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| Coming soon to PlayStation 2 |
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| Games,
Richard Young,
12 March 2001 |
Rating: F5
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So the Playstation 2 finally arrived on centre-stage, all bold and full of promises - and promptly tripped over in front of an audience of millions. Act One was a lacklustre affair that was only held together by the appearance of the old Tekken gang, the debut of a pretty wild Snowboarder and a fast and furious first-person shooter. The audience drummed their fingers impatiently. Hardly the groundbreaking production that Sony had promised, particularly at a time when a certain other console was boasting better games and full internet capabilities. But wait! What’s this? A quick glance at the accompanying programme reveals some pleasant surprises are waiting in the wings. Act two is about to herald the arrival of some long sought-after celebrities, including the reincarnation of the most popular racer on the planet, some Japanese style giant mech action, and an appearance of a certain franchise set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away
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Yes, it’s true
.For those of you who have splashed out on Sony’s funky fan heater, you will be relieved to hear that your undernourished library of entertainment is about to be joined by some distinctly A-grade software. Due for release at the end of the month, and first in our star-studded line up is the all new flying mech combat number; Zone of the Enders (Z.O.E). Masterminded by Metal Gear Solid creator and video game visionary Hideo Kojima, Z.O.E. promises to be more than just a tarted-up Omega Boost. Early reports hint at a winning mix of an intuitive control system, eyebrow burning weapon effects and full on Manga style shenanigans.
Next on the horizon, is Star Wars: Starfighter from Lucas Arts. For a company who’s greatest games had nothing to do with Star Wars (Monkey Island, Day of the Tentacle etc), Starfighter is actually looking a bit special, promising the kind of grand space-battle visuals not dissimilar from the actual movies themselves. Strap on those flying goggles folks, for you will be able to pilot one of those cool yellow Naboo starfighters before you can say Medichlorian, and without any interruptions from Messrs. Binks and Skywalker to boot.
When Gran Turismo was first released for PlayStation, it caused a bit of a fuss to say the least. The best visuals seen in a driving game for a home console, deep yet subtle gameplay, and a selection of officially licensed cars as long as your dipstick all went to make GT the racer that all others were to be compared to. A successful sequel served to strengthen an already solid fan base. And now, after months of programming, tweaking and testing, the next instalment of Polyphony’s champ is nearly upon us. The unusually titled Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec (originally to be called Gran Turismo 2000 – ho ho) represents a huge technical leap from its predecessors. Those who have had the pleasure of playing the 2 demo tracks included on the latest Official PlayStation 2 Magazine demo disk will have already experienced just how incredibly real everything looks and feels. From the reflections on the cars surfaces to the perfectly balanced handling to the sunlight beaming through the photo-realistic trees, this is destined to be, as the original Gran Turismo was for PSone, the new racing yardstick. And the good news is, Polyphony are apparently still working on improving GT3 yet further between now and the release date (which has recently slipped to June).
So, stick on a DVD movie and be patient, PS2 fans. Sony may be late in delivering the goods, but Aye Caramba, it will be worth it.
Sony's forthcoming PS2 releases
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