Genji is an authentic Asian slash-'em-up, and an extra special one. Imagine Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon as a PS2 game, and you're imagining something close to the spectacular visual experience Genji has to offer.

The gameplay and structure is largely based on Capcom's Onimusha series as you switch between playing a warrior monk and a samurai, and you slowly work through a number of towns, temples and arenas which are more often then not crawling with enemy samurai.

Each character has different weapons (swords, spears, etc.) and an individual distinctive fighting style. Similarly each character has his own strengths and weaknesses - strength, speed, agility - and so can perform particular actions unique to him. This is a fun way to play through two different perspectives - although to switch characters you have to return to the save-point, which means that there is some time wasted in travelling.

The majority of combat in the game involves simply banging the attack buttons repeatedly while you try to fight back against an onslaught of enemy samurai or vicious beasts. At the end of each section, you have to tackle a larger boss. You can get through most of the samurai attacks by randomly jabbing at the buttons but for the bosses you have to learn multi-button attacks.

Naturally this adds welcome variety and also a reason to master the combat controls. The combat itself is great fun, especially when you are surrounded by enemy samurai with only a very large sword to defend yourself.

The combat arenas are nicely interactive - you can jump off trees, onto roofs, and then down onto the enemy. There are a few mini-games and logical puzzles, which add to the overall diversity.

The main selling point for Genji though is its amazing visual intensity and stunning scenery. Game Republic have created a game with immense detail - from koi carp swimming in a pond, to blossom falling from a tree - Genji is a visual masterpiece.

The high-quality graphics are enhanced by a level of detail you would normally only expect from a Hollywood blockbuster. Whether it is mountains, towns, forests, villages, fields, lakes - the scenery is perfectly produced, and this makes the game ten times more interesting to play. Unusual camera angles and positions are also used to improve the games overall effect.

The cut scenes are equally impressive, with high definition and a photographic quality, which successfully transports you to twelfth century Japan. Genji also has a huge colour palate. At times, this looks a little brash and technicolor, but it mostly works beautifully.

Tags: Gaming PS2 Sony

Genji Dawn of the Samurai - PS2 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 25 Nov 2005 00:00:48 +0000

Imagine a PS2 version of the TV show 24 and you have just imagined Without Warning. But does its novel time shifting and character changing, combined with its highly predictable ‘defeat the terrorists’ storyline combine to make an innovative new game?

Despite the name, just from the initial cutscene, a whole lot of warning is given. The storyline is based around a chemical facility seized by a terrorist organization that's threatening to blow it up, killing thousands of people. Sound familiar? Anyway, your aim is to save lots of hostages, kill lots of terrorists and disarm lots of bombs. But rather than just playing one character, you play three members of a covert operation team, and three civilians. This unique multiple character aspect of the game combines well with the second original feature the game has to offer.

Taken straight out of 24, Without Warning uses a new game play ‘timeline’ which allows multiple characters to experience the same key events from their own perspective - and so allowing more than one aspect of a situation to be explored. The game evolves over a 12 hour period throughout which many of the characters interact and meet.

This is without doubt a novel and interesting way to structure the game, but unfortunately it lacks this same originality in the storyline - an ingredient which would have made it a genre leader. The game lazily uses a tried and tested plot which rather than engaging the player, makes you switch off. The rest of the game, unfortunately, is just as predictable as the storyline.

In the real world, terrorists are a major threat to our safety. They pose no such danger in Without Warning though, where they act as little more than moving targets. They are deficient in any spontaneity, and are as predicable as the sun rising. Little to no skill is needed to defeat an enemy - simply charging and shooting wildly does the trick, no matter how many terrorists you face. Although fun in its own way, this style of combat becomes dull quickly and you soon yearn for some of the stealth and skill required in rivals such as Splinter Cell. When playing a secretary, some stealth is required, but it is so basic and simple, the developers would have been better off leaving it out.

The mini-games which are found in many of the missions provide a grateful relief from the otherwise repetitive gameplay. All are directly linked to the gameplay - such as lock picking, bomb diffusing and saving hostages - and a few feature time limits.

The graphics in Without Warning are pretty realistic and imaginative, featuring inventive lighting effects, well defined shadows and impressive arenas. The levels themselves are nicely interactive, with pipes which can burst when shot, and of course the classic exploding barrels. The music throughout is fitting without being overly dramatic.

Tags: Gaming PS2 Capcom

Without Warning - PS2 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 11 Nov 2005 12:51:32 +0000

Since the release of titles such as Splinter Cell and Metal Gear Solid, stealth games have become a fusion of adrenaline-filled shoot ‘em ups, fast paced first-person shooters, and brain exhausting strategy games. Unfortunately, Pilot Down falls short of most of these properties and brings nothing new to the genre.

You’d be excused for thinking that a game in which you play a US Airman sneaking his way out of Germany during the Second World War to neutral Switzerland would be a thrilling, exciting, and engaging adventure. After a cut scene composed of comic-book style images showing your B-24 Liberator being shot down during a bombing run over Germany in the winter of 1944, your aim is to survive in unforgiving conditions, evade the Nazis, and get the hell out of there, through stealth. Based around the actions of hundreds of allied airmen shot down during the war, Pilot Down has a pretty imaginative and original plot. It’s a real shame then that the game itself is so basic, repetitive, and unimaginative.

Pilot Down is so riddled with problems, it’s difficult to know where to begin. One of the game’s key faults is the overwhelming stupidity and simplicity of the AI. The aim of the guards is atrocious and they are easily defeated, meaning that many more complex stealth moves are left unused. Also, although being able to detect footsteps, the soldiers seem completely oblivious to gunshots being fired just metres away from them - removing all possibility of ever having a gun battle with more than three soldiers. Similarly, sometimes when you shoot at a guard from a hidden position, they will stand, unflinching, until they have been killed - at which point they fall to the ground in approximately one of three styles - strangely reminiscent of early PS1 first-person shooters.

All levels are pretty easy and quite short, and so experienced gamers used to Splinter Cell and other more demanding stealth games will quickly tire of breaking yet another guard’s neck, and then dragging him behind a rock. Apart from completing missions, there is little else to do when playing the game - there is almost no interaction with the environment, and movement is heavily restricted - making the missions themselves even more linear and predictable. The graphics don’t improve the game play much either - most things are dull greys, off-whites and dirty greens and leave you feeling pretty depressed.

Tags: Gaming PS2 FPS Sony

Pilot Down: Behind Enemy Lines - PS2 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 14 Oct 2005 15:00:00 +0100

This latest offering from Ubisoft is a typical street racing game based in the US. It’s crammed full of spectacular crashes and dangerous weapons, and is interlaced with commentary and narration in incomprehensible urban street talk. That part of the game is fantastic - 10/10 for collisions and explosions. Unfortunately, there isn’t that much more to it.

187 Ride or Die clearly draws on the recent successes of other games based around hip-hop, such as GTA: San Andreas and Def Jam Vendetta. While this guarantees a familiar and yet unique game, 187 doesn’t contain the same mood and character which made forerunners in the same genre so successful. It is still great fun for a few races, but it quickly begins to repeat itself.

Essentially, 187’s a grown-up Mario Kart - just less banana skins, and a few more rocket launchers. While racing, you can shoot in front or behind yourself at other competitors - who can also fire at you. The aim when firing is to blow up the rival car. The racing is relatively easy. The controls are pretty standard, and so there is practically no learning curve. While driving, you have to avoid strategically placed explosives, and pick up weapons to stand a chance of reaching the finish.

One particularly annoying aspect of the gameplay is that no matter how well you drive, no matter how many power boosts you use or corners you turn perfectly, there is always another driver right behind you. This feature defeats the object of a racing game, rendering 90% of the race irrelevant - the outcome only decided in the last 15 seconds. That said, the overall racing/shooting experience is thrilling and fast paced.

It’s unfortunate then, that the game proceeds on such a linear route. Each mission is virtually the same as the last - same car, same weapons, similar track. The storyline is incredibly thin, and seems to exist just to fill loading times. There is therefore practically no development or progression. This key flaw really lets the game down - changing what would have been a really good game into just an OK one.

As well as the conventional single player mode, 187 provides some interesting alternative modes. As well as a speed race, there’s a demolition derby style mode - equivalent to ‘Battle’ in Mario Kart. There is also an entertaining police chase mode, where the aim is simply to loose the ‘Feds’.

One of the main reasons for getting 187 Ride or Die would be the multiplayer mode. Up to 8 people can take part at one time, 2 in each car, one shooting one driving. Whether you’re playing with friends in your front room, or over the Internet with strangers, the multiplayer mode does not disappoint. Even though the multiplayer option simply offers what’s available for single players, development and storylines are not important (and at least whoever’s right behind you will be a fellow human being) - and so the game shines.

Tags: Gaming PS2 Racing games Ubisoft

187 Ride or Die - PS2 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 23 Sep 2005 00:16:07 +0100

Can you imagine how ridiculous it would be for Ford to re-launch the model T tomorrow, and treat it as a serious rival to modern cars? If so, then you can also picture just how out of place Conspiracy: Weapons of Mass Destruction is in today’s gaming market. Outdated is an understatement - even beside the N64’s Goldeneye (which was, by the way, good) this game looks like a relic.

At first sight the game looks like it could be good - the title certainly seems relevant. But my preconceptions were proved wrong. Your character is Cole Justice (cringe).

A retired spy, you are brought out of retirement (déjà vu?) to cripple a corrupt government agency, Hydra, which is supplying terrorists with weapons of mass destruction. With the help of an assistant, Cara, who contacts you via wireless communication (sounds familiar) you have to complete a series of missions which include shooting guards, collecting objects, downloading data .. ... yawn … downloading data …and so on and so forth.

The missions are repetitive and boring, largely because of rather basic AI. On the hardest mode, guards often stood just staring at me, seeming to expect the others to kill me! And once they had been shot, the guards would die in approximately three formulaic ways.

Yet the game is made harder in that the controls are unresponsive - with water seeming solid - and the jump control makes gravity appear equivalent to that on the moon. As well as the game’s weak opponents, tedious objectives and unrefined controls, the game-play is worsened by the incredibly poor graphics.

These are so flat, monotone, and fuzzy that when I loaded a mission for the first time and saw the pathetic quality of my surroundings, I thought that the problem was my ageing TV. I can honestly say that I have never been so disappointed with the graphics on a game as I have with this one - the hand holding gun looks more like a flesh coloured club than a dextrous, five fingered hand.

The music, like the graphics, is awful - repetitive electro-kitsch - and the game would almost have been better without it. After completing a few levels in one-player mode, I wasn’t expecting much from the rest of the game. What I hadn’t realised was that there was no “rest of game”. That was it. No multiplayer. Nothing. To be fair, this is something for the console publisher could have forced into the game when approving it so if they weren’t fussed, it looks like the developers couldn’t be bothered either.

Tags: Gaming PS2 FPS Sony

Weapons of Mass Destruction - PS2 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 12 Aug 2005 00:10:53 +0100

MotoGP, the mad sport of racing on insanely fast motorbikes, has just been revitalized and rejuvenated by Namco, who bring us the latest version of the popular series. Namco have been criticized in the past for releasing updates in this series with only minimal improvements on the last. So with the release of MotoGP4, have they fallen into that trap again?

On first impressions, it’s difficult to tell. MotoGP4 boasts all the bikes, riders and tracks from the 2004 MotoGP, as well as 125cc and 250cc classes (slightly slower bikes, but useful for new players to learn on). It certainly appears impressive, but the proof, of course, is in the playing.

The basic physics of riding the bike have been noticeably improved, producing a more realistic ride. The ability to shift weight on the bike forwards, backwards, left and right has been enhanced, adding to the overall realism, while also giving the player something to do - the long straights on the tracks can drag a bit.

Also, a nice new touch is the inclusion of a Helmet Cam, giving players a “rider’s-eye” view. This certainly increases the realism, especially when leaning round corners, just inches from the ground. Although these tweaks improve game play, the overall racing experience wasn’t great to begin with.

For example, in the 125cc and 250cc modes, it is almost impossible to crash, or fall off your bike - as essential part of any motorbike racing game. Despite my best efforts to smash into fellow riders, and even into barriers, my rider seemed to have better balance than an Olympic gymnast, and stayed glued steadfast to the bike. Because of this, the races quickly became boring - requiring not skill, but instead a great amount of endurance.

This said, the graphics and sound have been noticeably improved. Bikes and riders are nicely detailed, although the tracks can appear dull and bland at times. The sound produced by the bikes is fantastic - ranging from the rasping 125cc bikes, right up to the deep purr of the MotoGP class machines. The music, meanwhile, lets the game down - tinny electronic dance music that grates on ones nerves, like a fly buzzing in the room.

Perhaps the biggest change however comes in a new style season mode. Before you can ride the fastest MotoGP bikes, you must rise up through the classes, beginning with 125cc, and unlock better bikes as you progress. This may be a huge inconvenience to MotoGP veterans who have to trudge through the slower classes to reach the MotoGP bikes, but it acts as a nice way of training new players while also competing. For those true novices though, there is now a training mode that teaches the basics of a bike. Outside of the season mode though, MotoGP bikes are available to for use in all modes immediately.

Tags: Gaming PS2 Racing games Sony

Moto GP 4 - PS2 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 22 Jul 2005 00:00:51 +0100

Film remakes seem to have a pattern of failing more often than succeeding- ‘Get Carter’, ‘The Stepford Wives’, ‘Psycho’, ‘Solaris’ - all box office flops and there’s much more dross than the gold of ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’ and ‘Ocean’s Eleven’. Maybe the Sega folks didn’t think this also applied to games after seeing the success of the Prince Of Persia updates. But a newly released remake of Altered Beast - originally a cult classic almost seventeen years ago - seems to follow the same suit of many ill-fated films.

After the warning about extreme violence and the first cut scene, I was expecting a riveting game full of gore, blood and gruesome werewolf transformations. Instead I was greeted with dogged camera work, game play so boring it would send an insomniac to sleep, and a storyline rehashed more times than I can count.

From the outset the game feels cheap. Little effort, it seems, has been put into updating menus from the Sega Megadrive onto PS2 - all have a distinctly pixellated appearance. It also lacks a multiplayer function - now expected as standard on most games. This severely damages the game’s selling appeal, especially considering that even the original offered two-player action. One of the golden rules of remakes is that they must be a progression and an improvement on the original - not one offering fewer features.

The game has advanced in some aspects. The central character (previously only able to morph into one beast) can now transform into a variety of creatures bearing claws and big teeth. But this transformation becomes incredibly tedious as the same cut scene is repeated every time. As you progress through the game, more beasts are unlocked, with different fight tactics and strengths. This is no incentive whatsoever, as many of the levels can be completed by simply converting to one beast without further changes. Alternatively, you don’t have to change at all.

This gives you an idea of the intellect of the AI. Your enemies tend to lunge at you as if they’re drunk, rather than viciously attack you. That means they can easily be fought away - removing any satisfaction in completing a level - which normally consists of a big battle, some walking, and a boss to destroy at the end.

The lack of originality or quality isn’t aided by the poor graphics and the atrocious camera action. Many areas are littered with invisible walls and barriers, restricting your movement - a trait common in games a decade ago but not today. The maps themselves are noticeably two-dimensional, and dull in colour. They are extremely linear too - the kind of place where a football would look more like a Rubik’s cube. Controls take a while to pick up, but are relatively simple.

Get past dire gameplay and you've got to contend with the annoying camera action: it follows you around with a three second delay - after which time you are surrounded by moronic monsters. This is extremely frustrating and cannot be altered. Similarly annoying are the sound effects, which are like a stuck record - repeating the same ‘growl’ over and over again.

Tags: Gaming PS2 Sega

Altered Beast - PS2 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 22 Apr 2005 06:28:23 +0100

Less than six months after the release of FIFA 2005, Electronic Arts are shipping out UEFA Champions League 2005. One might presume that another game released so rapidly is a superficially polished clone with the one purpose of boosting profits. But in fairness the creative heads at EA have been busy in the last five months.

UEFA, though based largely on FIFA 2005, shows a few changes. AI is greatly improved in all players, who now take more realistic paths and make sensible passes. The ball only occasionally takes a slightly odd course across the pitch - a regular occurrence in earlier titles.

The overall game controls have also progressed, with free kicks and penalties now feeling less like a lucky dip and more like skill. The basic controls for these actions differ little from those of FIFA, but their accuracy has improved. The referee has become truer to life, making the odd annoying incorrect call. The crowd are likewise more realistic, shouting chants specific to your club.

A new gimmick is a “talk radio station” playing before the match, at half time and at the end, which gives opinions on the game and football in general - an amusing feature. Throughout the match there is a commentary from Clive Tyldesley and Andy Gray. But this does sometimes sound a disjointed and there is little interaction between the two.

The game offers some new and original playing modes. Season Mode adds a welcome twist to the tired championship option. Not only do you play the games, but you choose and design your manager in a ‘create-a-…’ style menu. You then take orders from the owner of the club. His demands vary from match to match - from scoring two goals to keeping certain players on the pitch. But failure to meet his requests results in players being sold, or your swift removal as manager. This is a great new way to introduce an unpredictable structure to the very linear championship mode seen on almost all other games.

Sometimes these objectives can be overly demanding, resulting in objects being thrown at the TV screen. And they can detract from the actual football, but overall this is an extremely innovative feature and a major selling point of the game.

For a (no less riotous) variation, ‘situation mode’ thrusts you into difficult moments of famous matches. Although this has been seen in much earlier games, it makes a welcome change from the norm.

Tags: Gaming PC games Sports games EA

UEFA Champions League 2005 - PC originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 15 Apr 2005 07:49:15 +0100

The release of Shadow of Rome comes a few years late, you might think, in the wake of Ridley Scott’s epic film ‘Gladiator’. Now there’s been time for Gladiator fever to subside, get ready to wield your own gladius. Shadow of Rome is set in the ancient pre-Christian Roman Empire, and follows the series of events after Julius Caesar’s death. Although not historically accurate, the storyline is engaging and believable, carefully weaving information gathered from the two main characters as the game develops.

Those two character paths see two styles of gameplay. You simultaneously play Agrippa, a ruthless centurion who is forced to become a Gladiator when his father is accused wrongly of murdering Caesar, and Octavianus, Caesar’s nephew, who suspects that Agrippa’s father has been framed. Agrippa provides the enthralling and gory battles, while Octavious gives stealth sequences.

The battle scenes are extremely graphic, gory and entertaining - by far the more compelling half of the game. There is a wide range of weapons - from axes, maces and swords to a bow and arrow. Each weapon has a variety of moves, and almost all can be thrown.

Unfortunately all weapons and armour break after some use and force you to search around for alternative tools. Although this sounds tedious, it adds another dimension to the battle, breaking up the continuous fighting. No two battles are ever the same because of many different styles (mêlée, one-on-one, fighting in chariots), opponents (wild animals, barbarians, other gladiators) and fighting methods (various weapon moves and wrestling moves). A variety of realistic sound effects and apt music add to the overall realism of the game.

In between Agrippa’s bloody combat sequences, Octavianus, a weedy, skinny character creeps around Rome, eavesdropping, spying and generally fishing out information on who really killed Caesar. These stealth whodunnit sections bring the pace of the game to a grinding halt. Octavianus spends a great deal of time hiding round corners and waiting for people to look the other way. If caught, it takes just one blow to kill Octavianus, and so the level has to be restarted. This results in a repetitive, dull and tedious gameplay. In between the original and exciting fight sequences, Octavianus’s sections seem just like time fillers. But they do provide a welcome break to the mentally exhausting battles and have some comic value, as one of Octavianus’ only weapons is a banana skin. Overall, though, Octavianus’ sections let the game down, turning what would have been a great game into an ‘OK’ one.

Tags: Gaming PS2 Capcom

Shadows of Rome - PS2 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 18 Feb 2005 06:36:29 +0000

The first two Suikoden games in the series laid the foundations for a landmark third instalment. Konami could then have built on the success of this triumph in the fourth edition. The newest game however appears to be a slight step backwards in the series, with a few irritating quirks and in my opinion, defects.

This game is set more than 100 years before the previous titles in the series. You play a young knight trainee, whom you name. Despite being the main character, you are completely silent. This is a factor carried through from the 2D Suikoden games although now this game is in 3D, and all major characters are voiced, it does not work as well and breaks any sense of realism.

Having just graduated as a Knight, the main character bumps into a pirate who happens to have the Rune of Punishment - a magical weapon that slowly drains the life of its user when deployed. Through a run of bad luck, the rune becomes grafted into the hand of our young Knight. As the game progresses, the dark secrets of the rune are revealed while you simultaneously attempt to guard your nation against an impending war.

As with many RPGs, much of the interesting gameplay consists of battles.
Battles take place at sea, in ships, or on land. Naval battles are entertaining - closely resembling a 'Battleships' style of combat. The battles on land however are somewhat tiresome. They consist of a maximum of four people, two on each side, taking turns in making a move. For some reason, the number of participants has been reduced from a true battle-like six to a measly brawl-like four. During a battle, a number of different fighting styles can be deployed such as team attacks and the use of runes. These skirmishes are entertaining for a short while, but as a result of their sometimes- unrelenting frequency they soon become a serious annoyance, and slow down an already slow pace, considerably.

The gameplay stays slow despite a fast running plot. This is because of the numerous interruptions for a battle, each of which takes at least 30 seconds and the combination of a slow character having to transverse an overly large map. The main new feature that slows down the game is travelling by ship. Because the map is a network of islands, one must travel by ship to access them. It is unfortunate therefore that the ships move about as fast as a three-legged tortoise looking to have a nap. Travelling from one island to another can take up to 20 minutes. As if that's not bad enough, when you approach too fast on arrival, you can be turned round and pushed back out to sea.

The map is extensive, and features some good 3D scenery. The landscapes do not attempt to be extremely detailed, or photorealist, but they nevertheless provide interesting and believable backdrops to the game. The music attempts to unobtrusive, but due to its repetitive nature like the battles, soon becomes wearing.

Tags: Gaming PS2 RPG Konami

Suikoden IV - PS2 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 11 Feb 2005 08:55:03 +0000

Point and click strategy games don’t all have to be set is a land that looks like the ‘Shire’ from the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. But can Cops 2170 manage do break away from the pack? We take a look and find out.

The latest offering from the MIST land and Strategy First partnership is Cops 2170: Power of Law. It keeps up the high standard in strategy/adventure genre with challenging missions and deep, detailed graphics. Those who want a good combat based strategy game which is not set somewhere that looks like the Shire from ‘Lord of the Rings need look no further.

You play Kati - a young police officer fresh out of police training. Despite stating in the opening cut scene that she “was the best in the academy”, she isn’t too much of a goody-goody. The game is set in the future when every human being has a microchip embedded under the skin so the Government can keep track of everyone - the nanny state gone mad (2170? Sounds more like 2005…). Missions take place in an urban environment, beautifully depicted in 3D graphics with tall skyscrapers and hovering cars. True to life, this metropolis is split into wealthy regions, and somewhat more down-at-heal districts, all of which Kati ventures into in the name of the law. Roaming around however is somewhat restricted by the real time speed of the game, so missions and battles provide more entertaining game play.

Missions are engaging, ranging from controlling riots to taking on corrupt organisations. Each mission can be completed using a range of different strategies, and so the player is given various routes to finish the game. You control a team of up to eight squads of police officers. An extensive arsenal of over sixty weapons and other equipment are available to you, such as pistols, machine guns, rifles, exploding ammo and scanners. Weapons are unlocked as you climb in rank. In the battles, members of your team can be selected to complete certain actions, such as commanding tanks, moving forwards, and shooting. These actions use action points, and each cop has a limited number of action points. It is therefore a game, which requires thought before action, so as not to run out of points. The missions are challenging but entertaining. Completing them leads to promotion up through the ranks. If they do bore you however, there are 200 other quests to complete such as shooting ranges, and if the worst comes to the worst, almost all AI characters have something to say for themselves so you can always go and talk to them.

The main menu for the game is well set out with clear, large headings, and clever background images. The sound throughout the game is clear and realistic. Luckily there is no repetitive electronic dance music, which could so easily have been included into the futuristic setting. The game does lack a multiplayer function that is fast becoming a staple requirement on many strategy games.

Tags: Gaming PC games Dreamcatcher

Cops 2170 The Power Of the Law - PC originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 28 Jan 2005 11:17:57 +0000

Until now cheat discs have been for the lazy and for those with too much spare cash. They crashed your console and deleted your game saves. Xploder V5 however is revolutionary. It does not freeze and it does not corrupt - and more importantly the cheats actually work. It unlocks secret characters, vehicles, weapons and enables infinite health/ armour and ammo to name but a few. And as if that was not enough it comes with a load of extra features, which are almost as useful as the cheats themselves.

For your money, you receive one disc in a fancy metal tin and a thick instruction booklet. Surprisingly, and unlike most, the booklet is intelligible and useful. The disc contains cheats for 600 games, but a limitless number of cheats and game saves can be downloaded off the Xploder website. These are accessed through a network adapter, so your PS2 has to be network-enabled to release the disc’s full capabilities. Cheats can also be downloaded through a USB cable, an X-link cable or, if you do not have access to the internet, cheats can be entered manually although this is very time consuming. Connecting to the site and downloading cheats is easy and extremely useful - cheats for new games are quickly available and are constantly being updated which means the Xploder will never go out of date. Hundreds of cheats are available per game - many more than there are the punch-in codes available for free on the internet.

Loading a cheat is very simple. Once a game has been chosen, the available cheats are sorted into categories for quick accessibility. One slight annoyance is that only one cheat per category can be accessed at once. Luckily there are many categories and so having to choose between cheats does not happen often. Despite using multiple cheats on a numerous games the PS2 did not crash or falter at all.

Xploder also includes a game accelerator, USB keyboard driver and a memory card manager. The accelerator speeds up loading times and game play by up to 20% but did not work with all the games it was tested on. The USB keyboard function is useful for those who feel more at home in front of a monitor than a gamepad and worked very well. It can also act as a second controller. The memory card manager compresses game files by up to 10x and so saves having to buy another overpriced card. Game saves can be moved onto a removable USB storage device such as a pen drive or a memory card reader. This is extremely useful for making copies of game files.

The Xploder makes use of the PS2’s USB ports further by including an MP3 player, which displays ID3 tags along with very good visualisations. There is also a picture viewer (either JPEG or BMP) and a video player (MPEG 1 and MPEG 2) both of which worked faultlessly with both a pen drive and an XD card reader. A USB CD drive could also be used.

The DVD region free function enables DVDs from all over the world to be viewed on the PS2. This also worked flawlessly but unfortunately the region-free function has to be loaded each time it is required.

Tags: Gaming PS2 Fire International

Xploder Cheat System V5 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 07 Jan 2005 07:27:24 +0000

After recent console releases such as Halo 2 and GTA: San Andreas, similar games may have been expected on PC. Instead, Everquest II is released. To some this will be great news and mean hours on the PC raising their ‘disease resistance’. To others it will be a signal that while the consoles zoom ahead and produce ever more high tech and amazing games, the PC side of the market is regressing. Everquest II however manages to mix high-tech technology with its old style of gameplay.

Everquest is an online RPG game in which you live in the fictional land of Norrath. It is not necessary to have played the first game to understand this one. There is a subscription to pay per month to play the game, which may put some people off from the start. But the limited edition game comes with a 30-day free subscription included. There are some new features - most notably the ability to customise your player’s appearance, with hundreds of characters to choose, from Ogre to Elf. Characters’ strengths and attributes are determined by gameplay, and so cannot be chosen. There is also a helpful compass onscreen to aid direction.

Gameplay is rather odd. It seems to involve such tasks as paying rent and doing work (dictated by your chosen profession), which I wouldn’t have immediately chosen to put in a video game. But it is surprisingly satisfying to do a good job and in turn be promoted. Daily chores aside, you can bide your time slaying creatures that are likely to annoy you while you are working.

Combat is fun, but can soon become repetitive. The idea of being able to battle other players online is still a continuous matter - after all no company wants anyone to kill off its subscribers - and so for the time being at least, it is not possible to have one-on-one combat with another player.

Because of this you have to question the aim of the game? Life can be mundane enough without repeating that in a game (in spite of the success of the Sims series). The purpose appeared to be to rise to the top of your profession and become resistant to the elements. These stats could have been used in combat with another player, but they seem to be little more than trophies.

The graphics are amazing, which was only to be expected. There are amazing sweeps of scenery as well as detailed interiors. There are however exceptionally long loading pauses at the beginning of a game, at the end of a game, and throughout. Despite having the required operating specifications and 512K broadband, I experienced frequent freezing and jumping.

Tags: Gaming PC games FPS Ubisoft

EverQuest II (2) - PC originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 31 Dec 2004 07:30:02 +0000

I remember the very first time I played a WWE (formerly WWF) wrestling game. It was great fun - chairs could be used as weapons, you could create your own wrestler and the fight could continue into a changing room backstage. That was on the Nintendo 64, and was back in the 90s. After playing Smackdown vs. Raw on PS2 however, my memory of a golden era on the N64 has been somewhat tarnished. I realise that what I was playing then, was pants, and what I am playing now, is actually great fun.

Since my first encounter with the genre, the games have been churned out at a rate of about one a year - each with minor improvements on the last. This instalment however seems to have fewer enhancements than the rest - a full range of wrestler and commentator voices and the reintroduction of the Pay Per View mode are two of the notable improvements. One very good feature is the inclusion of ‘mini games’ already seen throughout other game genres and they help vary the gameplay - which can become slightly monotonous.

The gameplay is good. The beginning entrances of the wrestlers feature their theme music accompanied by short clip of an actual match. The actions and realism of the crowd have been improved, as have the wrestlers. As opposed to looking like 3D hexagons and polygons like former games, they take on a more human form with improved textures and shapes. This can be most clearly seen in the ‘Create a wrestler’ mode. This function is one of the most entertaining modes on the game due to its intricate detail. There are hundreds of cloths, body piercing and tattoos to choose. You also have the ability too choose the colour, height, and overall physique of your wrestler down to the exact width of his hands.

After your wrestler has been created (it can be an androgynous being consisting of women’s hair and clothing on a 6ft Terminator look-alike) you can then go and show it off to people all over Europe. Smackdown vs. Raw is the first wrestling game that uses Sony’s Net Play function. There if very little communication between your rival in the ring, but it is a lot more fun than playing against the computer. A slight delay in the internet connection can cause disaster however, as I experienced when on the verge of victory.

The menu is well set out and easy to use. The music is good at first, but soon becomes infuriating. The makers of the game assume that because you bought a wrestling game you must love hard, heavy, loud, screaming-right-in-your-ear rock music. This admittedly fits well with the game, but for those of a sensitive disposition our advice is to find the options menu - fast.

Tags: Gaming PS2 Sports games THQ

WWE Smackdown vs. Raw - PS2 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 17 Dec 2004 08:07:47 +0000

The Myst series has dominated the ‘when-is-this-going-to-end-adventure’ genre for over a decade, and the fourth incarnation has just been released. However, during those eleven years, the gaming world has changed - GTA came out, then Goldeneye took over on consoles, and people generally stopped playing mathematical puzzles on their PCs. Nevertheless, gaming evolution has taken a step back thanks to Ubisoft and the all-girl team that developed the latest version, those puzzles are back.

Myst IV continues the story from the previous three games, but it is not essential to have played them to follow this. There is a strong narrative so it is crucial not to go off and make a phone call during the cut scenes, which take up most of the game - and my hard drive. For the full install, Myst IV will eat into your computer’s hard disk taking 8GB and equalling Uureal Tournament 2004 plus expansion packs. However, like UT 2004, it’s worth it - the graphics are fantastic and really take you out of your living room and into a different world. Water effects are very realistic as are birds, and all surfaces seem 3D - you soon realise why it all takes 8GB.

The game uses advanced animation techniques to seamlessly place real actors into a computer-generated world. The music is great - fitting to each scene and has been clearly thought out. The sound effects are very clever - depending to the direction you are looking when being spoken to, you hear a voice talking out of one speaker, the other, or both, at varying degrees. This creates a kind of surround sound effect and really does add to the realism greatly.

Tags: Gaming PC games Ubisoft

Myst IV Revelation originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 26 Nov 2004 15:27:54 +0000

This year has been littered with Rally games and entering into the heated race is World Rally Championship 4. Judging by its predecessor’s success, this fourth incarnation in the successful racing series should be a great game - but does it lives up to expectations?

In WRC 3, the learning curve wasn’t exactly steep - it was more like a vertical line. This has been greatly reduced whilst keeping the game challenging. The controls are well thought out and effectively placed - the ‘brake’ button is situated next to accelerator. Braking is still a matter of finding a precise balance - brake too much and you skid, brake too little and you crash. However you quickly get used to it and it does not impede game play for long.

The handling of the cars has been greatly improved. WRC has always been good at creating large panoramic scenery to drive through, but the driving itself was never very realistic - more like floating on a hovercraft. Now, however, all that has changed, and a car going at 130MPH seems like a car going at 130MPH - extremely fast. Other realistic features have been included such as cars, which sometimes strain to get up hills, and if you drive for too long on the wrong surface, you’ll get a puncture. It’s infuriating to damage your gearbox when only half way through a long stage.

The graphics in the last game did not seem capable of improvement, but somehow they have been. The cars are now very realistic and look excellent - they get dusty, muddy, and snowy in different terrain and the car changes with damage. Scenery has always been WRC’s strong point and it also is better - the expansive panoramas are more detailed and picturesque than ever. There are a variety of tracks to drive on including gravel, snow, asphalt, and mountain villages. One aspect of the graphics which have not been improved, though, are the spectators: they still appear to be made out of cardboard - although in this game the cardboard moves slightly, it’s still a bit disappointing in the realism stakes.

One great feature is that all the drivers and races from this year’s World Rally appear on the game, along side the actual teams, and the actual drivers. Overall there are 16 race locations spanning 5 continents. Anyone who follows the Rally therefore will be able to mirror the races in the actual competition. There’s a wide selection of cars, each with a different driver and co-driver, who helpfully lets you know when a sharp corner is coming up. The main menu is slick, with all the usual modes - time trial, multiplayer, championship etc.

Tags: Gaming PS2 Racing games Sony

WRC 04 - PS2 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Sun, 14 Nov 2004 15:10:21 +0000

The Pro Evolution Soccer series has always been on the list of fantastic football games alongside FIFA, however never really had the goods to beat it with fans of the latter always claiming it’s more realistic, has better graphics and overall improved gameplay.

But with the release of Pro Evolution Soccer 4 all old lists may well have to be thrown out of the window.

In the past, football games have been entertaining for the first few weeks while certain moves are yet to be perfected. But once you have discovered all the ways to foul someone and all the ways to score it soon dawns on you that you are in fact playing football with a small, black box - and that’s when you switch off and change back to GTA.

So far the feeling of boredom, or completion for that matter hasn’t entered our minds with PES4. Computer AI is now superb, with players making sensible moves and then returning to their positions, which in turn generates a much smoother game play, adding to the overall realism.

Graphics are considerably better than those seen in PES 3, and the menu screen, which is now much simpler and easier to use, makes for quick access to the section you want to play.

It’s not all good however. The music in the game is incredibly annoying - a kind of mindless electronic pop on a continuous loop which I ended up turning off. More team licences have been gained enabling real teams to appear in championships, but PES 4 is low on its numbers of licences, which means that clubs such as North East London Club still appear rather than West Ham United. It is possible to change the names of clubs and players however if you really must have the authenticity.

Passing and general ball control has also been improved - the controls are slicker and more natural compared with previous versions and the learning curve greatly reduced. It is possible due to these improvements to become completely engrossed in the game as it realistically replicates a football match and its random nature - along with shock deflections and last-minute winners.

Tags: Gaming PS2 Sports games Konami

Pro Evolution Soccer 4 - PS2 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 01 Nov 2004 16:52:26 +0000

Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising is the newest in the ‘war zone first-person shooter’ genre attempting to beat the stiff competition of Battlefield Vietnam and Battlefield 1942. These are hard acts to follow. It’s hard to imagine a game capable of integrating vehicles and players into a map and create multiplayer magic in the way these forerunners have. But with its new and innovative functions, Joint Operations manages to pull that off.

The game is set in Indonesia, with over 52km² of maps to fight in and explore. Inevitably this means slow loading times and a slight reduction in graphics quality but the price paid for new terrain each time you play is worth paying. The landscape, which varies from flat planes to hilly banks and built up villages, never repeats itself. There are 4x4s, lorries, and armoured vehicles - useful for travelling the many long and tedious distances. These are fun to drive and can also transport your fellow team-mates in multiplayer games. However 4x4s find it hard going through shallow water - so hard, in fact that they stop altogether - not exactly what you would expect from an apparently robust, military vehicle.

However, You’re not tied to the land. You can fly in a variety of helicopters and a selection of boats from dinghies to destroyers. These are easy to control but are limited to two poor camera angles, often with a large amount of the screen blocked by pretend control panels and dashboards. Once again, this can be forgiven, thanks to the sheer range of vehicles.

In addition, there’s a large choice of real weapons. At armouries you can stock up on ammo, multiple guns, grenades and other explosives. This gives you the power to customise those weapons you want to carry to suit your fighting style - a useful function as the heavier weapons impede your speed. There is such a large choice in all that there are specific missions to learn how to use them.

Single-player missions have all but been abolished - there are thirteen training missions to learn how to drive land, sea and air vehicles, how to use sniper rifles and other weapons, and how to perform basic attacks. But this is all that is available to the antisocial gamer. Joint Operations truly comes alive during the multiplayer function.

The multiplayer function is possible privately over a LAN connection, or by using the NovaWorld network. Gone are the days when online multiplayer games were limited to 50 players - now up to 150 people can now take place in a Team Death Match or Capture the Flag. This is a fantastic experience but is not unfortunately without its faults.

Unless playing on an absolutely top of the range PC, juddering and static screens are inevitable during large and frantic battles, and we found often ruined the experience. Also, sniper rifles are a menace in multiplayer games as they have an absurdly long range - it is possible to be shot down over and over again less than a second after being respawned, from an invisible and therefore invincible hitman.

Tags: Gaming PC games FPS Novalogic

Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising - PC originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 12 Oct 2004 11:23:05 +0100