lain Davidson is blown away by the latest instalment of perhaps the greatest beat- ’em-up series on the P82, TEKKEN 5.
ames are fantastic for racial stereotyping. Not game characters or
plots. of course. Those are just the result of lazy storytelling.
Nope. it's the bigger picture. the composition of each country‘s output that resembles racial diversity. America produces loud. brash. violent and derivative sport and shooting games. Europe mixes innovation and imagination with clumsy execution and cross—boundary confusion. Everyone is ignorant of what Korea is doing. And then we have the Japanese. Their games rely on social interaction and conformin blended with myth. legend and martial arts. All gloriously wicked stereotypes. you'll agree. But can they be true?
Well. there has to be some reason that gaming's best beat-'em-ups all come from Japan. And along comes another. 'l'ekkwi 5 easily stands shoulder to bruised shoulder with any of Eastern history's best martial arts punch-fests. As with all beat-'em-ups. it's the lighting that really matters. And here Tekken 5 excels. A few niggles from 724(sz 4 have been ironed out. resulting in possibly the finest combat control system ever. Simple yet almost infinitely variable. the game not only rewards you for developing beyond button bashing: it encourages and nurtures you through the learning process. What you learn with one character can be carried on to another yet. thanks to a logical mixture of moves.
And what characters they are. Three nearly new characters have been added to the now familiar roster. boosting the number to. ooooh. millions. From the meaty brick shithouse to the nimble spiralling minx.
each avatar moves with grace and power. animated to within an inch of
their life. And their accompanying stories take the breath away. It seems ridiculous to say that a beat-'em-up. the most basic of basic game structures. could be sold on its narrative content and character depth but Tekken 5 could. Some of the end sequences are simply stunning.
But it doesn't need to rely on such things. It has the graphical punch to attract the uninitiated and the pick-up-and-playabiIity to coax the demopod browsers to splash out on a copy. It has a lengthy story structure. a couple of mini-games and a bottomless pit of unlockable extras to discover. making it a purchase for the long term. And that's before you get your mate to pick up a controller.
Which brings us to Tekken 5's only real weakness. ()nline play. It hasn't any. None. No doubt those who dreamt of drop-kicking their rivals on an international stage will be disappointed. Which brings us back to stereotypes. Why the Japanese produce such rewarding pugilistic titles may remain a mystery. but it is interesting that a Brit's only complaint is that he cannot beat up people from around the world.
Tekken 5 (Namco), P82 no...
.: IMAGES There is something rather ioyOus about this site of randomly found photos. There's a heavy 50s Americana slant but otherwise there's no real link between them. It's a fascinating snapshot of life that offers more insight than any number of professionally shot pictures could. www.bighappyfunhouse.com
Reviews P82
GOD OF WAR (SCEA)ooooo
Hype on this one has been leaking Out from the US for a number of months now. Does it live up to expectations? By Zeus it does. This is the most kick ass fun the PS2 has seen in years. But why so much hype for what is essentially a third person actioner? The answer is scale. You'll find your Jaw dropping at regular intervals. From the opening battles Wliil the gigantic hydra. you'll realise its epic or nothing. The controls are complex yet totally fluid. It's got that instant pick up and play appeal but it'll take a lifetime to master Kratos' chain- Wielded Blades of Chaos. A lot of time and energy has been spent perfecting the combat System and it pays off. The use of magic (Medusa heads turn enemies to stone. lightning bolts from Zeus etci fits the story perfectly. And what a stOry. as rich and complex its source material. It may not be ground breaking but everything is done almost to perfection. It's a Joy to play and almost impoSSible to put down. and that's what counts. (Henry Northinorei
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xeox P82 PC JUICED (THO) 000
Fast cars used to be driven by dull but rich Over-408 who have bally-well worked hard when young to bally- well enjoy themselves now. But. thanks to shows like Pimp My Ride. magazines like Max Power and games like Need for Speed Underground. young men no longer save hard for decades to buy a tiny, two-seater spOrts car. Now they spend their first pay cheque on a hunk of motorised metal and gradually make it faster. cooler and noisier. And Juiced allows you to do this
Without leaVing your living room. Yes. it's another race-for-money- to-soup-up-your-car-to- look—cooler game. And thanks to a year or so of publisher difficulty. it has been polished into a rather nice ride. There is little to distinguish it from its peers but it is fast and fun. never surprising but rarely disappouiting. So if yOu don't want to wait until you are bally-well rich or don't own NFS.‘ Underground or Midnight Club 3 then Jurced WI” prOVIde yOu With all the tactless. unsubtle. garish automotive excess yOu could want.
(lain DavidsOni
HUMAN BEHAVIOUR We all have Our little Quirks of behaviour - but for various reasons (socral taste. usuallyi. we don‘t always have the opportunity to diSCLiss them. Post your eccentricities on the web and get a panel of strangers to judge whether your actions are normal or not. A lot cheaper than therapy. http://isitnormal.com
PSZ/XBOX' GC
HONOR: EUROPEAN ASSAUET
(EA Games) 0000
OK. You know the drill. First Person Shooter through the battlefields Of World War II. Slightly clumsy control combined with slick presentation and an attention to detail only matched by the liberties taken with history. But wait. A return to the European theatre has marked a return to form for MoH. Some much- improved AI and a greater sense of tactical freedom are welcome. while the new sciuad system makes for a whole new avenue of fun. Though not as extensive or versatile as Full Spectrum Warrior. it is way better than Star Wars Republic Commando. Even the addition of a few end- of-level bosses feels sufficiently fresh. But what stands out is the story. The developing narrative that takes off after the first few missions grabs the attention and makes it an achievement to put the controller down. The visuals are good and the sound is excellent. 80 if you can face starting yet another WWll game. European Assault offers sufficient reward.
(lain Davidsoni
7—21 Jul 2005‘ THE LIST 101