Time Splitters 2Console: PlayStation 2Publisher: Eidos InteractiveHot: Multi-player gaming, fast pacedNot: Graphics could be betterScore: 0 0 011/42
Time Splitters 2 is a game where the main slogan should be "Run 'em up, run 'em up, shoot 'em!" For you folks that are familiar with the old Nintendo 64 game, Goldeneye, Time Splitters 2 should raise more than a few eyebrows, or in Nads' case, his super unibrow.
This game will be your friend in situations where you are by yourself, like most of our staff on a Friday night, and can be a potential party saver if you weren't thoughtful (or smart) enough to invite women to your lame party. Think multi-player. This game features bad characters and even badder weapons that will allow you to toast your opponents in both single-player mode and in multi-player mode.
The basic theme of the single player game is to complete a given mission, which basically means kill everyone in sight and complete certain objectives. You are placed in a Stargate SG-1-type of setting where you travel through time to destroy and complete your primary goal.
The graphics are decent but can be somewhat blocky for a game using the PS2 graphics engine-the sheer number of levels and gaming options makes up for that deficiency. The controls are complicated and it is necessary to master them in order to be an efficient killer.
Aside from all the formalities is the fact that this game is just pure fun to play with the homies. Plug in the multi-tap, and you can have a very long male-bonding session while staring at the TV screen. Think of a game like Half Life, the top PC first-person shoot-'em-up game, except for the PS2. A good game that just might be the one to spice up that sausage fest.
Sly Cooper and the Thievius RaccoonusConsole: PlayStation 2Publisher: Sucker PunchHot: Awesome graphics and game playNot: A bit childish at timesScore: 0 0 0 0
So you've been quite the happy camper with your technologically advanced PlayStation 2 and have all these cool, complicated games. Do you ever get the feeling that your games are packed with nothing more than complication and not enough of the most important ingredient-fun? Think back about 10 years ago when all of us used to stare at Super Mario Bros. and had the best time just running and jumping around to complete some seemingly meaningless tasks. Actually, that almost sounds like a quiet day at the office 'round these parts!
All right, Mario, snap out of it. We now have a somewhat cooler character in Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus. You are Sly Cooper, a Raccoonian thief who's had his family's heirloom jacked by a group of bad guys looking to learn about the thieving secrets of his family. He has no one but himself and his James Bond-ish sidekicks to assist him with intelligence and occasional backup.
This game features a beautifully rendered environment with a very cartoon-like look. Everything is interactive-your character can run, climb, and jump everywhere in search of hidden items and complete each level. You have lots of different areas to explore and the game gives you some interesting side adventures to relieve monotony. The controls are dead-on and similar to some of the more advanced 3-D action titles. There aren't any tricky button combos to master; this is just a simple game where all you need to do is take care of business. And we know you're all very capable of "taking care of your business," right?
If you ever get tired of all the complicated games that just don't seem to be fun, give Sly Cooper a try. Or not.
Hitman 2: Silent AssassinPublisher: Eidos InteractiveConsole: PS2, Xbox, and PCHot: Open ended game playNot: Replay value is weakScore: 0 0 011/42