Game Reviews.

[Taxigirl]

King Of Route 66 - (PS2)

DEVELOPER: Sega
FORMAT: PS2
GENRE: Action Racer

Wanna Keep On Truckin'? No, Us Neither But The Kicks On Route 66 Will Be Fun, For A While

The last time anyone was interested in being a lorry driver was in the 70s when Convoy hit the screen. Nowadays trucking is all about fry ups, falling asleep at the wheel and driving as fast as you can so you can finish the job and find out who was keeping your wife warm at night while you were away. The only thing fashionable about is the trailer trash caps.
So it's with some surprise that King Of Route 66 is trying to make a revival of trucking as a cool pastime. Admittedly a success in the arcades, the game is always going to struggle to match the success of its coin-guzzling cousin. It was impossible miss the game on your local pier as it had one of the biggest machines of all time - nearly a whole lorry parked next to the pinball machines. At two quid a go it wasn't the best value for money as the acceleration of your truck just couldn't match the pull of a Ferrari. That said, the game had some nice ideas and was fun for a while.

Which pretty much sums up the home edition. Driving against the clock, in a series of challenges, the aim is to be the best trucker and put the evil Tornado Corporation out of business. Strike a blow for the independent businessman? Yeah, we can get down with that brother! Unfortunately the whole thing plays like Crazy Taxi in slow motion. The various mini games that are extra to the arcade machine come on like a mix of the Crazy Box section of Taxi and Super Monkey Ball without the finesse or cute humour. There are also straight races and even split screen two player action, that should keep things interesting for a while.

But although the game looks pretty good and sounds authentic, the longevity falls on the principle that made the arcade version a success. It's easy to pick up but the gameplay has no real progression. It's also too easy and if you can be bothered you'll have the game finished before the end of the night - no drive thru coffee required. When we want a taste of the open road, truckin' style, we'll grab a Yorkie. It that a big 10-4? Rating = 6-10.




Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Xbox)

PUBLISHER: LucasArts
FORMAT: Xbox
GENRE: RPG


Set 4000 years before the events in the films, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is a RPG (role-playing game) of the finest pedigree. Both in plot and characterisation there is nothing to touch this on any games console.
Starting out controlling a single character, the game lets you build up a team that can take on the evil Sith. Or, in fact, join them, but more on that later. Using the time-honoured function of "levelling up" - done by killing baddies and solving puzzles - players can customise their characters to a ridiculous degree. Want to boost those persuasion powers, while upgrading those droid repair skills? No problem, but these aren't your only choices to make. Everything you do has an impact on your Force rating. For example, what do you do if you see a defenceless alien getting attacked? Do you help out, or move on? The decisions you make really affect your character. Merciless killing and antagonising the locals mean you'll veer towards the dark side. This affects your appearance and the powers that you learn, and means that playing through the game again as a "good" Jedi is a viable and worthwhile endeavour.

The downsides? The graphics are a bit patchy, especially the recurring character models, and there is some appalling slowdown in places. The loading times will test the patience of the most noble Jedi, and the AI of your team-mates can be erratic as they block your path to combat. Also, the slow start and measured pace means fans of a quick blast will be disappointed. But you get out what you put in and KOTOR is the game of the year so far. Rating 10-10.

[Taxigirl]

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 - (All)

DEVELOPER: EA
FORMAT: All
GENRE: Sport

Has The Biggest Name In Golf Earned His Stripes In The Latest Edition Of This Series, Or Is This Just EA Coasting For Another Forty Quid From The Pocket Of Your Plus Fours?



It's a funny old game golf. No, not in the football sense of anything could happen, but strange in that although very few youths would be seen dead on the fairways, they're quite happy to spend hours with the curtains drawn hitting a group of white pixels across the screen. Speaking from experience, anything that involves knocking a ball further than the other end of a crazy golf green is a license to lose your rag - but stick us in front of Mario Golf and we won't quit until our thumbs drop off. Hey, we even got addicted to Leaderboard - and we were only eleven years old when that hit the Commodore 64.
So we're quite ready to take on the Tiger at his own game - in fact we've rather enjoyed the past editions. A fairly polished version of a format that never really changes that much, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 has done the job on many a hangover challenged Sunday morning. As ambient gaming goes, there's a lot to recommend it.

So it comes as a slight disappointment - but not a huge shock - to find that EA haven't really put much effort into improving this version of the game. True, there are a few more courses - seven to be precise - but many of the little niggles that stopped the game being as first class as the sportsman haven't been ironed out. Problems? A poor camera, which makes one of the few unique features of the game (post-strike spin control) more random than it should be, is the biggest hurdle that should have been nailed in the first meeting after everyone got back off their holidays. The graphics too are starting to look a little cartoony, with their lack of detail. Also the putting suffers from having no idea of measurement to let you judge your shot. As much as we love maths, we have to remember that we're playing a game.

But when push comes to shove we really like this game. Why? It's just so easy to play. Great controls, sarcastic commentary, a mode where you play for each other's clubs (making each hole more difficult)...Everything is so gently right with TWPGAT 2004. But when it comes down to it EA could make this game better than it is, and that really takes our enjoyment down a little. If you like the serious setting of a golf sim pick this up, but those who want a gentle laugh with their mates after a night on the sauce might find it's worth waiting for Mario Golf 2 - a game that's trying to be the best it can. Rating = 7-10.





Rugby 2004 - (PS2,PC)

DEVELOPER: HB Studios
FORMAT: PS2,PC
GENRE: Sport

Scrum Down And Get Ready For Rucks - It's Time To Give Rugby 2004 A Try.



Rugby is a popular sport. We would hazard a guess that there are more nations around the world that prefer rugby to the likes of American football or baseball. So why then, whilst the likes of Madden and Co achieve both critical acclaim and commercial success, has Rugby never really made it into the videogame mainstream?
Quite possibly because most of the rugby games we've played have been slow stop/start affairs that lacked either the frantic pace or fluid gameplay of a pitch based sports title. Well, we think that's going to change with the release of Rugby 2004. In a similar vein to the FIFA franchise, EA has gone back to the drawing board to re-work the gameplay mechanics from the last game to offer a more arcade-like scenario.

The new emphasis is on running and tackling rather than scrumming and rucking with the focus firmly placed on passing and moving in order to keep the game flowing. For newbies there's a very competent training option that not only explains the rules but also how to get the best from the controls.

There's also a host of new options available that bring a new level of depth to the game including new international leagues, a franchise mode that lets you play through whole seasons enabling you to trade players in the transfer market and also the chance take your team on a tour and compete in loads of tournaments. There are 1500 players to choose from and all the characters have more vital statistics than a playboy pin-up; meaning key factors such as strength, speed and height play as tactical advantages during the game.

The gameplay is where it really matters though and this is where Rugby 2004 has scored a touchdown - so to speak. The on-pitch play seems much quicker with more focus on the attacking game. Passing is responsive and handled through an intuitive control system that isn't bogglingly sophisticated. Visually it's a notch above average but the players don't seem as detailed as in other EA Sports titles, and more work could be done on the graphics in general. But by and large Rugby 2004 highlights the best parts of the sport and as such pretty much stakes its claim as the definitive Rugby gaming title. If you're a fan of both then this one will be a worthy purchase. Rating = 8-10.

[Taxigirl]

Colin McRae 04 - (PS2, Xbox)

DEVELOPER: Codemasters
FORMAT: PS2, Xbox
GENRE: Driving

Codemasters Is Quick Off The Starting Block With This New Edition, But The Best Rally Series Just Got Better


Here we go again, another edition of a game that we stumped up our hard earned cash - well, the money our mum gave us - under a year ago. Are Codemasters having a laugh? We're still playing the last one, there's no reason to go begging to our mums for another 40 quid, is there? Well, yes actually. Colin is back and he's badder than ever, leaving clouds of dust to choke his competitors.
We love Mr McRae here at Tiscali Games, albeit in a respect/admiration way rather than wanting to look at him in frilly undergarments. Not only does he know his way around a steering wheel, but he disappoints even less on a console than he does on the rally track. His games have been consistently in the pole position of the genre and this year's edition is no different. It was going to take something special to make us put down CMR03 just as we were about to complete it, but the winning combination of Colin and Codemasters have done it again.

The two reasons that the series is the best are also the biggest improvements in CMR04 - looks and handling. The tracks now have more character than ever making every race seem like a new challenge. The dry stones of the Spanish course seem to have been placed one by one and when the dust settles on the American course the open country looks incredible. And the cars! More detailed, with rounded edges that shimmer in the light, they look stunning - even the Transit Van and the 2CV. That's right - CMR04 has a new host of novelty cars to poleaxe straight into the nearest tree.

Every now and again the game seems to be getting stuck in a rut, but then it plays it's trump card: the light cycle races. That's right, at various parts of the story you'll need to jump on the most glamorous movie machine since the Millennium Falcon and engage in a ridiculously fast game of 3D snake. Anyone in their late twenties and early thirties will know how exciting this is, but prepare to fight through some frustration first as its not easy to win at these speeds.

But it's the handling that has us coming to this series again and again. Put in the effort and there's no better feeling of actually driving. More than ever the surface seems to work it's way from the graphics, through the physics engine, into the controller straight to your brain. The last edition by comparison felt like your car was tied to a bit of elastic wrapped around a tree. CMR04 is tougher, but it's completely fair. When you hit the ice in Sweden, or a patch of soggy mud in the UK, you know about it - and if you can't respond it's only down to your skills and reactions.

The big question we're asking now is whether the Colin McRae series can get any better. But we seem to remember asking that last year too. Just one request for Codemasters: can you give us a chance to finish this edition before dazzle us with the next? The race is on. Rating = 9-10.





Tron 2.0 - (PC)

DEVELOPER: Monolith
FORMAT: PC
GENRE: FPS

Trip The Light Fantastic For A FPS That Might Not Break Any New Ground But Is Just Like Playing The Classic Film



The main thing about Tron the sci-fi movie of the early 80s was that we wanted to live it. At a time when video games were the most exciting things on the planet - and sometimes still are - we just wanted to experience them from the inside out. And like Jeff Bridges (who had to strap down his old fella 'cos it made too big a bulge in his costume, fact fans) got pulled into a computer for the original film, we got sucked into this PC game.
Tron 2.0 is set twenty years after the movie and sees Alan Bradley looking at the world from the inside of a hard-drive again. This time it's up to his son Jet to go digital and save his binary butt. First things first, the game looks amazing. When the film originally came out it was a shockingly beautiful experience that only missed out on the special effects Oscar because using CGI was seen as 'cheating'. Monolith's First Person Shooter is just as dazzling. Full of the bright colours and crisp lines that we remember from Tron, the game looks exactly like the film - but your PC is going to have to be pumped right up to get all the detail.

The gameplay is fairly standard FPS stuff, and the AI isn't even that impressive. So why get so excited about it? Tron is full of nice little touches that don't so much change the gameplay as give it some nice twists. Rummaging through archive bins means you'll find subroutines and upgrades to your programs which will allow you to improve your performance with higher jumping, virus protection, new weapons and decreased energy loss. The last one of these is important because using any weapon apart from your spinning disc drains important energy meaning you have to use them strategically.

Every now and again the game seems to be getting stuck in a rut, but then it plays it's trump card: the light cycle races. That's right, at various parts of the story you'll need to jump on the most glamorous movie machine since the Millennium Falcon and engage in a ridiculously fast game of 3D snake. Anyone in their late twenties and early thirties will know how exciting this is, but prepare to fight through some frustration first as its not easy to win at these speeds.

Although the film was an initial failure, the original arcade videogame based on it proved to be a tremendous hit and actually out-grossed the film. Tron 2.0 lets the legend live on in a breathtakingly beautiful experience that may not break any ground in terms gameplay but certainly holds its own. One of the only criticisms of the experience is that the primary colour look makes it a killer on the eyes. You'll have to put it down before you want to - and it's not often we say that these days. Rating = 8-10.

[Taxigirl]

Chaos Legion - (PS2)

DEVELOPER: Capcom
FORMAT: PS2
GENRE: Action

Capcom Run Out Of Ideas With This Mindless Hack 'n' Slash With Nothing To Recommend It



Here's the problem: magazines and sites like Tiscali Games are full of incredible looking titles but when you go down to the shop it's full of crap that you don't want to shell out your hard earned for. Why is that? Well one of the reasons is that so many games don't aim far enough above average. Chaos Legion is one of those games.
Admittedly it wasn't much of an idea in the first place (Devil May Cry vs Dynasty Warriors - Capcom must have had a heavy lunch that day), but Chaos Legion really under performs. A hack 'n' slash game that requires no particular skill, you can leave your brain to Zen-like emptiness as there are no strategic tactics for it to compute, and there's not even much of a story to engage you.

But we try to be positive here, so let's talk about the good things. A 'gothic opera', the game undoubtedly has some style of that period with flowing robes and imposing castles, while the impenetrable plot certainly reminds us of every opera we're ever been to, which to be honest isn't many. If you like running around with a big sword you'll be in heaven, and there are loads of enemies to hack down. Its here that Chaos Legion's sole point of difference comes in. If it all gets too much for you - and it will, one way or another - you can call on some of the allies you've made on the way to fight by your side.

If you want a game that's one level up in complexity from Space Invaders then Chaos Legion is for you. Unfortunately we want a bit more though for our forty quid these days, and maybe, heaven forbid, some gameplay that we can't get better elsewhere. Chaos Legion isn't the worst game around by a long way, but we can't think of one reason to recommend it to a serious gamer. If you like this sort of thing maybe go for its spiritual parents, Devil May Cry or Dynasty Warriors - but there are legions of games like this around. Rating = 5-10.




Republic: The Revolution - (PC)

DEVELOPER: Elixir
FORMAT: PC
GENRE: Strategy

Long Awaited Strategy Game May Well Bring A Revolution With An Incredible Immersive Real World To Control


If you're finding Pokemon a bit taxing you might want to give Republic: The Revolution a miss, but if you're looking for an intelligent gaming experience you have never had before, sign up now - the rebellion against dull strategy games starts here.
From the studio of Black And White comes a game that deserves to blow the strategy genre apart, or at least inject some new energy into it. Republic: The Revolution, which has been in production for five long years, sees you trying to overturn a dictator who has come to power in Novistrana - a new country born from the break up of the USSR. So, guns, assassinations and corruption then? No, not really - we're talking more about leaflet campaigns and gaining the support of those towns members who can help you. Does that sound boring? Well, it's anything but, with the freedom to put together your revolution in the way you think is best. That's not to say that you'll be left with option paralysis - unable to know where to start in the large game area. Republic guides you through the process with tasks to complete and people to sign up to the cause.

But with the morals of Bush, Blair and Mugabe on show every night on TV, turning to the dark side might seem the best thing to do to get quick results. Persuading the local hoods to join your cause means that you can get them to put the squeeze on people if you're not getting results. Just remember, every choice has an affect on the game, and playing the tough guy could get you into trouble. It might seem better to recruit the students to put up some posters, but that could give slower progress. The morality is yours.

Before we go any further you should be warned: Republic is a very expensive game. In addition to the 40 odd quid that you'll have to extract from you wallet there's also going to be a face-whitening trip to the computer shop. That's right, chances are the game isn't going to run very smoothly unless you've got the kind of computer that lets you launch nuclear missiles. But if you've got the technology here's a game to really show it off.

Although the graphics aren't quite as impressive as we thought they were going to be from the previews, they'll still knock the socks off your average strategy fan. Zooming in on the city shows it in incredible detail with all the occupants going about their daily business from going to work to popping to the supermarket to get some grub. But it's the freedom that really excites in this much anticipated title. By now we've grown used to the Command And Conquer style strategy games, so we think we know what the genre all about. Well, Republic blows that idea right out of the water. Games like Rise Of Nations are all about grinding down the enemy with persistent attacks. That doesn't really seem like strategy when put next to the real world dynamics of Republic. Of course that means it won't appeal to everyone.

This title has created a world to back up the new more lifelike graphics that games are producing every day. While it won't be to everybody's tastes, Republic might just start a revolution of its own. And that's quite a coup. Rating = 9-10.

[Taxigirl]

Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire (GBA/SP)

PUBLISHER: Nintendo
FORMAT: Game Boy Advance/SP
GENRE: RPG Collectathon



They are pretty clever those Nintendo lot. The summer holiday's mean parents are faced with a six week challenge to keep their kids occupied. Realising this, Nintendo have launched the latest Pokemon games - Ruby & Sapphire - for Game Boy Advance/SP. But will it entertain the kids and be the saviour of parents everywhere, or is the craze over?


Both Ruby and Sapphire are the first Pokemon games designed specifically for the GBA. The benefits of the improved technology are not immediately obvious, with the basic graphics only marginally improved. But the Pokemon games have always been addictive little blighters to play, and Ruby and Sapphire are no different. There are 200 new Pokemon here and your aim is to collect all the critters that you can. This is done by winning battles, exploring the vast environment and trading with people who own different versions of the game. There are unique Pokemon on both Ruby and Sapphire so access to both games is necessary to fully complete a set.

The core gameplay - collect Pokemon, train them and tactically choose how to use them in combat - is still surprisingly engrossing. The childish exterior, and playground image, do much to mask the depth of the games. This time round there are pageants and new side-quests, and a committed player could be gripped for months.

The move to the GBA has bought some benefits. Players can indulge in two-on-two battles and the audio and visual have been polished up, even though they are still underwhelming. And the dual-release marketing strategy - that encourages purchase of both games - is starting to wear thin. There are also signs that the craze has died down. But when it comes down to entertainment the Pokemon games are still hard to beat. Looks like the summer holiday's have been saved. Rating = 9-10.




Enter the Matrix

DEVELOPER: Shiny
FORMAT: PlayStation 2/Xbox
GENRE: Cool fighting/sci-fi


Despite the incessant psychobabble the gravity defying stunts made the Matrix movie a real hoot. Sensibly the videogame of the sequel keeps the action level pumped up and the conspiracy theories relatively muted. With a plot conceived by the Wachowski brothers - the team behind the films - this is certainly a pull for Matrix fans. Especially as players get to play out some scenes from the film. Then there is the hour's worth of extra footage filmed especially for the game. This includes all the actors from the film and will certainly help sell the game to the masses. It is also a signpost to future film/game tie-ins.
Oddly enough you don't actually play as Keanu (Neo) - perhaps he didn't want his digital representation to out act him? Instead players can choose between two additional characters - Ghost and Niobe - each with differing plot strands. For example, in the driving sections, playing as Ghost will involve lots of shooting while Niobe does the driving. But it's on foot where the real fun happens. Luckily pulling off the aerobic moves is easy. The simple controls let you kick, punch and pirouette with ease. Being cool as never been easier.

The slow-motion effects work particularly well, allowing you to dodge bullets and pirouette gracefully before clouting your opponent in the chops. The on-foot combat is interspersed with driving sections. Sadly these are relatively uninspired, with simplified controls. Depth is added by the hacking element. These sidegame lets you uncover in-game secrets and movie sequences. Complementing the visuals is a great orchestral soundtrack.

Enter the Matrix is a highly polished and is a great franchise product. The oversimplified gameplay - exemplified by the random nature of the combat - means this isn't a gaming classic. But with the hour of extra footage and a real crossover with the films, ETM is a must for fans. Rating = 7-10.