Issue 56, February 2005
Editor’s letter
Here at OPS2 we have a saying. Or we do now, anyway. And that saying is: ‘First or Best’. Everything in the mag should be a first, an exclusive, an ‘only in OPS2’ but where that isn’t possible – and sometimes it isn’t – the way we write about it, from the words to the design to the screenshots to the captions, must make it better than any other magazine – games or otherwise – could do.
There are plenty of examples in this issue of that maxim at work. We’ve got the first look at EA’s attempt to knock GTA off its perch with the mega-licence, The Godfather plus exclusive Conflict: Global Terror news, the first-ever play of Black Hawk Down and plenty more. Even better we’ve taken Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, Timesplitters: Future Perfect, The Punisher, PES4 and the PSP and given you the best-looking, best-written and most entertaining information you’ll get anywhere.
And, yes, for the all-knowing among you, ‘First or Best’ is a Sony saying. Which is apt ‘cos Sony’s miraculous PSP might not be the first handheld, but it sure is the best.
Well, that’s the end of me – this is my last issue – but you can expect OPS2 to continue to bring you the first and the best for a long time to come, starting next month on Thursday, 24 February.
Richard Keith, Editor
Features
Kings of New York – The Godfather
I’m Behind You – Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
Monthly Articles
Funny Nicknames – This month, what couldn’t you refuse?
Could Be a Classic – An original non-sequel gets some focus. This month, Virtua Quest, a kid-friendly Virtua Fighter spin-off.
Replay – Revisiting Manhunt and Prince of Persia: Warrior Within, reader reviews for Pro Evolution Soccer 4 and Mortal Kombat: Deception, cheats for Call of Duty: Finest Hour, The Urbz: Sims in the City, The Getaway: Black Monday and The Incredibles, and The Crib and The Boot Room.
OPS2 Investigates – This month, what happened when an OPS2 reader dated a Playboy playmate. This was the prize for a recent competition, and reader Richard Jones got to meet Natalie Denning, the 2004 UK Playmate of the Year.
Back page list – This month, 9 jobs you only find in videogames.
Monitor
Timesplitters: Future Perfect – “After a tense few days we can safely say that the TSFP multiplayer is definitely not broken. With that out of the way, the more we play it, the better it gets – and there’s clearly so much we haven’t seen yet...” Meltdown
Shadow Hearts: Covenant – “Turn-based combat that’s not arse-rottingly pedestrian? We like.” Warm
Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 – “Easily the most lush WW2 game we’ve seen, but developer Gearbox needs to fix a few glitches to ensure the gameplay matches the same standards set by the graphics. We’ll meet again in March.” Hot
Darkwatch – “Nothing new in terms of gameplay, but a dark atmosphere, unusual storyline and great looks could make Darkwatch a game well worth a closer nibble when it reveals itself next month.” Boiling
Samurai Warriors: Xtreme Legends – “A vital title for hack ‘n’ slash fans who missed out on the release of last year’s Samurai Warriors but the lack of satisfying extras make it less than essential for those in possession of the original.” Hot
Viewtiful Joe 2 – “There’s a lot to be said for sequels that serve up the same delicious experience all over again. No space for all that here, though – so let’s just be clear that Joe 2 looks just as brilliant.” Boiling
The Punisher – “So, it may not be as ultra-violent after all, and the shades of Max Payne are stronger than ever. But the variety to the kills is definitely there, and we’re still keen to get our hands on the final version.” Hot
Rainbow Six: Lockdown – “The more user-friendly style might offend the diehards, but it’s exactly what the series needs. They’re going to need to work like shiny-coated labradors to get the AI up to scratch in time, though.” Hot
Ys: The Ark of Napishtim – “Ys is a series with limited appeal making its first outing on PS2. Not quite the recipe for a sure fire hit, then.” Tepid
King of Fighters: Maximum Impact – “A retro fighter with a new look. The move to 3D seems to have lost some of the game’s style, but the old-skool control scheme shows its true colours. It’ll need a lot more to make an impression, though.” Warm
The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction – “Hulk stomps the fine line between ‘no-brainer’ and ‘entertainer’. The freedom and breakable environments can only be a good thing, but there’s still a suspicion that ‘old green thighs’ is stupid like sprouts.” Hot
Suikoden IV – “Some nice touches, but too few to make it stand out.” Warm
Gametrak Real World Golf – “It works, that’s for sure, and it’s far more impressive than Dark Wind, the previous Gametrak game. With a little graphical polish, this could be top stuff for those bored of Tiger Woods.” Hot
Cold Winter – “The reactive environments and intelligent enemy make for exciting shoot-outs, but the lack of freedom could leave the game little more than an interactive shooting gallery.” Hot
Eyetoy Monkey Mania – “It’s Eyetoy but not as we know it. The change in format might just lift the PS2’s camera back to the lofty height it once held. That’s back on top of the TV and not collecting dust down the side.” Hot
Delta Force: Black Hawk Down – “It’s got plenty of atmosphere and cinematic flair, but the combat just isn’t juicy enough to support it all. With a little less predictability though, this could end up being an exciting tour of duty.” Warm
Reviews
Shadow of Rome – “Occasionally frustrating but mostly fantastic. The battles are brilliant, the stealth bits passable and the overall effect stunning.” 8/10
Blood Will Tell – “There’s an inventiveness and style that largely manages to overcome some camera issues. A good slash-‘em-up that could’ve been great.” 7/10
Rumble Roses – “If you’re drooling for more after spanking Trish Stratus raw in Smackdown!, then you’re really going to love this...” 6/10
Sonic Mega Collection Plus – “Still a lot of fun to be had with the original Sonic games, but out of the 17 included, only a few are worthy of repeated play.” 5/10
Ace Combat: Squadron Leader – “Another sortie with the best fighter plane shooter you can buy on PS2. Okay, so it’s the ONLY one you can buy, but it’s still a blinder.” 8/10
UEFA Champions League 2004-2005 – “The work UEFA puts into creating a fresh new approach is blown away by the ham-fistedness of what really matters – the football.” 6/10
ESPN NBA 2K5 – “Licence-hungry hoop-dreamers may object but the NBA label means nothing. This is unfriendly, unwelcoming and unagreeable.” 5/10
ESPN NFL 2K5 – “ESPN provides a complex and bewildering level of authenticity. Only hardcore fans should approach the ten-yard line.” 5/10
ESPN NHL 2K5 – “A deep, fairly tricky but rewarding experience that can be enjoyed almost as much by Joe Casual as by, um… Herbert Hockeyfan.” 8/10
NFL Street 2 – “It won’t replace PES4 as the post-pub knockabout, but it does make a refreshing change for anyone willing to give it a try.” 8/10
The Polar Express – “Like a Christmas puppy a couple of months into spring, The Polar Express is small, pitiful and in dire need of a swift termination.” 3/10
Mega Man X8 – “An average blaster that bores as much as it bewilders. You could have more fun making zapping noises at strangers.” 5/10
Phantom Brave – “Not the best of the genre, but solid nevertheless. If you’re after an RPG with a bit more strategy, then we recommend Disgaea.” 7/10
Capcom Fighting Jam – “There’s franchise exploitation and there’s scraping the barrel. This paper-thin title comes perilously close to the latter.” 5/10
Neo Contra – “This is a fun old-skool blaster, but while there’s some enjoyment to be had with what’s on offer, a slice this thin won’t satisfy many.” 5/10
Trivial Pursuit Unhinged – “A perfect example of why board games don’t work on PS2, this is a truly painful experience with nothing in its favour.” 2/10
Habitrail Hamster Ball – “Real hamsters last a lot longer than this and also cost about the same. We recommend getting one of those instead.” 3/10
Zoo Puzzle – “A brilliant game in no way diminished by its simple concept and visuals. If you have to own one puzzle game it should be this.” 8/10
Astro Boy – “Ignoring the slow conversations and the mindless baby-simple boss battles, Astro Boy would still be classed as a bad game.” 3/10
Disc Content
Playable Demos
Timesplitters: Future Perfect
Ace Combat: Squadron Leader
Metal Slug 3
Nanobreaker
Athens 2004
Moto GP 3
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Transformers
Eyetoy Chat
Footage
Constantine
Eyetoy Monkey Mania
Project Snowblind
Death By Degrees
Enthusia
Battlestations: Midway
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Goal of the Month
Trivia
* For the first (and I’m pretty sure only) time, this issue has two demo discs. The second disc is for Eyetoy Chat and gives you 100 hours of contact time, which is a very generous offer indeed!
* As the editor’s letter states, this is Richard Keith’s last issue.
* “Most of you put our [sticker] faces on the bodies of assorted women and animals”. I didn’t: I put them on pictures of Sulley and Mike from Monsters Inc instead.
* A suggestion for a Dawn of the Dead game involves surviving as long as possible, with success or failure dependent on where you hid, your supplies and alliances forged with other survivors, which sounds a lot like Dead Rising. Ironically, this is followed by the sentence, “Please note, this probably won’t happen.”
* Global Terror was the original title for Conflict: Global Storm, which was changed for being a bit too on-the-nose at the time.
* Tim Clark makes a fool of himself when Gemma Clarke (no relation) of The Observer reviews Pro Evolution Soccer 4 and mentions attaching animals to the players’ heads. Only after firing off a bewildered angry e-mail did Tim dig through the customisation options and find this is indeed possible. Admittedly, it is a bizarre thing to include in a game as realistic as Pro Evo.
* Games that would never be made today #9 – Rumble Roses. Why not? See also, RE: BMX XXX.
* Starting this month, the Hot 100 no longer names which games were removed to make room for new entries. If you want that, you’ll need a copy of the previous issue for a compare and contrast.
Quote of the Month: “Where’s the paddle, or the whip, or the [OBSCURED ON LEGAL ADVICE]?” Yes, it is in all caps like that. But what was [OBSCURED ON LEGAL ADVICE]? One of the great mysteries.
Cover price: £5.99
Page Count: 146
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