Issue 86, June 2007
Editor’s letter
I bet you thought I was going to say ch-ch-ch-cheesecake! Nope, that would just be silly. Anyway, being the wrong side of 30, I’m more than old enough to remember the Transformers when they first appeared on the telly in 1984. I loved them then and I still dig them now: robots that transform into planes or cars or boats or whatever are just plain cool, no argument. And that’s pretty much the reason why we’ve been pestering Activision for months to get the exclusive lowdown on the new Transformers game. Our petitioning finally paid off this issue and on p18 Andy brings you our first impressions of the game after visiting Traveller’s Tales to see it. Regular readers will know that OPS2 will be undergoing its own transformation in the coming months, and I’d like to say a big thank you to all of you who’ve written in with your ideas, opinions and observations about the mag. Keep ‘em coming! One thing that will never change, though, is our dedication to bringing you the very latest news and info on PS2’s hottest games, and this issue is bursting at the seams with great stuff, from our Manhunt 2 hands-on update to the very first screens of Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass and the exclusive review of Rogue Galaxy. Enjoy.
Nick Ellis, Editor
Features
Now Even Bigger! – WWE Smackdown VS Raw 2008
The Golden Compass
Guns, Trafficking and the American Dream – Grand Theft Auto IV
Cheapin’ it R£al – This feature is on budget games, and consists of an interview with Sean Brennan, chief executive officer at Blast! Entertainment, several budget game reviews, and a list of the 18 most bizarre budget games, including the likes of Gecko Blaster, Car Wash Tycoon, White Van Racer, and the infamous Snow White and the Seven Clever Boys.
The OPS2 Role Playing Game Dream Team – OPS2 form their own ultimate RPG team drawing from multiple RPGs, but still conforming to the archetypes of Leader (Sephiroth), Brawler (Joachim Valentine from Shadow Hearts: Covenant), Mage (Klein Kiesling from Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana), Engineer (Max from Dark Chronicle), Siren (Shania from Shadow Hearts: From the New World) and Wild Card (a Prinny).
Monthly Article
Funny Nicknames – This month, what budget game would you like to see made?
Google Fight – A new feature in which two characters are pitted against each other via Google Fight. This month, Solid Snake defeats Lara Croft with 230,000 hits to 197,00 hits.
Could be a Classic – This month, Grimgrimoire. A real time strategy game starring a witch in training.
Replay – Part one of the Tomb Raider: Anniversary walkthrough, online reviews for SOCOM US Navy SEALs: Combined Assault and Sid Meier’s Pirates! and what the other mags said about Medal of Honor: Vanguard, God of War II, UEFA Champions League 2006-2007 and Call of Duty: Roads to Victory.
Playstation Education – Demonstrating various examples of a certain item in PS2 games. This month, musicians.
Trading Pages – Other magazines take over the back page. This month, Quick and Easy Stitch and Craft give a PS2 a makeover.
Monitor
Manhunt 2 – “Uncompromising, bloody, and every bit as savage as the original was, Manhunt 2 is shaping up to be the perfect sequel to the PS2’s premier videogame nasty.” Hot
Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles – “Nutty for Naruto and all things anime? Then this is definitely one to watch. But if that kind of thing isn’t your bag, you may as well forget about this game right now.” Warm
Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam – “If the controls are nailed then we fully expect Downhill Jam to be an accessible, fun and flamboyant alternative to the now-too-familiar Tony Hawk’s series.” Hot
Obscure 2 – “So far, this looks like more of the same. Still, if you like hair-raising scares alongside painfully cool teen angst, keep a severed eye on Obscure 2.” Warm
Odin Sphere – “Beautiful graphics, epic storyline, sparkly spells: the perfect formula for a killer RPG. And with real-time fighting it looks set to appeal outside the hardcore RPG fanbase too.” Boiling
The Shield – “Graphically it’s not bad, but in all other areas The Shield is as wafer-thin as one of the Strike Team’s warrants. And we don’t expect it to change greatly before release.” Tepid
The Darkness – “Neither a pure trouser-ruining horror nor an unadulterated pulse-raining shooter, but its combination of goth and gunnery means we’re quietly excited.” Hot
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles – “Three classic Castlevania games on one disc? Are you kidding? This is already shaping up to be an essential portable game, even if you’re new to the series.” Boiling
PS2 Reviews
Rogue Galaxy – “Deep, addictive and awash with colour and character, Rogue Galaxy is a near-perfect take on the old-school Eastern RPG formula.” 9/10
Demon Chaos – “Demon Chaos is a valiant attempt, but ultimately it falls short of being the ingenious blend of genres that it strives to be.” 5/10
Raw Danger! – “Unique survival tactics and some interesting ideas meant Raw Danger! had the potential to be a classic, but poor delivery has crucified it.” 4/10
Shadow Hearts: From the New World – “Looks outdated, but is challenging, cheeky and charming. The combat and sidequests will keep you entertained for ages.” 8/10
The History Channel: Great Battles of Rome – “Definitive proof that even the most exciting bits of history can be reduced to a cure for insomnia. Shoddy, slow-paced and dull.” 3/10
Spider-Man 3 – “Despite a huge city and a great swinging mechanic with which to get through it, Spider-Man 3 is repetitive and disappointing.” 5/10
Asterix and Obelix XXL2: Mission Las Vegum – “A missed opportunity. As Asterix fans, we really wanted to like this game, but it’s one that’s best left to the young ‘uns.” 6/10
Babe – “We just can’t imagine that even the biggest sheep-pig fan would get past the first few levels without giving up.” 4/10
Captain Scarlet – “Drearier than a motorway service station on a rainy winter Sunday, Captain Scarlet takes the already dodgy subject of vehicle-based combat, paints it brown and then makes you hate videogames. And life.” 3/10
BCV: Battle Construction Vehicles – “Who can argue with a game where your crane’s special attack is a giant bee that stings rivals?” 5/10
The Seed: Warzone – “Honestly, we had to check that our controller was plugged in – more than once – because at no point did we feel that we were actually playing The Seed: Warzone.” 3/10
Realm of the Dead – “Overall, Realm of the Dead is a reasonable game for the price, but its gore-ridden combat takes it well out of nipper territory.” 4/10
Twenty 2 Party – “If your party is so dull that this game is an improvement, you really need to get some more exciting friends.” 4/10
PSP Reviews
Crush – “Don’t let the game’s presentation scare you. If ever there was a game that screams cult classic puzzler, it’s this one.” 8/10
Smash Court Tennis 3 – “A deep, rewarding tennis game that lacks the fireworks of Virtua Tennis and also some of its fun. You will like it… eventually.” 7/10
Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth – “Proof that age cannot dampen a well-made game. Even seven years after the original it looks and plays like few other RPGs.” 8/10
Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai 2 – “An enjoyable beat-‘em-up despite the ADHD storyline. The smooth, ninja-tastic fighting is fun and there’s plenty of stuff to do.” 7/10
Death Jr 2: Root of Evil – “A Ratchet and Clank-style platformer based around the son of Death is a great idea. Unfortunately it’s been largely squandered here.” 6/10
Disc Content
Playable Demos
Everybody’s Tennis
Everybody’s Golf
Dark Cloud
24
Crash Tag Team Racing
Enthusia Professional Racing
Fahrenheit
From Russia With Love
Ratchet: Gladiator
Second Sight
Trivia
* As a reward for having to make the magazine almost singlehandedly while the old staff were leaving and the new staff were being hired, Andy is promoted to Deputy Editor this month.
* The Reader Face-Off this month is replaced with the Writer Face-Off, in which Mike and Kim argue over Final Fantasy XII. Kim considers it the best in the series, whereas for Mike it’s the worst in the series, and the only one he didn’t finish. Think of this as a preview of a new monthly feature coming soon.
* Transformers is the last non-Lego game made by Traveller’s Tales to date. It would be nice to see them give something else a go, but then I think about Lego Game of Thrones, or Lego Ghostbusters, or Lego Back to the Future, or… you get the idea.
* More Shadow of the Colossus news, this time in the form of screenshots of cut colossi. My favourites are the warthog colossus and the giant spider colossus.
* There’s an article on the Madden Curse. A player who makes it onto the cover of a Madden game will often have a worse season than before, with varying degrees of severity, to the point that superstition has it that the position is cursed. Logically, players at the top of their game will be chosen for the Madden box, and there’s nowhere to go from there but down, but that’s no fun, is it? A few athletes have escaped the curse, most notably Calvin Johnson for Madden NFL 2013, but it will take more than that to exorcise the curse for good.
* The Seed: Warzone was previously reviewed in Issue 44, where it scored 5/10. Evidently, the intervening three years haven’t been kind to it.
* Games that would still be made today, but would have to be censored: Shadow Hearts: From the New World. Why? I’ll let OPS2 take it from here: “When Shania, um, transforms, her, erm, clothes fall off and you get to see, err, the majority of her breasts. What?”
* The next issue promises a review of Manhunt 2. Yeah, about that…
Quote of the Month: “We’ve torn ourselves away from shagging, drinking, killing and kicking.” I notice cigarettes and rollerblading aren’t on that list…
Cover price: £5.99
Page Count: 130
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