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In an effort to provide as much content as possible within the time constraints imposed upon us, most game reviews will now
be in a short, sweet "Fat-free" format ... We welcome submissions from our readers
here.
RATINGS GUIDE
A guide to evaluating what is written about the games in this section.
| GRAPHICS |
1-10 |
| The game's graphics overall, but especially while playing. Takes into account any horsepower issues,
but not stability (that goes under Code Quality). |
| SOUND |
1-10 |
| The game's sounds. Takes into account the quality of the sound itself, and the execution/whether it
achieves the desired effects, but NOT audio glitches -- that goes under code quality. |
| GAMEPLAY |
1-10 |
| How the game plays (duh). Takes into account anything that happens in the game except stability (that goes under Code Quality). |
| INTERFACE |
1-10 |
| Includes the menu system intuitiveness/compleness, load times, and anything else to do with the hardware fixtures
of the game that are not the game itself. Design issues go here, but glitches/errors go under Code Quality. |
| MULTIPLAYER |
1-10 |
| Includes performance, multiplayer game dynamics, matchup and server
browsing areas of the software |
| ORIGINALITY |
1-10 |
| Takes into account the originality of the concept and the uniqueness of the game itself. |
| CODE QUALITY |
1-10 |
| All stability issues and incompatibility issues are discussed here, and any other things that are related to the tightness of the code itself.
Not design issues. Example: a menu lacking certain settings would be discussed under Interface, but a menu that "forgets" settings when it should remember them goes under
Code Quality.
|
| OVERALL
|
1-10 |
| NOT an average -- although the number will probably be within a point or two of the average of the scores. This is the area for the
"Reviewers tilt" to come into play. A rating of the game as a whole in one number.
|
^TOP^
Bruce Lee: Quest of the Dragon (Xbox)
Ronin Entertainment (Universal Interactive)
Reviewed by Raul
| GRAPHICS |
6 |
| Motion caps are pretty good, especially of Bruce, but
lighting and texturing is terrible by Xbox standards. |
| SOUND |
7 |
| Bruce's voice acting is fairly well done, and his trademark battle cries
are good, but the rest is pretty weak. |
| GAMEPLAY |
6 |
| Linear bear-em-up. As a fan, I found it fun to master his moves; others might not.
Freeform brawling is a tough bill; Ronin didn't really pull it off. |
| INTERFACE |
7 |
| Menus are okay, but it would have been nice for more save game points. Load times/number of load points
could have been improved. |
| MULTIPLAYER |
N/A |
| None |
| ORIGINALITY |
8 |
| The first and only official Bruce Lee title, but pretty much as original as your typical side-scrolling fist-fest. |
| CODE QUALITY |
5 |
| No crashes but slowdowns galore, bad collision detection, stuck camera, over all bad camera
angle, you get the picture.
|
| OVERALL
|
6 |
| Since all the work was clearly put into Bruce himself, a Bruce Lee purist might enjoy it. Others would well stay clear.
|
^TOP^
Ghost Recon (PC)
Red Storm Entertainment (Ubisoft)
Reviewed by Raul
| GRAPHICS |
9 |
| Best I've seen in a tactical simulator, but loses a point
for being a bit too demanding of the hardware (GF2 GTSes struggle). |
| SOUND |
9 |
| Technically excellent and creates good mood. But voices could be more varied. |
| GAMEPLAY |
10 |
| Totally Awesome. As good I've seen at the time of this writing. |
| INTERFACE |
7 |
| A little kludgy, the Rogue Spear interface was actually a little better.
Looks nice, though. Loading takes long sometimes. |
| MULTIPLAYER |
9 |
| Could use a few more modes but it's damn good and damn fun! Improved server browsing over
RS. UBI.com kinda sucks though. |
| ORIGINALITY |
8 |
| Based on previous concepts, but totally new feel. |
| CODE QUALITY |
8 (9) |
| Doesn't crash, but some sound and copy protection issues exist. Some can
render the game unplayable without a hack. (Patch exists)
|
| OVERALL
|
9 |
| Not totally perfect, but close. Kicks a lotta ass. Best game I've bought in recent memory.
|
^TOP^
Halo (Xbox)
Bungie Studios (Microsoft)
Reviewed by Raul
| GRAPHICS |
10 |
| Superb. Better than most PC FPSes,
and on a TV! Excellent lighting, amazing detail, smooth framerates 95% of the time. |
| SOUND |
10 |
| Technically excellent, creates good moods, good variety of voice acting.
Characters and NPCs come to life. |
| GAMEPLAY |
10 |
| FPS controls on consoles are a challenge, but Halo pulls it off flawlessly.
Loads of fun in all modes, great story. Vehicles! |
| INTERFACE |
10 |
| Simple, but with options to keep about anyone happy. Top-notch vibration feedback in-game. |
| MULTIPLAYER |
9 |
| A blast. Coop and adversarial available. Only two niggles -- saves are too far apart
in coop and no 4-player coop (probably framerate issues). |
| ORIGINALITY |
8 |
| Sci-fi shooter based on a book. But a universe not previously depicted. |
| CODE QUALITY |
10 |
| Doesn't crash, almost seamless, zero graphics or sound glitches. Developed for 4 years and it shows!
|
| OVERALL
|
10 |
| Everyone says it's the defining Xbox game and I agree. A must-have, must-play. Guaranteed to enjoy.
|
^TOP^
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (PC)
Electronic Arts
Reviewed by Raul
| GRAPHICS |
8 |
| Not the most eye-candy you'll ever see, but good use of lighting and
design to capture the intended feel. |
| SOUND |
8 |
| Technically good, more or less creates the mood. |
| GAMEPLAY |
7 |
| A straight puzzle/exploration type game, not very dynamic
and not particularly challenging. |
| INTERFACE |
6 |
| Big gripe is that save games are limited to certain areas.
The 3rd person view can be finicky at times. |
| MULTIPLAYER |
N/A |
| None. |
| ORIGINALITY |
8 |
| Though it's based on a book, there's no other Harry
Potter computer game around. |
| CODE QUALITY |
5 |
| Terrible compatibility, video is very temperamental.
Occasional instability in game. Game engine is smooth, however.
|
| OVERALL
|
7 |
| Would be a 6 if it were a stand-alone, but gets an extra point because if
you are a HP fan, you'll probably enjoy playing this game at least once.
|
^TOP^
IL-2 Sturmovik (PC)
UbiSof
Reviewed by Mafioso
| GRAPHICS |
10 |
| Simply amazing. The level of detail is unparalleled.
|
| SOUND |
9 |
| As good as any flight sim gets.
Voice chatter in German & Russian adds great atmosphere..
|
| GAMEPLAY |
9 |
| Not for the faint of heart, but makes that first
air-to-air kill very rewarding. Near-perfect flight modelling.
|
| INTERFACE |
7 |
| Interface a little clunky at times, but functional.
Load times are horrible. Nice object viewer. Great mission editor. |
| MULTIPLAYER |
7 |
| Laggy, big resource drain for MP, but most fun way to play.
AI pilots, while good, are no match for human opponents.
|
| ORIGINALITY |
10 |
| WWII air combat on the Eastern front totally untouched
previously. Far and away the best flight sim out there.
|
| CODE QUALITY |
6 |
| Bad stuttering problems, single and MP.
Unpatched, tail gunners were murderous. Since then that's been addressed.
|
| OVERALL
|
9 |
| Lots of minor glitches keep this from being a
perfect 10 (for flight sims, anyway).
|
^TOP^
Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast (PC)
Electronic Arts
Reviewed by Mafioso
| GRAPHICS |
9 |
| Quake 3 engine with some nice extra touches
(rain sparking off lightsabers). Lightsabers provide NO lighting, however.
|
| SOUND |
8 |
| Excellent ambient sounds, humorous Stormtrooper
chatter, but I had an annoying bass thrum on my system. Headaches? Yup.
|
| GAMEPLAY |
9 |
| Absolutely amazing. Haven't lived until you Force-throw
Stormies into a chasm. But JUMPING PUZZLES EVERYWHERE = -1
|
| INTERFACE |
8 |
| Menus simple, load times average. I miss the
FMV cutscenes, though -- game engine cutscenes (a la RtCW) are too glitchy. |
| MULTIPLAYER |
10 |
| This is where it's at. Force powers +
lightsabers + good bots = fun MP even by yourself. Good variety of game types.
|
| ORIGINALITY |
9 |
| Everything JKI had but better, and with
some new twists. Easily the best FPS melee weapon engine. |
| CODE QUALITY |
9 |
| Both my friend and I experience running turning
off when forward + strafe used. Otherwise clean.
|
| OVERALL
|
9 |
| If you ignore the jumping puzzles, the most fun
I've had with a FPS in a long, long time.
|
^TOP^
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault (PC DEMO)
Electronic Arts
Reviewed by Raul
| GRAPHICS |
8 |
| Nice … for a Quake3-engine based game. It's just not a realism engine. |
| SOUND |
8 |
| Hard to tell the full depth from the demo, but there is a lot of variety in it and it is technically
good, so the full game is probably better. |
| GAMEPLAY |
6 |
| Extreme shoot-em-up. Hardly realistic at all, expect for the
concept and design. It's Quake against Germans.
|
| INTERFACE |
8 |
| Works fine, good coverage of options. |
| MULTIPLAYER |
N/A |
| Did not try multiplayer game, but it's probably pretty good -- as most Quake games are. |
| ORIGINALITY |
7 |
| A WWII concept like so many others, but at least it's the first to do so with the Quake3 engine. |
| CODE QUALITY |
9 |
| Rock solid, as is the norm for Quake3-based games. Hard to screw up
Carmack's masterwork.
|
| OVERALL
|
7 |
| I prefer more realism in a game such as this one, but it does seem fairly well executed.
|
^TOP^
NASCAR Racing 2002 Season (PC)
Sierra/Papyrus
Reviewed by Mafioso
| GRAPHICS |
9 |
| Better reflections, lots better pavement.
Car models still tad blocky for being such simply-shaped vehicles.
|
| SOUND |
8 |
| Great 3-D sound, great new tire scrubbing sound,
but I miss the old engine sound.
|
| GAMEPLAY |
6 |
| AI still the weak point, but always is for
NASCAR games by any manufacturer. |
| INTERFACE |
8 |
| I want the spotter calls for leader at the line back.
Got lap time calls back, though, but can't turn on/off in-car.
|
| MULTIPLAYER |
10 |
| MUCH better than N4. Can rub other cars without spinning.
No glitches in scoring noted to date.
|
| ORIGINALITY |
5 |
| Feels like a $50 patch. A *good* patch, but...
|
| CODE QUALITY |
10 |
| Rock-solid as always. Never had a single crash since N2 in '96.
|
| OVERALL
|
8 |
| Still the best of the NASCAR sims, and the focus of my free time,
but could have gotten more for my money.
|
^TOP^
NHL 2002 (PC)
EA Sports
Reviewed by Raul
| GRAPHICS |
8 |
| State of the hockey-sim art, nice use of cutscenes,
but I want the zamboni, goalie bottles and hats on the ice back! |
| SOUND |
5 |
| The quality of the samples is good but the sound effects
are fairly unrealistic and the color commentary is ridiculous. Decent music. |
| GAMEPLAY |
8 |
| Smooth, with some good additions to previous years, but the AI still sucks.
But it IS fun, so it gets an extra point for that. |
| INTERFACE |
8 |
| Decent, bordering on good. Game loads pretty quickly with a fast machine and drive. |
| MULTIPLAYER |
9 |
| Excellent multiplay in person. One of the best. Online play is passable, but nothing special. |
| ORIGINALITY |
5 |
| Concept unoriginal, but 2002 added a few new game modes. |
| CODE QUALITY |
8 (9) |
| It's rock solid -- NO crashes, but it loses 2 points for not fixing some
problems that were around even last year. With a patch, I call it a 9.
|
| OVERALL
|
8 |
| It's the best hockey game out there overall, but someone could really do a lot better.
|
^TOP^
NHL 2002 (PS2)
EA Sports
Reviewed by Raul
| GRAPHICS |
7 |
| State of the art, but PS2s always lose a point for being restricted to TV resolution. |
| SOUND |
5 |
| Identical to PC version. |
| GAMEPLAY |
8 |
| Identical to PC version. |
| INTERFACE |
6 |
| Basic PS2 problems - can't permanently change lines/rosters, long load times, no patches. |
| MULTIPLAYER |
9 |
| Doesn't lose anything for not having online option -- playing in your opponent's face is where it's at. |
| ORIGINALITY |
5 |
| Identical to PC version. |
| CODE QUALITY |
9 |
| Because of the altered interface for PS2, it didn't suffer from some of the same
problems as the PC version. Still some glitches.
|
| OVERALL
|
8 |
| The best hockey game currently out for PS2.
|
^TOP^
NHL 2002 (Xbox)
EA Sports
Reviewed by Raul
| GRAPHICS |
8 |
| A point more than PS2 for smoother framerates. |
| SOUND |
5 |
| Basically identical to PC version. Commentary is a little quieter. Dolby 5.1 supported. |
| GAMEPLAY |
8 |
| The Ice view seems to be a little higher than PC and Xbox versions, which is a small improvement. |
| INTERFACE |
8 |
| Problems with the PS2 version are fixed by Xbox's hard drive -- virtually unlimited rosters and seasons,
create players, faster load times, etc. |
MULTIPLAYER |
9 |
| Online option not available yet, but playing in your opponent's face is where it's at. |
| ORIGINALITY |
5 |
| Identical to PC version. |
| CODE QUALITY |
9 |
| AI a little better for the Xbox. Most notably, the goalie gets pulled
much longer before the end of the game. Still some glitches, but overall good.
|
| OVERALL
|
8 |
| The best hockey game currently out for Xbox. A notch above the PS2 implementation., mainly
due to Xbox's hard drive.
|
^TOP^
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