Release Archives: WEEK OF APRIL 26, 20054.26.2005 Area 51 *Game of the Week* Dev. Midway Pub. Midway MSRP: $49.99 Systems: PS2, XBX Forget the classic arcade alien shooter that still inhabits every movie theater worth it's salt - this is a brand-new bag of otherworldly tricks. And I'm glad they've delayed it's release as long as they have, because it really shows. It doesn't do anything too original, but it's polished to a shine and almost plays like a 'best-of' the genre. The enemies are cool and creepy, the weapons are big and violent, and the scripting, pacing, presentation and sly sense of humor is some of the best out there. It's got a handful of requisite online modes too, with a couple of cool innovations like levels that change their size depending on how many players are playing in them. In short, it's a great shooter that deserves all the praise it will get, as well as your money. Predator: Concrete Jungle Dev. Vivendi Pub. Universal MSRP: $39.99 Systems: PS2, XBX The Predator is easily one of the most badass fictional creatures ever created - so why have him punishing bootleggers in the 1930's? It's an odd setting for sure, and it's all they've really shown of the game thus far (the other half is set in 2030, which I can't imagine isn't better), which is never a good sign. There's all the requisite weapons - shoulder gun thingy, hand spike thingy, throwing spear thingy - and all of the abilities you'd expect (camouflage, thermal scan, etc.). So, in theory, this is an awesome game. But it's Vivendi behind the helm, so I'll go out on a limb here and say it ends up sucking, hard. Too bad, really; there aren't many other licenses as perfect for a videogame as this one. Raze's Hell Dev. Artech Studios Pub. Majesco MSRP: $19.99 Systems: XBX Adventure through twenty mission-based levels in this third-person shooter that pokes all sorts of violent fun at the 'kiddie' stereotype that many games. Destroy cutesy critters in a wide variety of equally gruesome manner, by yourself or with a pal in an always-welcome co-op mode. This is definitely one of the more under-the-radar releases recently, but it's looking like there's a lot of fun to be had for $20. Resident Evil Outbreak: File #2 Dev. Capcom Pub. Capcom MSRP: $49.99 Systems: PS2 It's not enough that Resident Evil 4 made every other survival-horror game immediately obsolete - oh no - Capcom has decided to yet again do us the disservice of not including voice chat in this "if you're not playing it online, don't bother" addition to the series. Actually, just don't bother at all. Sure, there's zombie elephants in a zombified zoo - and that would usually garner high praise around these parts - but the gameplay is roughly a decade old at this point. Solve basic puzzle, shoot lame creature, run for a bit, repeat. Have different characters work together to pass areas is a cool idea, but without any sort of intelligent implementation of it, it will remain as such - a cool idea. - Nick |
