge Dredd: Dredd VS Death – “Glitchy and lightweight but the multiplayer modes and arcade missions keep Dredd out of jail.” 7/10

Amplitude – “You don’t have to take our word for it. Play the demo right now. Get yourself hooked. This is genius.” 8/10

XGRA: Extreme G Racing Association – “High quality and fun but lacks va va voom. Nods to style and innovation but buckles in front of competitors.” 6/10

Alien VS Predator: Extinction – “Good to see another RTS on PS2, but this just isn’t the kind of Alien on Predator action we were expecting.” 5/10

ATV Offroad Fury 2 – “The multiplay doesn’t date and it’s an uncivilised joy to play for extended periods. And £19.99 too!” 8/10

Freestyle Metal X – “A late entry to the Tony Hawk’s genre, but what it lacks in originality it certainly makes up for in scale.” 7/10

Galidor: Defenders of the Outer Dimension – “Dire, derivative, depressing and lots more negative words beginning with D. Hold on for Jak 2: Renegade.” 3/10

Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner – “A visually stunning title. Great new additions, fun to play, but still suffers from similar problems as the original.” 8/10

The Italian Job: LA Heist – “A solid racing engine with a weak licence bolted on the side does not make a good game – here’s proof.” 6/10

World Racing – “While large in scope and options, World Racing sadly suffers from an inescapable blandness. What a pity.” 5/10

Disney’s Extreme Skate Adventure – “Hard to dislike, it’s a decent enough, solid skate for the kiddies, but some will find the ‘cute’ factor nauseating.” 6/10

Madden NFL 2004 – “Not just for those who already love padding-up, Madden 2004 is a great game, whatever your tastes.” 9/10

Conflict Desert Storm 2 – “A meaty shoot-‘em-up with tricky tactical elements, let down by a few bugs and rough edges.” 8/10

NHL 2004 – “PS2’s finest NHL romp. You’ll enjoy this even if you think Wayne Gretzky is some kind of Polish soup recipe.” 8/10

Splashdown 2: Rides Gone Wild – “A pleasing, mildly entertaining sequel that sacrifices credibility in favour of extreme ‘wackiness’.” 6/10

Unlimited Saga – “If you’ve never played a Saga game, this will be unfamiliar, unconventional, unspectacular but very challenging.” 7/10

Warhammer 40K: Fire Warrior – “In spite of the potentially nerd-heavy backdrop there’s plenty to like about this simple yet immersive FPS.” 7/10

Beach King Stunt Racer – “Extreme sports performed by a man in a seat – how’s that for a basic flaw?” 4/10

London Racer World Challenge – “It’s a really poor version of Burnout for the same price. You do the math.” 3/10

Scrabble 2003 Edition – “There’s no incentive to favour this over real Scrabble. It’s accurate, but little joy.” 5/10

Hardcore
Walkthroughs for The Great Escape, Indiana Jones and the Emperor’s Tomb, Dark Chronicle and Chaos Legion, plus Def Jam Vendetta, The Sims, Enter the Matrix, Hulk and X-Men 2: Wolverine’s Revenge.

Disc Content
Playable Demos
Colin McRae Rally 4
True Crime: Streets of LA
Amplitude
Summer Heat Beach Volleyball
Chaos Legion
Perfect Ace Pro Tennis Tournament
Rugby 2004
Finding Nemo
Formula One 2003
Soul Calibur 2
Freedom Fighters
Warhammer 40k: Fire Warrior
Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner

Footage
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Medal of Honor: Rising Sun
Time Crisis 3
The Making of Amplitude

Trivia
* As I said previously, it’s been a lean few months for the demo disc over the summer, but this month it’s back with a vengeance, with 14 playable demos, all of which are new. This is the magazine’s biggest demo disc, with no future issues beating this total.
* To get into the spirit of things, the Judge Dredd review gives an Official Judgement instead of the usual Official Verdict.
* This issue has another game cancelled at the last minute. Galidor went unreleased due to the developer shutting down, after review copies had been sent out. The Game Boy Advance version had been released a year prior, and the PC version eventually resurfaced on a value label and in compilation re-releases, but the PS2 and Gamecube versions weren’t so lucky. Having said that, it doesn't sound as if we missed much.
* How is it an Italian Job if it’s in LA? And how is it a world challenge if it’s in London?
* There are two very stylish adverts for Chaos Legion in this issue. Each one is formed from hundreds of tiny screenshots of the game, forming an image of the game’s hero and villain respectively.
* Starting in this issue, the page where readers write in asking for help with games they’re stuck on adopts a surgery gimmick, with the writers being doctors and the readers being their patients.

Quote of the Month: “Buy me, I’m better, and you’ll have an extra 20 notes to spend on cider.” The pre-owned shelf issues its tempting siren song.

Cover price: £5.49
Page Count: 146

ABC sales figures: The newest figures are in, and there’s a drop in readership for the first time. Right now, it’s not too concerning, as video game magazines do tend sell less in the first half of the year due to there being fewer major releases, and PS2 isn’t new anymore at this point, so the number of new adopters is slowing down. The next numbers will be interesting, as we will get the see the impact of the recent redesign.

Jul-Dec 2002 – 197,348
Jan-Jun 2003 – 188,079 (Down 9269)

Issue 37 (September 2003)

                                                             Issue 37, September 2003

Editor’s letter
       We play a lot of games around here. It is, after all, kind of the point of the job. But we also spend a lot of time playing games that, strictly speaking, we don’t need to play. Pro Evo 2 is the most obvious but Timesplitters 2 gives it a run for its money.
       So it’s good to see two new games turning up and dominating the hours with which we are supposed to be doing something else.
       First up was Soul Calibur 2. The macho posturing while controlling a short-skirted lass, the dance celebrations and the general in your faceness of the match-ups hooked the office immediately, and – until Tim got too good – we were playing it more than we were actually working. Which is bad. Good, but bad.
       Freedom Fighters took longer to get hold of us but once we got used to controlling our little army, shooting the hell out the Reds was a whole Cold War full of fun.
       And, would you believe it, we don’t just spend our wage-slave hours playing videogames. There’s a whole world of entertaining chat to fill our days. As there’s no space left, I have constructed a clever grid for you just down there.
       Enjoy!
                                                                    Richard Keith, Editor

Features
The Snake Eater Files – Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.

And Here Come the Belgians! – XIII. Who says nothing worthwhile comes from Belgium?

Martial Law – True Crime: Streets of LA

Monthly Articles
Funny Nicknames – This month, Russian things, in honour of Freedom Fighters.

“Oh Good Gawd!” – The worst promotional item and/or screenshot sent to the magazine. This month, a little deckchair to put your mobile phone in.

Previews
Colin McRae Rally 4 – “Colin McRae Rally 4 may seem on the surface more like CMR 3.5 but the many changes make it more promising than that. It’s far more useable, makes more of its content and looks boss.” Boiling

Hardware Online Arena – “Hardware Online Arena has been a real success in beta trials. The game’s nothing without its online facets but that’s just one more incentive for you to get broadband, right? Review next issue.” Warm

The Simpsons Hit and Run – “The Simpsons Hit and Run could be what the franchise has been waiting for. But when are they going to stop piggy-backing successful games and come up with original ideas and gameplay?” Warm

Need for Speed Underground – “Need for Speed Underground brings a new breed of illicit driving to PS2. It’s dirtier than Burnout 2 and, even at this early stage, trounces Midnight Club 2 in graphical terms.” Boiling

Everquest Online Adventures – “Everquest Online Adventures won’t appeal to quick-fix action junkies and the subs fees will alienate many. Despite this, it’s still one of the most immersive game worlds ever created.” Hot

Conflict Desert Storm 2 – “Conflict Desert Storm 2 is the only game out there that’ll give EA’s Freedom Fighters a run for its money. Next month, we’ll review CDS2 to find out whether that run is a jog or a sprint.” Boiling

Splashdown 2: Rides Gone Wild – “Splashdown 2: RGW has promise as an action-packed arcade racer. The fact that you’re not racing on tarmac goes in its favour, and the dynamic environments are fun. Await the review!” Hot

Beyond Good and Evil – “Beyond Good and Evil brings a hefty scoop of well-judged style to what’s fast becoming a standard form – the wide-open puzzle world. Definitely worth keeping an eye on for this November.” Hot

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time – “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is an action adventure that looks the part and feels confident, too. Unless someone throws a falafel in the works, this should be superb.” Boiling

Judge Dredd: Dredd VS Death – “Judge Dredd: Dredd VS Death is what you’d expect – a good shooter straight out of a future hell with some nice touches. Whether its fanbase will drive sales through the roof is to be seen.” Warm

Freestyle Metal X – “Freestyle Metal X is a little flat at first but playing the tutorials and opening new stuff soon has it picking up the revs. It’s a little scrappy so far but Midway seems to have captured the fun.” Warm

Warhammer 40K: Fire Warrior – “Fire Warrior is certainly going to provide blasting action in spades. It’s going to be tough if the difficulty levels stay as they are. We’re keen to see how far this progresses.” Warm

SSX 3 – “SSX 3 is shaping up to be a wintery frost-coated classic. It’s utterly open-ended, loaded with depth and supremely satisfying to play. We love it like Jesus loves sinners.” Meltdown

Rise to Honour – “Rise to Honour is looking real nice, and we’re itching to take the little fella through his paces with a bit of hands-on action. Whether Li’s name alone is enough to carry a game is doubtful.” Hot

Updates for Rugby 2004, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds, Unlimited Saga, The Hobbit, Alter Echo, Spyhunter 2, Dog’s Life, Freaky Flyers and Kaan: Barbarian’s Blade.

Reviews
Soul Calibur 2 – “Utterly essential for fight fans and capable of converting non-believers like Jesus on a good hair day.” 10/10

Freedom Fighters – “Slight imperfections are swamped by an utterly addictive and clever game experience. You must play this.” 9/10

Charlie’s Angels – “A motorway pile-up of a game that stores its horror in a flashback. No wonder Charlie hides.” 1/10

The Great Escape – “Affectionate film tribute that’s more stealth than action. A tad clunky and gentile but a jolly good show.” 7/10

Pinball – “Here’s one for nostalgics and those easily confused by polygons.” 6/10

Road Trip Adventure – “A weirder road adventure than Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Take that trip.” 6/10

Seek and Destroy – “As confusing and pointless as any real battle – a little politics for you there.” 3/10

Raging Blades – “Simple hack ‘n’ slash that’ll keep you busy for a couple of days – longer with a multitap and mates.” 6/10

Indiana Jones and the Emperor’s Tomb – “Rough around the edges, and old skool, but loveable at the same time. A lot like Dr Jones himself, in fact.” 7/10

Frogger Beyond – “Frustrating, poor graphics, a lack of variation. This Frogger is best left in the pond. Ribbit.” 4/10

European Tennis Masters – “Unremarkable, expect for the ball physics and daft commentary. Cheap, cheerful but not truly awful.” 4/10

Pro Beach Soccer – “A niche activity like this needs a classic, imaginative simulation to garner interest. This ain’t it.” 4/10

Maken Shao: Demon Sword – “Lovely manga-style character designs and a good plot, marred by repetitive action and bland textures.” 5/10

Fighting Fury – “Basic graphics, weak gameplay. Very much pre-Tekken and nowhere near the quality of Virtua Fighter 4.” 3/10

Hardcore
Part 2 of the Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness walkthrough and walkthroughs for Starsky and Hutch, Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter, Die Hard: Vendetta and Dead to Rights, plus Rygar: The Legendary Adventure, Activision Anthology, Black and Bruised, NBA Street 2, Wakeboarding Unleashed and World Championship Snooker 2003.

Disc Content
Playable Demos
The Great Escape
Return to Castle Wolfenstein
Die Hard: Vendetta
Splashdown 2: Rides Gone Wild
Alter Echo
Splinter Cell
Ape Escape 2
Ratchet and Clank
World Rally Championship 2 Extreme
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Dynasty Warriors 3

Footage
Amplitude
Jak 2: Renegade
How to Eyetoy – A how to guide for using Eyetoy, presented by Jon Culshaw.

Trivia
* The bar chart measuring office discussion referred to in the Editor’s letter makes its debut in this issue, and became a monthly fixture until Issue 89.
* A picture of Jak in this issue has him wearing a face mask with the speech bubble “SARS mask optional.” It’s unfortunate that the joke is timely once again, at the time of this writing.
* Burnout developer Criterion has a unique way to get out of having to address rumours about Burnout 3 and their new FPS Black: pretending to be a Chinese restaurant.
* The build of Beyond Good and Evil previewed in this issue has a design for Jade that differs from the one used in the final game. Here, she’s wearing a white t-shirt that covers her upper body, whereas in the final game, the t-shirt is shorter to show off her midriff, but she has a green jacket and belt on top of it. Her trousers are also a lighter shade of blue than in the finished game.
* Not only do we have the first 10/10 since issue 27 in this issue, we also have the first 1/10 since issue 30. Talk about opposite extremes!

                               That knife is wobbling slightly, I don't think it's perfectly balanced!

* This month, OPS2 get trolled by readers not once, but twice! First up, in response to OPS2 asking for pictures of reader’s girlfriends, someone finally sends in a photo to review… but it’s their mum. She scores 9/10, losing a point for “vacuuming when I’m on my PS2.” Second is the winner of the Lara Croft sex doll competition from issue 35, who sends in the most innocent entry, without any sort of crassness or innuendo: “I was looking for a girl on the internet with your exact looks. You’re perfect for me. Let’s go to my house and talk some more.” For extra points, they also neglected to include their name and address on their entry, so they couldn’t claim the prize.

Quote of the Month: “Look at that smile – he looks like he really likes tennis.” This wholesome bit of commentary hails from European Tennis Masters. It’s just as good as Pro Evo’s iconic “The sun is beating down, but the wind is shooting through the stadium.”

Cover price: £5.49
Page Count: 146

Issue 36 (August 2003)

                                                                   Issue 36, August 2003

Editor’s letter
       It’s not that I like violence. For a start it hurts, sometimes really quite a lot. But I can’t pretend that I don’t love some of the forms violence takes – sports, films and games are almost always that much better when the threat of bone crunching, head popping or at least wincing pain is involved.
       And so it is with Tony Hawk’s Underground. While the Tony games have never exactly wimped out, there was something a little tired about the franchise. Or so we thought, before we saw the THUG video that is. And it wasn’t just us. Everyone – even the fat German online guys who hate everything – loved the Tony Hawk’s Underground video when it was shown in LA recently. And I mean loved it. So here it is. The video, the first play, the interview, the freakin’ everything. Let a bit of thuggery into your lives.
                                                                   Richard Keith, Editor

Features
Would you buy a used car from this man? – Colin McRae Rally 4.

I think he’s attempting re-entry – 007: Everything or Nothing.

Tear it up! – Tony Hawk’s Underground. To go with the underground aesthetic, this feature is decorated with lots of photos of graffiti, posters and newspaper clippings that the magazine staff photographed in their local area.

Monthly Articles
Funny Nicknames – This month, 70s stuff, in honour of Starsky and Hutch.

“Oh Good Gawd!” – The worst promotional item and/or screenshot sent to the magazine. This month, cheese and crackers, to promote Wallace and Gromit: Project Zoo. Fancy some cheese, Gromit me lad?

Previews
True Crime: Streets of LA – “True Crime: Streets of LA might well be rather derivative but if it can actually deliver the kind of verve it’s promising right now, we won’t hold that against it.” Boiling

Jak 2: Renegade – “Jak 2: Renegade, well, what can we say? We reckon it’ll be Jakalicious. The new lifeblood of platform gaming is right over here. Form an orderly queue people. Behind us.” Meltdown

A Dog’s Life – “A Dog’s Life is a quirky little number and it’ll probably only sell 25 copies, but there’s no escaping the originality and quality in the marrow of Dog’s Life gameplay bone.” Hot

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 – “Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 is a mixed bag of balls. This year’s model is near-as-damn-it certain to be the best golf game on PS2, but the lack of online play feels like a triple-bogey.” Warm

Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy – “Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy, on our first glance, looks a promising release. We’ll have to wait and see if it can unravel the might of the Jak and Ratchet sequels later this year.” Warm

Destruction Derby Arenas – “Destruction Derby Arenas looks set to be high order car-nage. Whether or not it’ll take off online remains to be seen but its slick styling and no-holds barred gameplay make for anarchic fun.” Hot

Club Football – “Club Football is certainly a lot more than just a marketing ploy. With the right tweaking it could also prise the fingers away from the tight grip PES and FIFA have on the footy sim genre.” Hot

Freedom Fighters – “Freedom Fighters is a little easy – this code was designed for E3’s idiot attendees – but there’s no mistaking the technical polish and balls-out fun. Likely to be an essential purchase, comrades.” Boiling

Headhunter: Redemption – “Headhunter: Redemption certainly looks atmospheric, but has the whole future apocalypse thing run its course? Will Headhunter be strong enough to survive a second outing? We’ll see…” Hot

Alien VS Predator: Extinction – “Alien VS Predator: Extinction isn’t what fans will have expected from the franchise. But with planetary scrapping and army-sized battling, this could well be a pleasant surprise.” Hot

Ratchet and Clank 2 – “Ratchet and Clank 2 might not be going commando in this country but they look like they’ll be doing plenty of handsome adventuring. Put this on your Christmas wish list now.” Boiling

The Great Escape – “The Great Escape is looking every bit the inventive WW2 stealth/action game and fully respects the much-loved movie classic. And it’s from the guys behind Conflict: Desert Storm – that can’t hurt.” Hot

Updates for Indiana Jones and the Emperor’s Tomb, Super Farm, Disney’s Extreme Skate Adventure, Urban Freestyle Soccer, Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter, Finding Nemo, Freestyle Metal X, Backyard Wrestling and Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance.

Reviews
Eyetoy Play – “Hands down, it’s the most fun we’ve had this month. But we’re convinced it’ll be even better next time around.” 8/10

Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter – “A hype-free, classy intermesh of different styles makes for one of the most compelling games of the year.” 8/10

RTX Red Rock – “Puzzles, platforms and projectiles done well but you’ll see it done better in any bargain bucket.” 6/10

Starsky and Hutch – “Given the lack of gameplay variety this cop caper shouldn’t be as consistently enjoyable as it is.” 7/10

Armored Core 3 – “Bigger and better than the previous outings, but far too like its predecessor to warrant excitement.” 7/10

Summer Heat Beach Volleyball – “The best crack at beach volleyball we’ve seen, but nothing to really set your gaming soul aflame.” 7/10

Dead to Rights – “Near endless gunplay with hand-to-hand scrapping, backed up with a dark tale. DTR is good, mindless fun.” 7/10

Next Generation Tennis 2003 – “Clumsy and ugly tennis game that tries to get on your good side by being way too easy. Smash Court is far superior.” 4/10

Perfect Ace Pro Tennis Tournament – “In a match between Virtua and Smash Court, this’d be the ball boy. Perfect Ace? Perfect Arse, more like. Cheers.” 4/10

Chaos Legion – “A must for DMC gurus, but suffers from high-concept ailments. Great battling for the rest of us.” 7/10

SX Superstar – “An above average arcade racer that’s let down by a lack of a lasting challenge and cornball career mode.” 6/10

Die Hard: Vendetta – “A blockbuster (if ageing) licence and potentially good stealth element let down by a lack of imagination.” 6/10

Dynasty Warriors 4 – “Improvements make this a hack ‘n’ slash game with depth – though not enough for converted DW heads.” 7/10

Formula One 2003 – “If this were a PC mag, Formula One 2003 would be a patch. Slightly sexier but still the same underneath.” 7/10

Le Tour De France: Centenary Edition – “Hardly merits a sacre bleu but Centenary Edition is a sturdy enough two-wheeled racer.” 6/10

Smash Cars – “A decent enough stab at toy car racing that’s undermined too often by frustrating course design.” 4/10

Piglet’s Big Game – “Nothing’s new here, technically. It’s a child’s distraction but nice with it. Good clean fun for clean minds.” 6/10

Hardcore
Part 1 of the Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness walkthrough, Part 2 of the Enter the Matrix walkthrough and walkthroughs for Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Hulk, Resident Evil: Dead Aim and Dynasty Warriors 4, plus WWE Crush Hour, Armored Core 3, Ratchet and Clank, Devil May Cry 2, Wipeout Fusion and Midnight Club.

Disc Content
Playable Demos
Starsky and Hutch
Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter
Futurama
Final Fantasy X
Tekken 4
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003
Zone of the Enders
Headhunter
This is Football 2003

Footage
Tony Hawk’s Underground
Jak 2: Renegade
Kya: Dark Lineage
Tribes Aerial Assault

Trivia
* This issue features the first look at the UMD, the storage format used for PSP games, and the PSX, a TV recording device with DVD-rewriting capabilities and a built-in PS2. Naturally, all that tech crammed into a single device doesn’t come cheap, and as a result of the device’s high cost, it sold poorly enough in Japan that it was discontinued after a little over a year, and never released outside Japan.
* Speaking of PSP, there’s also a story about Project ET, a previous attempt at a portable Playstation planned for release in 2000, that was cancelled at the prototype stage. Could this have been the PSP’s predecessor?
* The last few issues have been running a goal of the month competition, where players send in footage of the best goals they can score on PS2 football games, and the winners were announced this month. Unfortunately, we don’t get the footage on the demo disc like with the original Official Playstation Magazine, only screenshots in the magazine. However, later issues did put the winning goals on the disc as well.
* Jak 2 is the first game in the previews section to score Meltdown for anticipation.
* We’ve got two sets of guest reviewers this month. Eyetoy Play is reviewed by George’s girlfriend, his non-gamer friend and his dear old mum, while Piglet’s Big Game is reviewed by a group of children.
* Dead to Rights has possibly the best finishing move ever, where protagonist Jack Slate throws a man into the air, then shoots him so much, the bullets keep him in mid-air until they stop. Brilliant!

Quote of the Month: “Granny? How long’ve you been in there?” Eyetoy can also be used to look down the back of the sofa. The real question is how did Granny fit down there?

Cover price: £5.49
Page Count: 146

ABC Sales figures: I should have been doing this for ages already, but it didn’t occur to me until a reader wrote in to ask, so apologies for that. To make up for it, here are all the sales figures up to now, in 6-month intervals. From these figures, we can see a big leap in the second half of 2001, and rocketing up again in the first half of 2002 as more people upgraded to PS2, while growth levels off in the second half of 2002. From here on in, I’ll be posting the new figures once they’re updated, and comparing to the previous six month period.

Jul-Dec 2000 – 81,883
Jan-Jun 2001 – 82,109 (Up 226)
Jul-Dec 2001 – 125,895 (Up 43,786)
Jan-Jun 2002 – 195,293 (Up 69,398)
Jul-Dec 2002 – 197,348 (Up 2055)