Issue 76, September 2006
Editor’s letter
Next time you score a goal on PS2, stop for a second and think about all the work that went into making it happen. Not your fancy stepovers and Pythagorean passing. No, I’m talking about the graft done by people who spend their lives painstakingly recreating player likenesses, designing complex tactical algorithms and endlessly tweaking balls. Developing a football game is a monolithic, multi-million pound challenge. Think about it this way: your average shooter struggles to make the interaction between man, shotgun and terrorist look convincing. A football game has to cope with 22 players, a ball and the obsessive expectations of fans who watch the real thing every week. The modern game is dominated by Pro Evo and FIFA, with everything else having long since collapsed on the side of the pitch. The battle between these two titans is one of the most fascinating rivalries on PS2. Pro Evo has long been the purist’s choice, while FIFA was seen to rely on its licensed kits and clubs to hoover up mainstream sales. But as we discovered this month, this might not be the case for much longer. To answer the deliberately contentious question posed on our packaging, FIFA isn’t better than Pro Evo. What it is, is different. EA is no longer trying to chase Konami with one hand grabbing for its metaphorical shirt. Instead, the 07 model focuses on accessibility and entertainment, while at the same time doing a better job than ever of looking and feeling like real footy. Read the rest on p60. Non-fans, meanwhile, can direct themselves to our feature on what watching Blu-ray movies is really like or the world’s first info and shots on GTA: Vice City Stories. I’m off to make a ‘secret’ magazine next month, so there’ll be a new face here. Possibly with less implausibly high cheekbones. It’s been a short but brilliant time in the big chair, but they do say the light that burns twice as bright burns half as long. Make sure George wears a black armband for me, and I’ll see you all again soon.
Tim Clark, Editor
Features
“I can see inside his head!” – Tim and George try out some Blu-ray movies to see how much of a leap they are from DVD.
They’ve Fixed the Ball! – FIFA 2007. There’s also an interesting timeline of the FIFA development timeline, which shows how EA can make the whole game in a year. No, funny man, there's more to it than copy and paste!
Advantage PS3! – A Playstation 3 sports special, led by Virtua Tennis 3.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
Monthly Articles
Funny Nicknames – This month, which footballer would you like to swap lives with?
Could be a Classic – This month, Brooktown High: Senior Year. An American take on the Japanese-dominated dating sim genre.
A Brief History – Retrospectives of some of PS2’s most popular franchises. This month, Hitman.
Replay – Online reviews for Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers and Field Commander, and what the other mags said about Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, Sensible Soccer 2006, Jaws Unleashed and Soccer Life 2.
So, you think you can beat us? – A new feature starting this month, where readers take on the team in 2V2 multiplayer games. This month, Pro Evolution Soccer 5.
OPS2 Investigates – This month, Miniature Games. OPS2 gather the best minigames on PS2, including ATV Ice Hockey, Snake Vs Monkey, Resident Evil 4’s Mercenaries and – yes! – Tekken Bowling.
Endgame – Game endings. This month, Tomb Raider: Legend.
Monitor
Just Cause – “Quite simply the biggest, most exciting-looking thing we’ve seen on PS2 this year. In terms of scope and ambition, Just Cause is massive. The words ‘pre-order’ and ‘now’ spring to mind.” Meltdown
Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run – “A less than stellar franchise reheated as a tie-in prequel to a movie we’re not convinced anyone wants to see. Right now it’s looking rushed, lazy and riddled with inconsistencies.” Tepid
Made Man – “The mafia will probably take out a contract on us for saying this but, as yet, this hoodlum adventure is falling well short of its ambitious narrative.” Warm
Gun Showdown – “The bloodiest multiplayer game on PSP. We can’t wait.” Boiling
Splinter Cell: Double Agent – “We quite like moody Sam Fisher, and the ‘moral choices’ element actually succeeds in varying the action sufficiently to make this more than just another sequel. Next month: the multiplayer mode.” Boiling
Phantasy Star Universe – “Some kinks to smooth out, but the action-heavy focus and lush art design keep Phantasy Star Universe hovering at the top of our most-wanted RPGs pile.” Meltdown
Sonic the Hedgehog – “Sonic’s warp speed action is the highlight of this tempting PS3 prospect, but Silver’s mental gymnastics are also great fun in their own right. Finally, this really could put Sonic back on top.” Boiling
Killzone: Liberation – “You’d need actual flames to make this any hotter.” Meltdown
Full Auto 2: Battlelines – “The idea of being able to smash up whole square miles of city is cool. This could be the perfect racer for early PS3 owners craving Burnout-style crashes over the straight-laced racing of Ridge Racer 7.” Boiling
Need for Speed Carbon – “As always, new NFS is just different enough to make it worth a look. With its canyons and crews, Carbon brings some innovation, but it’s not exactly a revolutionary PS3 launch title.” Hot
Army of Two – “Strong graphics, innovative gameplay and manly like watching prime-era Arnie films with your dad while eating a curry so stern that the poppadoms are soggy with tears. This, obviously, is a good thing.” Meltdown
PS2 Reviews
Yakuza – “No threat to GTA, but it’s not meant to be. Instead it’s an absorbing role-playing adventure with plenty to keep you busy.” 7/10
Gametrak Real World Golf 2007 – “You’ll still look like a prat playing it, but more courses and superior putting make this an interesting alternative to Tiger Woods.” 7/10
Let’s Make a Soccer Team! – “A cute idea for a management sim that contains stacks of accidental humour, but is let down by a colossal mess of a match engine.” 4/10
Cars – “Squarely aimed at young gamers, but Cars provides more fun than most kids titles – this is a welcome step in the right direction.” 7/10
Singstar Anthems – “Kinks in the scoring are starting to grate and the track listing isn’t for everyone, but it’s still after-pub gaming at its very best.” 7/10
Prostroke Golf: World Tour 2007 – “A decent attempt to snaffle the crown away from King Woods, Prostroke Golf is let down by its lack of rewards and features.” 6/10
Panzer Elite Action: Fields of Glory – “Deeply average graphics and frustrating controls crush Panzer Elite’s chances for glory surer than a 30-tonne tank.” 5/10
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow – “A lightweight grog and cutlass battler that only just scrapes average thanks to Depp’s turn as Sparrow. Prince of Persia does the swashbuckling action so much better.” 5/10
The Ant Bully – “All too familiar platforming action spoiled further by oversimplified, unpredictable controls and utterly dreary objectives.” 4/10
Quest for Sleeping Beauty – “What could have been a bit of a laugh for pint-sized gamers is reduced to a frustrating pain by a hatefully obstructive camera.” 2/10
Swords of Destiny – “Action-packed Castlevania crib that isn’t terrible, but is burdened by being overly predictable and unchallenging from the outset.” 5/10
Classic British Motor Racing – “Rarely has the word ‘classic’ been quite so abused. Shoddy AI, uninspiring cars and brittle handling. Boo.” 3/10
London Taxi: Rush Hour – “This Crazy Taxi homage is rank, and not worth £2 let alone £20. Find alternative means of transport to gaming pleasure.” 2/10
21 Card Games – “Easily the lowest ebb of the card-game boom, this horrifying mess is the most joy-sapping thing we’ve ever slotted into a PS2.” 0/10
PSP Reviews
Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection – “This will feel fresh and immediate even to those whose Tekken-love was waning. It’s engaging, exceptional and essential.” 10/10
Gitaroo Man Lives! – “A glorious soundtrack and a fresh approach to the rhythm action genre makes this a winner – it’s bloody hard, mind.” 8/10
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – “Predictable and repetitive adventuring that’s rescued by an engaging lead character and excellent mini-games.” 6/10
Carol Vorderman’s Sudoku – “Rejecting flashy production in favour of appropriate use of the hardware’s tech, Carol’s Sudoku is a strong PSP showing for the craze.” 6/10
Gangs of London – “A strong idea let down by poor controls and lack of originality. The mini-games go some way to repairing the damage, though.” 6/10
Formula One 2006 – “F1 on PSP works a treat, and there’s a rich vein of challenging racing on offer. The option to race against PS2 players is a particularly nice touch.” 7/10
Disc Content
Playable Demos
Yakuza
Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
Shinobido: Way of the Ninja
Formula One 2006
B-Boy
Forbidden Siren 2
Singstar Rocks!
Black
FIFA 2006
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Game Saves
Primal
The Mark of Kri
Jak II
Amplitude
Metal Gear Solid 2
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Star Wars: Bounty Hunter
Timesplitters 2
Zone of the Enders 2
Auto Modellista
Enter the Matrix
007 Nightfire
Silent Hill 3
Return to Castle Wolfenstein
Chaos Legion
Ford Racing 2
Medal of Honor: Rising Sun
Beyond Good and Evil
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
Trivia
* Tim’s departure this month is the start of a mass exodus, as over the next few issues, most of the magazine’s staff move over to the new Official Playstation Magazine to get that started.
* There’s an article on the Mega 64 video where Rocco dresses up as the Merchant from Resident Evil 4 and asks passers-by “What are ya buyin’?” Naturally, I showed the video to everyone I knew.
* The Gametrak Real World Golf 2007 reveals that the OPS2 office mascot is an inflatable shark named Mr Bitey. He was used as an alternative golf club, in case you’re wondering.
* The Legend of Jack Sparrow is alright, but The Tale of Jack Sparrow is better!
* The second of two 0/10 games has finally arrived! Did you see this one coming, or did you think it would be something else?
Quote of the Month: “Goth girls are strong, independent types unbowed by the demands of high fashion or personal hygiene.” This is prompted by watching Underworld Evolution on Blu-ray showing that Kate Beckinsale’s hair was slightly greasy. You know, I haven’t watched any of those films. I should get round to it.
Cover price: £5.99
Page Count: 130
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