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Ico (PS2)
by WayneKWilkins
I bought ICO on a whim quite recently after seeing it for £11.00 in my local CEX. I had hears of it before but had never researched it, so after holding the case for ten minutes while I read about it on my Blackberry, I decided to give it a go. It looked good immediately and considering it was a cult classic RPG adventure, I thought what ... have I really got to lose? Well, as it turns out, I had £11.00 to lose. I didn't buy into this ICO hype, and this game has put me off buying it's sequel, "Shadow of the Colossus" also, because I just plain and simply didn't like it, for a number of valid reasons.
The gameplay immediately looks brilliant. You are thrown right into the storyline from the get-go which is awesome and I did thoroughly enjoy it. Then, when you first get control of the main character at the beginning, it again has a brilliant feel to it. Kind of like Baldur's Gate. So, hooked, I carry on with the storyline. Then, out of nowhere, you rescue a girl from a cage. That's where it went down-hill for me. You have to, quite literally, hold this girl's hand through every single part of the game and let go only to defeat enemies that try to catch her. I thought this would just be temporary, like the Water Temple mission in Ocarina of Time, but after watching videos online, I soon realized that such a tedious thing actually follows you throughout the ENTIRE game...
I quickly got bored of holding her hand, then waiting for her to catch up, then defeating enemies that catch her, which by the way, is very dull as all the enemies do the same - just try to drag her down into the abyss. You kill them, done, repeat the process in two minutes. It was so boring, and that, along with the tediousness of having to hold her hand everywhere, quickly made this game incredibly dull and repetetive.
It's weird, because graphic and music wise, this game is perfect for me. I am a huge RPG fan as many of you know from my other reviews and as far as atmosphere is concerned, this game was flawless, as was the storyline - but the gameplay is a thorough let-down. If they would jsut let me kill that girl so I can play the game without - quite literally - having to hold some girl's hand because she doesn't seem to be able to do anything for herself then this could have been a brilliant game because of the surroundings, the general atmosphere, the storyline and the awesome controls. But, that little detail lets it down...
This game is a cult classic and has recieved pretty much only good reviews over the years and the one thing I ask is, WHY? I cannot get used to having to hold the girl's hand from the start of the game to the finish. The adventure element is flawless, the atsmophere, graphics, music and storyline are all amazing - and then that one HUGE let-down ruins the ENTIRE game for me. It's sad that I will never have the patience to finish this game, because it looks and plays wonderfully and would be an actual masterpiece to me if not for that obnoxious girl...
Give it a try at least once, you may not find it as tedious as me.
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The Getaway (Platinum Edition) (PS2)
by WayneKWilkins
INTRODUCTION
The Getaway, in many ways just feels like a clone of other games from the era, if not slightly more evolved. It feels like GTA and Driver. However, if you look past the façade, you will immediately see a flawless story perfectly detailing the more sinister side of England and the British crime scene. Featuring ... suits, real cars, a brilliant storyline and some flawless character development; The Getaway, today is a cult-classic, and for a very good reason - because the game really was brilliant. However, there are some let-downs which will be detailed below...
GRAPHICS
The graphics of The Getaway are very polished for the time. However, for today's standards, they would appear to be dated. Everything just has a nice shine to it and it pushes the PS2 to its limits. Everything from the suits, character shading and all the way to the brilliant detail of the cars, the buses and the streets of London is just awesome; the graphics are brilliant and fit the gameplay perfectly.
MUSIC
The music of The Getaway is good, but it could have been great. Considering the amount of effort that went into other elements of the game, they could have gone to town on the music to make it memorable. However, I usually forget about the music until it is pointed out to me. It isn't bad, and it does contribute to the atmosphere at certain points of the game, but it could be much, much better.
GAMEPLAY
The gameplay is where The Getaway really shines. You start off by controlling an ex convict who has just been released from prison. Then, he witnesses his wife murdered and his son kidnapped and just like that, he is thrown right back into the life of crime against his will. Think of Carlito's Way or Donnie Brasco, only set in London, and you have an eerily similar storyline. The storyline is phenomenal. The gameplay is what you would expect from this genre. After the first mission, you can free-roam around London as you please. You can steal cars, beat people up; just like Grand Theft auto, only in London. It is very well made and you can have fun following the storyline or just causing havoc around London.
PRICE
The Getaway is still very cheap these days. In-fact, you can usually get it for under 5 pounds, probably due to its age. It is well worth the money.
IN SUMMARY
The Getaway will appeal to fans of games such as Grand Theft auto and Driver, but it will also appeal to fans just looking for a great storyline with easy to master gameplay. The Getaway is well worth a play through at least once and even when the main story is over, you'll probably still find yourself playing this years on just to raise hell around London. A great all around game that is very difficult to criticise!
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Dark Cloud 2 (PS2)
by WayneKWilkins
Dark Cloud 2, otherwise known as Dark Chronicle, is the sequel to the critically acclaimed and now cult-classic, Dark Cloud. The game perfectly combines a masterful storyline with gorgeous graphics, a flawless soundtrack and a multitude of gaming elements including action RPG and building simulation. Dark Cloud 2 is a gem of a game that ... can be enjoyed by all; but be warned, this game is a challenge despite its easy controls and its simple concept - do not be deceived, this game is really one of the most challenging I have ever played for a number of reasons.
The gameplay element of this game is truly masterful. If you played the original Dark Cloud game, you will see4 many similarities only much more expansive. The towns, this time around, are much more rich and versatile in regards to NPC life and they may wander the town to live their own lives as you play the game. There are plenty more mini games and even town events and festivals for you to enjoy. A new camera system allows you to take photographs of certain things which can be crucial for recruiting new NPC's to your train and even upgrading to new weapons. Both of these new systems are welcome additions.
In this game you can only play as 2 characters, but one of the characters possesses the power to transform into monsters for additional fun. Aside from the town life, the building element makes a return. You must crawl through levels of the dungeon - which is necessary in order to progress onwards with the main storyline - and in doing so, you collect pieces of Georama which can be used to rebuild the town. The building mode is much more versatile this time around, but you must still build in certain ways in order to complete the town to 100%. This is a very fun aspect of the game that I always thoroughly enjoy.
This game is a cult classic and it can be pricey if you want to buy it these days. Expect around 30 pounds if you want this in perfect condition complete with the box and manual, but it is 100% worth every penny. Players can expect:
An epic storyline
Great character development
In-depth gameplay
Lots of additional elements such as a real time system and camera system
challenging dungeons
A great building mode
A customizeable NPC train which can change gameplay
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