Issue 83, March 2007
Editor’s letter
Hiya. I was going to introduce this month’s mag by telling you all about how I had to have one of my wisdom teeth out, just to conjure up a bit of sympathy, but that would be insufferably dull. So lets talk about PS2 instead. What a year it’s turning out to be for the console, and it’s still only March. We’ve had one of the finest adventures of all time in Okami. We’ve had one of the finest RPGs of all time in Final Fantasy XII. And now we’ve got God of War II and Burnout Dominator, two awesome games and shining examples of their respective genres. Naturally we’ve busted our balls to bring you the exclusive reviews of both titles: you’ll find Kratos going berserk from p82 onwards, while Dominator slams into gear on p96. With the above in mind, the way I see it, PS2 already owns 2007. Sure, I’m a little bit biased in favour of the world’s finest console, but can you show me another machine that’s had four games of such outstanding quality released this year? I bet you can’t (and saying that the graphics are better on said machine doesn’t count.) Speaking of other machines, you’re probably already aware that PS3 will launch in the UK on 23 March at a price of £425 for the console and £50 a pop for the games. We’ve made you a handy guide to the games that will be out on launch day, and also suggested some alternative – and in many cases, superior – PS2 titles. Now then, about that tooth…
Nick Ellis, Editor
Features
Back to the Future – Tomb Raider: Anniversary
When Games Meet Movies – A look at the growing relationship between film tie-in games, and videogame movies.
Ready, Steady, Go… - An interesting article on speedrunning. The team members also give it a go themselves, but you won’t exactly be finding their attempts in the record books…
Monthly Articles
Funny Nicknames – This month, what would you be god of?
Could be a Classic – This month, Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles, a PSP double pack that includes Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night.
Replay – Part two of the Final Fantasy XII walkthrough, online reviews for Phantasy Star Universe and Pro Evolution Soccer 6, and what the other mags said about Okami, Rayman Raving Rabbids, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops and Crazy Frog Racer 2.
Playstation Education – Demonstrating various examples of a certain item in PS2 games. This month, beards. Also includes a cut-out-and-keep image of the number 1 beard to wear on your face.
Endgame – Game endings. This month, Sonic the Hedgehog.
Monitor
UEFA Champions League 2006-2007 – “There’s not much to get excited about in this package unless midweek European nights are the be-all and end-all of your world: both in terms of options and quality it looks inferior to FIFA 2007 and PES 6.” Warm
Medal of Honor Vanguard – “Marking European Assault down as collateral damage and looking to the origins of the MOH series, EA looks to have one of the best WW2 shooters on its hands, if not the most ambitious FPS on PS2 in quite some time.” Boiling
Everybody’s Tennis – “It may look like a kid’s game on face value, but Everybody’s Tennis offers up enough depth to impress, while still remaining accessible to younger players. It’s, well, you know, a tennis game for everybody.” Hot
SOCOM: Combined Assault – “SOCOM appears to be down to its last clip of ammo, and unless something miraculous happens between now and April, it really should do the honourable thing and save the last bullet for itself.” Warm
Championship Manager 2007 – “Quicker and cleaner than almost any other soccer boss sim, CM 2007 has clearly been designed to solve many prior problems, although some new, hopefully fixable, flaws seem to have appeared.” Warm
Rogue Galaxy – “Another Level 5 adventure that ticks all the right boxes. Gorgeous visuals, beguiling gameplay, oddball characters and a level of scale and ambition that puts other games to shame. More on Rogue Galaxy very soon.” Hot
Sega Rally – “Pitch-perfect controls and unashamed pride in being a videogame will help bring that now almost mythical Sega playability to the PS3, and for that we’re expecting to be truly thankful.” Hot
Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars – “It might not power-slide far from the template tried and tested in every arcade and on every console since the Earth’s crust cooled but this port is polished and improved enough to set anyone’s meter ticking.” Hot
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – “The fully interactive Hogwarts is a very enticing idea, but it would have been interesting to see EA reflect the development of Harry as a character with a game that would appeal to a slightly older audience.” Hot
Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria – “A curious blend of a role-playing game and platforming, but one that really works. Throw in cute visuals and an engaging story that requires no knowledge of the first game and you have an enticing proposition.” Hot
Yakuza 2 – “With many tweaks and improvements to the original Yakuza’s promising formula, we could be staring down the barrel of a great sequel. After all, half a million Japanese gamers can’t be wrong.” Boiling
PS2 Reviews
God of War II – “Accessible, exhilarating and macho as all hell, it’s another thunderous outing for PS2’s angriest anti-hero. Essential.” 9/10
Heatseeker – “Lets you live out your airborne ace fantasies but fails to really test your piloting skills or your mind for that matter.” 7/10
Dancing Stage Supernova – “If we needed to shed some lard, this is how we’d do it. If we needed birthday presents for the kids, we’d buy them Singstar.” 7/10
NFL Street 3 – “Another sports effort spat straight out of the EA Street mould. Perfect if you’re new to the series: pointless if you’ve already got an NFL Street.” 6/10
Capcom Classics Collection Volume 2 – “A superb package with great games and some truly inspired extras – and a real trip down memory lane for some of us.” 7/10
Burnout Dominator – “Another cracking Burnout. It isn’t for the weak-hearted because of the difficulty of later levels, but when it shines, oh boy, it dazzles.” 8/10
Alpine Ski Racing 2007: Herman Maier VS Bode Miller – “Accurately recreates the thrills of going insanely fast down a mountain but it’s one for true skiing fans only.” 6/10
Avatar: The Legend of Aang – “Its simplicity is its strength when you start playing, but quickly becomes a weakness due to lack of spark and variety.” 5/10
Little Britain – “Yeah, but no, but – just no. This is absolute drivel. Barely funny, barely playable and barely worth even a second of your time.” 2/10
Brian Lara International Cricket 2007 – “A quick-fire, enjoyable game of cricket, but Lara needs some serious polish before it can claim EA’s much-prized wicket.” 7/10
PSP Reviews
The Warriors – “A violent, ballsy, moody, stylish adventure that oozes late-1970s street cool and stays true to the spirit of the film. We can dig it.” 8/10
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops – “A fun game for short sessions, suited to the system and with some clever ideas, but it’s not the proper Metal Gear Solid title we were expecting.” 7/10
Chilli Con Carnage – “A treat of a game that lives and dies by its simple gameplay. You’ll love the intense bullet action but it is repetitive. Worth a look.” 8/10
Harvest Moon: Innocent Life – “Takes time to blossom but grows into the kind of game PSP was made for. One to enjoy little and often rather than in long sessions.” 8/10
Capcom Puzzle World – “Super Puzzle Fighter II may still be capable of stealing men’s souls, but the rest of CPW is now no more than the stuff of freebie Flash game fodder. Approach with caution.” 4/10
Yu-Gi-Oh GX: Tag Force – “A sprawling RPG/card fighter that deals out a solid cartoon-based battler, once you get past the tutorial. Colourful and cute, but it would have made more sense on PS2.” 6/10
Disc Content
Playable Demos
Heatseeker
Dancing Stage Fusion
World Rally Championship 4
Juiced
Stuntman
Formula One 2004
Ferrari F355 Challenge
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2
The Simpsons Hit and Run
Kill.Switch
Rocky Legends
Zone of the Enders: The Second Runner
Footage
Brian Lara International Cricket 2007
Trivia
* There two new team members this month, as Mark Mitchell and John Strike join the art department.
* The Demo Disc Lifecycle has now entered stage 4: mostly repeats of old demos from across the PS2’s lifetime, with a few new demos.
* Edward Barnes writes in asking where he can find a PS1 cheats book. OPS2 wittily respond “the 90s”, before giving a serious answer.
* A cool Half-Life 2 mod shows a giant headcrab fighting one of the colossi from Shadow of the Colossus.
* There’s a look at an early version of Okami, which differs from the finished product in one major way: it has realistic (and very impressive to boot) graphics.
* The section on Shrek the Third in the films-to-games feature mentions several upcoming Dreamworks films Activision also acquired the game rights to, including something called Rex Havoc. I can find no information on this, so I have no idea what it could be. My best guess is that it’s possibly an early version of Megamind.
Quote of the Month: “Don’t pretend you’ve ever moved an island using giant horses.” How about a fleet of aircraft carriers instead of the horses, would that be plausible?
Cover price: £5.99
Page Count: 130
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