Release Archives: WEEK OF MARCH 1, 20053.01.2005 Devil May Cry 3 *Game of the Week* Dev. Capcom Pub. Capcom MSRP: $49.99 Systems: PS2 I can't think of another sequel that was more ill-received than Devil May Cry 2. It received universally bad to mediocre reviews, and was all but ignored by the gaming public. The 'cool' factor that had been established in the first game seemed to have disappeared completely, and the satisfyingly challenging difficulty had been watered down. With that said, DMC3 is a wonderful return to form in every regard. The fast, deep and intrinsically badass combat is about as good as it gets in action games, and it brings with it multiple fighting styles and a new level of environmental interaction. Awesome cutscenes, massive bosses, upgradable weapons - natch. If you're only planning on buying one action game this month, it should probably be the upcoming God of War, but you could do a whole hell (*bites knuckle*) of a lot worse than DMC3. Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 Dev. Gearbox Software Pub. Ubisoft MSRP: $49.99 Systems: XBX (PS2 two weeks later) Destined to release all of their best games before the inevitable EA buyout, Ubisoft has turned into a phenomenal developer/publisher in the last year or two. They revived old series to new heights of greatness (the Prince of Persia games), created wondrous new ones (Beyond Good & Evil), and even threw in an impressive stealth game or two (Splinter Cell series). They're now looking to create the defining World War II game with Brothers in Arms, and from what I've seen so far, they might have done it. It's as authentic as you'd expect, with requisite great graphics (not to mention beautifully soft lighting) and sound to boot. What this brings to the table is the camaraderie of war, the bond between a small unit of soldiers through thick and thin. I usually wouldn't be interested in such a seemingly cliche idea, but Gearbox has done it with a grace and sincerity I wouldn't have thought possible. Add cool aerial planning, solid FPS action and some online multiplayer, and you should definitely consider enlisting. Fight Night Round 2 Dev. EA Pub. EA MSRP: $49.99 Systems: PS2, GC, XBX Fight Night 2004 was a bit of a shocker - not only was it the first boxing game ever that actually felt like boxing, it was good enough to appeal to, well, me. And I have absolutely no interest in the sport. Round 2 delivers what a sequel should - further refined dual-analog control, even better player models and knockout graphics, a sickeningly cool wound doctor mini-game and complete player influence through various training modes. The glossy EA 'street' touch is still a bit pervasive and unprofessional, but the gameplay is solid. A must-have for any boxing fan, and a solid rental for pretty much anyone else. Star Wars: Republic Commando Dev. Lucasarts Pub. Lucasarts MSRP: $49.99 Systems: XBX Star Wars been been pretty hit-or-miss in every videogame genre thus far, the low point being fighting games (Masters of Teras Kasi), the best one an RPG (Knights of the Old Republic). First Person Shooters have treated it well for the most part, and this game appears to continue that tradition of good-but-not-great. Well, Dark Forces was great, but that was like a decade ago. Anyhow, this one has you playing as a stormtrooper-lookin' dude, controlling a group of other stormtrooper-lookin' dudes to do a lot of your dirty work. It's a fairly unique game mechanic that works well in this universe. As does the visor you see through, which serves as your HUB and adds a lot of visual atmosphere to the game. It should also be noted that the tone is decidedly darker than most other Star Wars games, with little humor and plenty of creepily shadowed areas. I can't recommend it on it's own merits considering there are so many other great FPSes out there, but for any fan of the series it's certainly something worth looking into. Tekken 5 Dev. Namco Pub. Namco MSRP: $49.99 Systems: PS2 The Tekken series has lost much of it's luster since the third iteration - Tag Tournament was pretty much more of the same, and Tekken 4 was pretty much just bad. So it's a bit of a surprise that they haven't changed too much for this newest chapter in the still popular series. It definitely seems more polished than the missteps I mentioned though, and will surely please fighting fans looking for a whole new set of combos and reversals to learn. It's a shame that fighting games have evolved so little in the last ten years; Soul Caliber sits at the top of a very short list of great ones, with nary a challenger in sight, and it's been that way far too long. Hopefully the next generation of brawlers will be a bit more creative - as it stands, Tekken 5 is a good fighting game, and no more than that. - Nick |
