Issue 48, July 2004
Editor’s letter
When Rockstar asked us if we wanted to be the first in the country to see GTA: San Andreas we knew it was the biggest story there is. Everyone knows it’s a big story. Your mum knows it’s a big story. What we didn’t know, what we couldn’t hope to know, was the scope of the game. San Andreas is huge. Enormous. And it’s not just about size: the ambition of makers Rockstar North is so far reaching as to almost be unbelievable. If we hadn’t seen it with our own eyes, we might not have believed it.
For anyone who’s ever played Vice City - and that’s just about everyone who’s ever picked up a PS2 pad – the detail of what is actually going to be in the follow-up will blow your mind. And remember that you can only know everything by reading OPS2. Be glad you didn’t fall for some of our rivals’ claims because you can only read the full story, get all the details and see all the screens here. You’ll be glad you did.
And we’ve got something else to be especially proud of this month. Our DVD has changed. Don’t worry, it’s still the only disc that enables you to play the games we write about. But now there is more. So much more. I suggest you go and find out for yourself.
Hope you enjoy it. See you again on Thursday, 15 July.
Richard Keith, Editor
Features
“You are the first journalist in the world to see this…” – Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Most Wanted UK Game Awards 2004 – A competition for readers to vote for their most wanted games of 2004.
All Hype? – Killzone
A Feast of Snake Eater – Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Monthly Articles
Funny Nicknames – This month, everyone’s favourite food.
Could Be a Classic – An original non-sequel gets some focus. This month, Destroy All Humans!, the closest thing we’ll ever get to a Mars Attacks! game.
She’s Got Game – A column from Kirsten Kearney from the perspective of female gamers. This month, why is there so little sexual content in games?
Replay – Revisiting Hitman: Contracts and Ico, reader reviews for Sonic Heroes and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, and cheats for Hitman: Contracts, Transformers, UEFA Euro 2004, MX Unleashed, Project Zero 2 and Fight Night 2004.
OPS2 Investigates – This month, “And then I used the Magic Staff of Overdor to unlock level 7”. Ben Richardson tries speed dating, but only talking about games. Surprisingly, it actually works for him, with 6 of the 17 women interested in a date.
Back page list – This month, 13 games they should never make.
Monitor
Spider-Man 2 – “Spider-Man 2 is all set to be a worthy companion piece to what should be a superb film. Which is more than can be said for the Mary Jane promotional duvet or Doc Ock’s McSeafood sandwich.” Boiling
Second Sight – “Despite nagging doubts over how original games have sold recently, we’re hoping Second Sight will be a refreshingly original sci-fi blast. The review may have to be written from a lead-lined room, though.” Hot
Conflict: Vietnam – “The restrictive level design is disappointing, but a bit of clever tweaking might remedy this. Otherwise Conflict: Vietnam has all the right moves to cause a respectable rumble in the jungle.” Hot
Area 51 – “Midway could – finally – have a hit in its hands.” Hot
Ghost Recon 2 – “The ghost’s finally come good, shooting from the hip with an impressive new game engine. Throw in the prospect of online play and this could be a surprise attack on the bunker of success. Or something…” Hot
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within – “With gameplay excellence all but assured, the prince just needs to transform his sky-scraping review scores into first-week sales. But from what we’ve seen, this will be the jewel in Ubisoft’s Christmas crown.” Boiling
Gradius V – “Couldn’t be more old-skool if it was Eton College in disc form.” Warm
FIFA 2005 – “The version we played – and it’s still months away from release – was almost breathtaking in terms of improvement from last year. We can’t wait to see how good it can get. Maybe PES should get in training…” Boiling
The Getaway: Black Monday – “Likely to face stiff competition from the powerhouse that is San Andreas. Nonetheless, with enough polish applied to the important areas, London could be calling again…” Hot
Ratchet and Clank 3 – “Played it, loved it. The thought of hooking up with a headset, picking a group of seven (verbally, if you like) from the hub and heading into battle should be enough to get you more than excited about R&C3.” Hot
Goldeneye: Rogue Agent – “We like being a Bond baddie and our first play of the game left us thinking this could be a real contender for FPS of the year (and there’s plenty of competition). Still not sure about the name, mind.” Boiling
Jak 3 – “Too early to say for sure, but Ratchet’s looking hotter for now.” Hot
Timesplitters: Future Perfect – “For a game at least seven months away from release, Timesplitters: Future Perfect is simply stunning. We will await some multiplayer action, though, before we get too stupidly excited.” Boiling
Mercenaries – “Not many games can pull it off, but Mercs looks like the whole package. Vision and technical clout, freedom and super-cool particle physics, structure and big, big guns – if it’s not fantastic, we’ll very likely cry.” Boiling
Final Fantasy XII – “The popularity of Final Fantasy is unquestionable but its reliance on random battles and turn-based combat has also meant it got a bad rep with the GTA crew. Perhaps FFXII will change all that.” Hot
Enthusia Professional Racing – “Amazingly realistic and beautiful to look at, but better than GT?” Hot
Reviews
Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow – “Not the leap over the original we were hoping for, but fun despite itself and great online. More Splinter Cell 1.5, perhaps?” 8/10
Athens 2004 – “Does exactly what it sets out to achieve in the most pedestrian manner humanly possible. Hardly Olympic standard.” 5/10
Mashed – “Forget the single player game, the true and only Mashed experience is about four mates, a PS2 and a multitap. Go enjoy…” 9/10
Richard Burns Rally – “A rally sim that refuses to compromise. Like riding a bull in a catsuit, only hardcore maniacs need apply. Heed this warning.” 8/10
World Championship Snooker 2004 – “Similar to both WC Snooker 2003 and WC Pool 2004, but with online play. Real snooker beyond your means? Go on, live the dream.” 7/10
MTV Music Generator 3 – “Simple to use, packed with features that almost all work and addictive as hell but not deep enough for real music-making.” 7/10
Deadly Skies III – “Though drenched in non-flying ‘lifestyle’ elements, the dull core can’t be hidden. The flying works, but the surrounding dross kills it.” 5/10
.Hack/Mutation – “Like mid-priced toilet paper, it should be quite absorbing but it’s actually rather painful instead. And you end up with an infection.” 3/10
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – “Essential for Potter fans but recommended for all but the most cynical gamers. Absorbing, inventive and Eyetoy mini-games!” 7/10
Shrek 2 – “As a title for young gamers Shrek 2 is well pitched and fun. For everyone else, it’s too simple. But you knew that already, right?” 6/10
Karaoke Stage – “Different enough from Singstar to be interesting on its own merits, Karaoke Stage is huge fun and worryingly addictive.” 8/10
Onimusha 3 – “The perfect climax to one of the best franchises on PS2. Onimusha 3 has been lovingly crafted for newcomers and old hands alike.” 9/10
The X Files: Resist or Serve – “Some lovely production values and much to coo over for X Files fans, but very little to recommend it as a game.” 5/10
Naval Ops: Commander – “An adequate strategy game which, with a little more love lavished upon it, might have been so much more.” 6/10
Malice – “Malice isn’t a terrible game, not even badly flawed. It’s just uninspired, uninspiring and really, really average.” 5/10
Powerdrome – “Trails Wipeout Fusion in style and substance but is well up in its slipstream. A simple, satisfying, super-speedy racer.” 6/10
UFC: Sudden Impact – “Another game about shattering other men’s cheekbones misses the sport’s appeal. How’s it ever going to get a wider audience?” 6/10
Samurai Warriors – “Plenty of options, plenty of characters and enough enemies to fill the Isle of Wight. It’s also a serious amount of fun to play.” 7/10
GT-R 400 – “Even as a budget racer GT-R 400’s sticky handling undermines the good work done on the visuals. Pity.” 3/10
Ultimate Mind Games – “Lo-fi production values and patchy quality makes this strange games compendium a less than stellar option.” 3/10
Dance UK: Extra Trax – “The hardest game to rate ever. The new tracks don’t improve on the original so take one off the original score and you get…” 5/10
Disc Content
Playable Demos
Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain
Mashed
Athens 2004
MTV Music Generator 3
Serious Sam: Next Encounter
This is Football 2004
Footage
Jak 3
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Sly 2: Band of Thieves
Flatout
Driv3r
Resident Evil: Outbreak
Area 51
Shadow of Rome
Killzone
Mashed
MTV Music Generator 3
Kill.Switch – The ending cutscene
Hitman Contracts tips
Goal of the Month
Challenges for SSX 3, Need for Speed Underground, Eyetoy Groove, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Driv3r
Spider-Man 2 film trailer
Ask OPS2
Save Files
The Getaway
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Silent Hill 3
True Crime: Streets of LA
Beyond Good and Evil
James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing
Trivia
* We’ve got the first variant cover in a while this month. My cover has Lady Not-appearing-in-this-game on it (maybe she’s meant to be one of CJ’s romance options?), and the other has CJ and Ryder.
* The demo disc also gets a revamp this month, with lots more footage, split into different sections (although I don’t understand what the differences between the sections mean, if I’m honest), competitions such as Goal of the Month, and even a short-lived Ask OPS2 section, where the magazine staff answer reader questions. It also comes with this banger of a choon.
* This is the last issue for art editor Graham Dalzell.
* An article on Kingdom Hearts II is accompanied by a picture of Donald Duck with evil red eyes. If I post an entry for Issue 49, you will know that Red-Eyes Donald didn’t come out of the magazine and kill me.
* One of the games that should never be made sounds uncannily like Surgeon Simulator, albeit a little less intentionally rubbish.
Quote of the Month: “Daddy wants a word.” Graham Dalzell’s Mashed taunt of choice.
Cover price: £5.49
Page Count: 146
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