Issue 73, June 2006
Editor’s letter
This page always gets done last. Not because I’m work-shy. No sir. It gets left to the end because I like to take stock before presenting you with our latest meisterwerk. As I survey Team OPS2 today, this is what I find: Ben is in hospital, Helen is on the verge of tears, Andy is outside arguing with his girlfriend, Leon is racing back from Sony HQ and George… well, George is still being George. It’s been that kind of month. Why? Because we’ve spent every waking hour securing you the most exclusive Playstation coverage anywhere on the planet. That meant flying to Japan to bring you new Metal Gear Solid 4 info and shots before anyone else. It also meant securing the first ever Indiana Jones shots, flying to Japan (again) to see Sonic the Hedgehog in action and squeezing in the new Tony Hawk’s at the very last second. Those games are all on PS3, and they’re all blown wide open this month. They’re merely the high notes in what’s an absurdly strong issue. Nestling right at the centre of the magazine you’ll see a 24-page splurge on the most secretive games on PS2, PS3 and PSP. It all kicks off with that incredible MGS4 scoop on page 52. Before you head off though, a word from Metal Gear’s legendary creator, Hideo Kojima. He had hoped to guest edit the issue, but had to bow out due to his insane workload. However, during my time with him in Tokyo he did ask me to pass on this message. Over to you Mr Kojima: “I love the UK and really want to live in London. I hope you all like the look of Metal Gear Solid 4. My aim is to get the game out in Japan, America and Europe around the same time.” What a guy.
Tim Clark, Editor
Features
We Can Rebuild Him – Tony Hawk’s Project 8
Secret Games Special – A massive feature with all sorts of upcoming games – mostly PS3 titles such as Metal Gear Solid 4, Bioshock and Sonic 2006, but there are a few PS2 and PSP games included too.
Baby you can Drive my Cars – Cars. Wow, etc…
Monthly Articles
Funny Nicknames – This month, where would you most like to hide?
Could be a Classic – This month, Let’s Make a Soccer Team! Yes, let’s! SEGA try their hand at a football management game that’s a little less strait-laced than Football Manager.
A Brief History – Retrospectives of some of PS2’s most popular franchises. This month, Timesplitters, with a special guest appearance from Free Radical Design’s other PS2 game, Second Sight.
Replay – Online reviews for Outrun 2006: Coast 2 Coast, Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter, Commandos Strike Force and Splinter Cell: Essentials, and what the other mags said about Urban Chaos: Riot Response, The Godfather, Tourist Trophy and Pro Evolution Soccer Management.
OPS2 Investigates – This month, The Games You Never Played. OPS2 visit the gaming morgue to run post-mortems on cancelled games such as Fear and Respect, Starcraft: Ghost, Lamborghini and more, while a Deep-Throat-esque industry insider explains some of the reasons behind game cancellations on condition of anonymity.
Endgame – Game endings. This month, Haven: Call of the King. It takes confidence to end a new IP on a downer cliffhanger, but on this occasion that confidence was sadly misplaced.
Monitor
Yakuza – “Now we know what’s actually going on, we’re even more excited. The fighting, exploring and gambling is enjoyable in any language, but knowing you’re doing it for epic reasons helps no end.” Hot
Juiced: Eliminator – “Small, but currently far from perfectly reformed.” Warm
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – “We’re unconvinced by the single-player mode but the multiplayer is an entirely different chest of gold – it’s got originality and engaging AI. Played against your mates, this should be a blast.” Hot
B-Boy – “Despite its limited appeal (‘what, break-dancing’s still cool?), you’d have to be a 40-stone couch potato not to be at least a little curious about this. Done right, it could be da proverbial bomb.” Hot
Scarface: The World is Yours – “With six months of polishing to be done, Scarface is looking very solid. Whether it relies on its licence rather than its gameplay is yet to be seen, but the belated inclusion of Pacino is a big plus.” Boiling
Just Cause – “The scale of the game may sound daunting, but Avalanche Studios has done a commendable job of keeping things simple where they need to be. Just Cause is shaping up to be a thriller.” Meltdown
Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus – “There are good ideas here and there, but they’re obscured by a half-hearted smokescreen of shoddy design and opportunistic references to an eight-year-old PSOne game.” Warm
Raw Danger! – “This is shaping up to be a truly unique addition to the survival horror ranks, even with its virtually homebrew visuals. Christmas this year promises to be wet, and frankly we can’t wait.” Hot
PS2 Reviews
Hitman: Blood Money – “Blood Money is without question the best Hitman yet, and although it can be punishing at times, it’s also hugely compelling and stylish.” 9/10
FIFA World Cup 2006 – “As well as being a great way to re-live the World Cup, this is a positive step for the FIFA series as a whole. PS3 beckons.” 8/10
Evolution GT – “Minor niggles prevent this being a serious challenger to Gran Turismo and TOCA, but the features that do work make it work a spin.” 7/10
Rogue Trooper – “Intuitive controls make Rogue Trooper easy to pick up, but a ‘meh’ storyline and dull surroundings make it easy to put down, too.” 7/10
Aeon Flux – “Passable in places, but if you want to play in the ‘watch a girl’s arse’ arena, get the new Tomb Raider and see a master at work.” 5/10
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga – “A commendably original RPG which throws up plenty of surprises and improves substantially on previous outing, Lucifer’s Call.” 7/10
Noble Racing – “Not awful by any means, but deficient in every important menu-related respect, Noble Racing feels like the auto equivalent of a tin of Tesco no-frills beans.” 4/10
Heracles: Battle of the Gods – “If you’re hankering for arch-jumping action, you’d be better off playing Rainbow Islands on the Taito Legends compilation. Leave this well alone.” 4/10
PSP Reviews
Metal Gear Acid 2 – “Predictably high production values, but those enticed by previous Snake adventures will find a hollow, confusing game.” 6/10
Puyo Pop Fever – “The gameplay’s hardly moved on in more than a decade, but simplicity is the key to Puyo Pop’s appeal. An absorbing if not original addition to the handheld ranks.” 7/10
Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai – “Simple and satisfying combat with a control system that’s well mapped to handheld – the only drawback is that it’s shallow like a garden pond in August.” 7/10
Me and my Katamari – “It may not add much new to the Katamari universe, but this is a very welcome addition to handheld gaming.” 8/10
Untold Legends: The Warrior’s Code – “A frustratingly patchy RPG – at once unpleasant to play and creepingly addictive – that doesn’t deliver on its significant potential.” 6/10
Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror – “An incredibly addictive, satisfying and inventive stealth shooter that’s packed with character, style and replay value.” 9/10
Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble – “Absolute chaos but brilliant fun, this fast and furious fighter is exactly the type of adrenaline-rich game PSP was made for.” 8/10
Tomb Raider: Legend – “Lara’s PSP debut is a captivating adventure that only falls down on the back of a frustratingly awkward set of controls.” 7/10
Disc Content
Playable Demos
Sensible Soccer
Super Monkey Ball Adventure
Micro Machines V4
Ape Escape 3
Hitman: Blood Money
Tomb Raider: Legend
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Outrun 2006: Coast 2 Coast
FIFA Street 2
Sonic Riders
Footage
Mesal Gear Solid
Singstar Rocks!
Trivia
* I’m in this issue! Specifically, I’m in this issue’s Reader Face-Off, arguing against videogame movies. This month’s subject was inspired by the team’s visit to the cinema to watch the Silent Hill movie (Tim and Andy liked it, Leon and Helen didn’t). This is the only time the Reader Face-Off ended in a tie, giving me a small part of Playstation history. Pretty cool, huh?
* Gaydar: Inspired by Games for Tat, Daniel Gay sends in assorted bits and bobs, including some matches, a tissue (unused, thankfully) and a receipt, in the hope of receiving a free game. He was printed, so his plan worked.
* The joke about an illuminated house-of-PS2-cases in Issue 70 gets its pay-off this month.
* There’s good news and bad news for PSP this month. The good news, the system gets a price cut and a new white version. The bad news, UMD movies are on their way out, with several film studios cancelling planned releases or abandoning the format entirely due to poor sales.
* Heracles may be more wholesome than that nasty Kratos fellow, but he’s not a patch on Best Hercules!
* I’ve highlighted good game adverts before, and some bad ones, but here I’ll highlight a mixed one: Hitman: Blood Money. The advert shows a glamorous woman with a bullet hole in her head, and the tagline ‘beautifully executed’. While this campaign was predictably controversial, it does at least get across the tone of the series as being more sophisticated than your typical shooter.
Quote of the Month: “In other words, The Warrior’s Code eats toenails.” See, I could put this in context for you, but it’s honestly funnier for me to leave you hanging, wondering just what the hell the context could possibly be.
Cover price: £5.99
Page Count: 130
No comments:
Post a Comment