Issue 81, January 2007
Editor’s letter
Welcome to 2007, and what a start to the year we’ve got for you. Where should I begin? Why not with Okami, which, as you’ve probably noticed, is splashed all over the front of this month’s disc case. If you’ve never even heard of the game then you’re in for the most pleasant of surprises. If you have heard of it but keep muttering to yourself, “but it’s a game where you play as a wolf who does painting, I’ll hate it!” then slip the disc into your PS2 right now and prepare to be converted by our 45-minute demo. Oh, and be sure to read our handy demo guide on p10 so you don’t miss anything that it has to offer, and the first UK review of the game on p82. Speaking of ‘first UK reviews’ we’ve got another one of those with Final Fantasy XII. Our FF-obsessed reviewer made sure he completed the game before he even thought about penning his observations, and it was the UK version that he played, not some dodgy import copy. The third in our trio of terrific exclusives comes in the form of a first look at PS3’s Blacksite: Area 51, located on the far from top-secret p60. I’m not sure if you remember the old Time Crisis-style Area 51 arcade game, but there was one in the pub I worked in many moons ago and despite the game being a little bit cack, I did love feeding the machine half of my wages every week. I should have waited for the PSOne version to come out. Oops. And with all that reminiscing, I’ve run out of space to tell you about all the other great stuff in the issue, so you’ll have to discover it for yourself. Don’t forget to pack a good supply of Megalixir and remember to tell your Guardian Force where you’re going. Happy new year!
Nick Ellis, Editor
Features
The OPS2 Top 50 of 2006 – After the previous two years had 19 and 20 entries, 2006’s best-of-the-year round-up goes up to 50 (technically, 56 if you want to count honourable mentions.)
The Aliens are Among Us – Blacksite: Area 51
Hip to be Square – Square-Enix’s schedule of upcoming releases, and a look back at their PS2 releases so far.
11 things you’ll be able to do with a PS3 that isn’t playing games
Monthly Articles
Funny Nicknames – This month, the team enter their names into a Final Fantasy name generator.
Could be a Classic – This month, Full Auto 2: Battlelines, a vehicular combat game. “The under-appreciated gems of tomorrow aren’t always obscure Japanese RPGs or acid-trip puzzle games, you know.”
Replay – Online reviews for Splinter Cell: Double Agent and Medal of Honor Heroes, and what the other mags said about WWE Smackdown VS Raw 2007, Guitar Hero II, Call of Duty 3 and Lumines II.
Playstation Education – A new feature this month, gathering examples from various Playstation games along a certain theme. This month, trees.
Endgame – Game endings. This month, Guitar Hero II.
Monitor
God Hand – “It’s not for everyone – the granite difficulty and odd humour make sure of that – but anyone who wants a slice of retro beat-‘em-up action buttered with giggles should be in heaven. Bring it on!” Boiling
Free Running – “Rebellion has been thinking differently while making this – you’ll need to think differently to play it. Dead ends are now opportunities to leap or somersault. But while the approach is new, the mechanics feel a little orthodox.” Hot
Arthur and the Invisibles – “An appealing but fairly standard cartoon adventure.” Warm
Sid Meier’s Pirates! – “Swashbuckling, politicking and courting should be enough of a hook to keep you naval gazing for many moons, but just don’t expect too deep a level of strategy with your treasure hunting antics.” Boiling
Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters – “Some games suffer in translation to PSP, but Ratchet seems like a perfect fit for portable play – with headphones, natch. And if you can get a decent multiplayer crew together, expect, ooh, maybe triple the fun.” Boiling
Formula One Championship Edition – “It isn’t a radical new direction in the world of F1 sims but the meticulous racing and the sumptuously detailed graphics should seduce many doubters and cause mass salivation among the converted.” Boiling
Super-Bikes Riding Challenge – “Shaping up to be a masterful bike sim.” Boiling
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops – “Epic cut-scenes aside (Portable Ops uses graphic novel-style interludes) this looks like a genuine sequel and not just a stopgap. If you’re yet to invest in a PSP this could be the killer app you’re waiting for.” Boiling
Tomb Raider: Anniversary – “It’s a welcome return for Playstation’s premier adventurer in what is shaping into a labour of love for all involved. Legend’s flaws are being removed and there’s no better romp than Lara’s debut. Fantastic.” Meltdown
Colin Mcrae Dirt – “A reinvention was needed for the series, but there’s more than mere loveliness on show here. Diversity, depth and an immense online lobby of 100 drivers should see Colin again come up smelling of roses.” Boiling
Cipher Complex – “If Cipher Complex nails the balance between stealth and brutal knife action, then we could have a classic on our (bloody) hands. We’ll be keeping a close eye on this one in the coming months.” Boiling
Clive Barker’s Jericho – “Scarier than a bag of spiders and easy on the eye to boot, this could be the first great horror shooter on PS3. There’s a long way to go but even at this stage Jericho looks set to be a terrifying splatterfest.” Hot
PS2 Reviews
Final Fantasy XII – “Forget the PS3 delay, the future is here on your humble PS2. FFXII is the apex of adventuring; gaming doesn’t get any better than this.” 10/10
The Sopranos: Road to Respect – “Dull, short, unambitious and misguided, Road to Respect has all the appeal of Big Pussy’s body – after it got riddled with bullets.” 3/10
Rayman Raving Rabbids – “Definitely deserves a rental, but any gamer who can afford £40 on a repeating loop of mini-games is an extravagant one.” 6/10
World Snooker Championship 2007 – “Soothing but strategic; dull but addictive; new, but at the same time a bit old. This is probably as good as computer snooker can get.” 8/10
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 – “There are new modes and a better camera, but the developer seems to have accidentally flicked the switch to Extreme difficulty.” 6/10
Okami – “A true epic. It’s a dog-eat-dog world in the games industry, and Okami buries the opposition like a load of old bones.” 10/10
Star Trek: Encounters – “Still in doubt? Ask yourself what sort of game makes you follow vapour trails for half an hour. One that hates you, that’s what sort.” 2/10
Playwize Poker and Casino – “Comprehensive in terms of games but not well presented or that much fun. You’d be better off taking the £20 this costs and putting it on a horse.” 4/10
PDC World Championship Darts – “A decent game of darts – just not as decent as the one you’d get down the pub with real people and a frothing pint of bitter.” 5/10
Teen Titans – “Bland, repetitive brawling that lacks both panache and depth. A decent cartoon feel isn’t nearly enough to redeem this hollow, tedious experience.” 2/10
Spongebob Squarepants: Creature from the Krusty Krab – “Hardly inspiring, but Spongebob and friends are still starring in a highly capable game that should satisfy younger players.” 6/10
Crazy Frog Racer 2 – “This is every bit as stinking as you would expect. Imagine playing a game designed by someone who really, really hates you.” 2/10
PSP Reviews
Rainbow Six Vegas – “Over complicated and visually lacklustre – this is a disappointing outing for Rainbow Six. Stick with Medal of Honor Heroes.” 5/10
Pro Evolution Soccer 6 – “The flaws have been fixed and it’s now bursting with the quality you’d expect, but it’s still just a trimmed version of the PS2 game.” 8/10
Prince of Persia: Rival Swords – “At times sublime, but sadly it’s the frantic and frustrating Dark Prince sections that linger longest in the memory.” 7/10
WWE Smackdown VS Raw 2007 – “Deep single-player options and suitably frantic multiplayer combine to make this a joyful and long-lasting handheld bash-up.” 8/10
Dungeon Siege: Throne of Agony – “Less complicated than Untold Legends but equally stuffed with things to kill… and you can talk to a chicken. Sold!” 7/10
Justice League Heroes – “Limited in terms of gameplay, but it’s got an undeniable appeal and is often great fun – who wouldn’t enjoy kicking ass as Superman and Batman working in unison?” 7/10
Bliss Island – “A shoddy bunch of the kind of mini-games you could find for free as internet Flash games. Meant for kids, but we don’t recommend a trip to Bliss Island for anyone.” 3/10
Brothers in Arms: D-Day – “A solid attempt to bring the gritty realism of war to handheld, but shooter-nuts are better off sticking with Medal of Honor Heroes.” 6/10
Mind Quiz – “This package is educational and enjoyable, and will last you for months. It’s just a shame that the tests are so samey.” 7/10
Eragon – “It might be pretty and sometimes even pleasantly playable but that hides plenty of frustration and fiddly airborne combat. Less fiery dragon, more a damp squib.” 4/10
TOCA Race Driver 3 Challenge – “Quality, depth and sobriety – everything you’d expect from a TOCA Race Driver title, but it might be too tough for many gamers.” 7/10
Star Trek: Tactical Assault – “There’s little to keep you engaged besides the novelty of playing as a Klingon. It’s not as bad as most Trek titles, but TA fails to boldly go where no game has gone before.” 4/10
Hot Pixel – “A gaming curio, but far too shallow and frustrating to justify shelling out 35 quid of your hard-earned money.” 5/10
Prostroke Golf 2007 – “A solid, respectable golf game that should keep pros and amateurs happily stroking in public for hours.” 7/10
Spinout – “Icon made International Pool as well, so we should be thankful the balls don’t just randomly fly off the table in that one too, eh?” 4/10
Disc Content
Playable Demos
Okami
Arthur and the Invisibles
FIFA 2007
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Fight Night Round 3
Outrun 2006: Coast to Coast
Black
TOCA Race Driver 3
We Heart Katamari
Tomb Raider Legend
Jak 3
Game Footage
Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus
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
* Gaydar: This month, Daniel Gay laments escort missions after getting stuck on one in Spartan: Total Warrior.
* In the last issue, a reader wrote in to say he had discovered a glitch in Pro Evolution Soccer 5 that enabled him to score unlimited goals by watching replays after scoring a goal. He was put in the Name and Shame section in response. This month, the readers writes in again to complain about this, only to find himself being Named and Shamed again. Once was bad enough given that he had done nothing wrong, but twice is a major dick move. I can only assume it was a kneejerk response due to someone insinuating that PES is anything less than perfect. “We might be nice and send him a game for being so mean. Maybe.”
* Bad news this month, as an article announces that Rule of Rose would not be released in the UK. The game’s publisher hired a publicist to promote the game by exaggerating its violent and sexual content, counting on there being no such thing as bad publicity. This backfired big time, as the publicist did their job a little too well. As a result, a moral panic ensued, fuelled by the tabloid media in Italy and the UK. The game was banned in France, Poland, Italy, Australia and New Zealand, and its UK release was cancelled following pressure from the UK government to ban it. This was despite the game having already received a 16+ rating from the Video Standards Council, who dismissed the panic as nonsense.
* This issue is the last time multiple games score 10/10 in the same issue. It’s not the last 10/10 though; there’s still one left. Any guesses what it might be?
* The Square-Enix feature has a screenshot of Final Fantasy XIII with the caption “If it’s rubbish, we’re going to burn every RPG ever made.” Considering the poor reception of Final Fantasy XIII tanked the popularity of Square-Enix and Final Fantasy to such an extent that only now, over a decade later and after triggering the last resort that was a Final Fantasy VII remake, are they starting to recover, as well as signalling the end of Japanese games’ dominance and the rise of Western-made games, this is the biggest Funny Aneurysm Moment in the magazine’s entire run.
* D Naisbett asks “Please include a directory of all PS2 games in your excellent mag.” Let’s just say that someone is going to be very happy with the next issue…
Quote of the Month: “For the love of God, we need reinforcements!” The staff list is getting too short for comfort.
Cover price: £5.99
Page Count: 130
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