Release Archives: WEEK OF APRIL 5, 20054.05.2005 Doom 3 *Game of the Week* Developer: Vicarious Visions Publisher: Activision System: Xbox Price: $50 Despite being the sequel to the grand daddy of first person shooters, Doom 3 disappointed as many people as it satisfied last year. It may be the first game in existence that pushed graphics further than they had ever been but didn't actually allow players to see them. Don't be fooled by screenshots showing enemies or your surroundings - this is a dark game. And it looks like everything that made the game both terrifying for some and unplayable for others has made the conversion to the Xbox. If the idea of stumbling around in the dark shooting blindly at approaching demons doesn't appeal to you, you should avoid this one at all costs. The main reason this is getting my nod for Game of the Week is the promise of an excellent cooperative mode. While much of the experience will be standard first person shooter teamwork - twice as many bullets means twice as much death - there are portions of this game which rely entirely on working together. One player gets a flashlight and the other is in charge of destroying the demons. If Resident Evil 4 left you wanting even more bowel quaking moments, look no farther than the darkest game ever made. Lego Star Wars: The Video Game Developer: Traveller's Tales Publisher: Giant Interactive Entertainment Systems: Xbox/PS2/GC/GBA Price: $40 Now here is a title to get excited about. It's a third person action game where everything - from the vehicles to the characters and the backgrounds - are made out of Lego pieces. Sounds pretty amazing, right? If that didn't sell you on the title check this out: there's a two player cooperative mode as well. And while you do have to play through the new trilogy rather than the good one, you have a ton of different characters at your control. This means you have the choice of taking an all powerful Jedi suck as Qui Gon or Yoda into battle, or the completely helpless Jar Jar Binks. There are two things that could turn you off this title, though. First, a lot of the action is simply trying to figure out which member of your party is most adept at finishing a puzzle. Also, this is geared towards younger gamers so it's pretty easy and the combat system isn't too complex. However, with a ton of unlockable secrets and a two player cooperative mode this should be fun for anyone who enjoys Star Wars. Rise of the Kasai Developer: Bottlerocket Publisher: Sony System: PS2 Price: $40 Rise of the Kasai is a game that is much easier to talk about what isn't included rather than what's new. A few months ago Sony announced that the online mode as well as cooperative play had been scrapped. This immediately pushed this from a must play to just another action title. However, while its two most noteworthy improvements have been left on the cutting room floor there is still a solid game remaining. This is the sequel to Mark of Kri so expect plenty of violence and a fantastic fighting system. The combat works like so - you can "tab" nearby enemies using the right thumbstick. This places one of four button icons over their heads. Then you can attack which ever enemy is most a threat to you regardless of their position. What is new in this version is the addition of a teammate to help you through levels. Using a system similar to Sly Cooper, each member of your party has a special ability. If you enjoyed Mark of Kri there's no reason you won't like this, I just would have liked a few more improvements. - Tom |
