AWARDS SEASON: BEST GAME OF THE YEAR 2004

Overall winner

Star Wars Battlefront

Honourable mentions

Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal

Sly 2: Band of Thieves

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE THIRD AGE REVIEW

PS2 version reviewed.

The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age is an RPG published by and developed by EA Games for the Playstation 2, Xbox and Gamecube.

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SPYRO: A HERO'S TAIL REVIEW

A return from the depths but not really back to form either.

PS2 version reviewed.

Spyro: A Hero's Tail is a platformer published by Sierra Entertainment and developed by Eurocom for the Playstation 2, Xbox and Gamecube.

GAMEPLAY
The real problem this game suffers from isn't the fact it's a terrible mess like Enter the Dragonfly but instead that it's just not really very good in most areas instead. It really lacks the innovative, exciting charm that the original games had and there are plenty of reasons for this.

The first and most obvious is the level design, most of them are bigger and more open than they were in the original trilogy. They're not really terrible but none of them succeed at capturing any real charm and instead just feel like they were part of a check box list with your typical lava, ice and grassy/jungle type levels. There's nothing as awesomely envisioned as say Fireworks Factory or Charmed Ridge.

Let's go back to the size of the levels. Something that helped the originals be such great games was how tightly designed the levels were, they felt fast paced, energising and fun to get through. Plenty of levels had their own little stories or small touches that added that extra bit of charm to them and they even often felt quite active until you cleared them. A Hero's Tail's levels are far more open and feel like they were made with a slower pace to them, not to mention from the start they almost felt like the original levels did once you'd finished them, like they're a bit empty.

The final big problem is repetition. Something that the original games did so well was not only throw a variety of different levels at you with their unique settings, stories, layouts, designs and environments but they also changed things up with their side quests, such as protecting an ice skater practising from enemies trying to knock them over or having a battle with tank like turrets. Instead this game has the same four side games throughout, a turret section, the Sparx on rail shooting parts, Sgt. Byrd's speedways and Blink's underground parts. Not only are they all pretty dull in the first place but you have to do all of them twice to get to 100%.

Another problem stems from this and that is that they aren't even very fun. The Sgt. Byrd speedways are the best of them but you just have to do them twice, instead of the original games where you'd have to clear the speedway, win a race and then do a hidden challenge. Speaking of which they could have easily just made these segments for Spyro anyway, since they were in the first three anyway. Talking again of Spyro levels though I would just like to point out that not all the levels are poor or average, Ice Citadel and Cloudy Domain were actually decent, even if still way inferior to what the original trilogy had to offer.

Reward for certain egg collections are quick access to said mini-games which is rather stupid considering that just bypasses playing as Spyro anyway which is the most fun part of the game. Turning gems into a full on currency instead of a proper collectable was a bad change from the previous four. 100% is woeful, you just get another fourth wall breaking cutscene that is seconds long in comparison to the original games where you'd get a whole extra level.

Breath attacks feel very limited, the only one that really makes a considerable difference from fire is ice due to its ability to freeze some steam coming out of pipes. Water is basically pointless and electricity serves a purpose fire probably could have anyway if they changed the lightning conductors into fire braziers or something.

New moves were a bit better than the other breaths, wall jumping and pole spinning weren't amazing or innovative but at least added something a bit different and wing shield was actually interesting, if even a bit overpowered.

Different controls, not really sure why they needed to move some things around such as breath attack. which already to didn't feel as satisfying and snappy as the originals. Floaty movement was also annoying but especially with Hunter and Blink who had the turning circle of a truck. Very different from the more precise movement of the originals. There seemed to be some hitbox issues too where enemies could hit you after their animation or they may even have had a couple of frames of invincibility which you don't seem to get. These issues could also include sliding off platforms at times as well though, a pretty big frustration in a platforming game.

There are a few other niggling things with this game, and maybe even a few small positives I haven't mentioned but to some extent all I can say is the only real way of fully grasping how this doesn't really feel like a Spyro game is by playing it. Again, it's not terrible but it really falls short of being particular good and capturing that wonderful feeling of the original trilogy, which this game actually feels pretty separate from.

STORY
Despite trying to make some references to the previous games most of the characters are radically different, in fact pretty much all of them are aside from Spyro, Sparx and the Professor who still weren't the same, but just had somewhat closer personalities to their original trilogy counterparts. Spyro doesn't have his more hot headed personality and loves to break the fourth wall, Hunter is way more focused and mature while Gnasty Gnorc is pretty much only the same character in name.

Mammoth segment in the 3rd world was weird, he just shows up stomps Spyro and disappears never to be seen again. I don't think anyone ever got the better of Spyro in the previous games but wouldn't you think Spyro would want to get back at the Mammoth? Or at the very least the game could describe what happened to him but what I described is basically all that happens does. I know Red implies he would destroy the Mammoth if he failed which as Spyro escapes seemed the most plausible explanation but it still seemed pretty weird, almost like they scrapped a boss or something. It's also another moment that shows how different the characters are mostly because original trilogy Spyro probably wouldn't let that go (or monologue and break the fourth wall which is how it happens in the first place anyway).

Constant fourth wall and immersion breaking was annoying. Seriously I think the only time that happened in the original trilogy was when Sparx looked at the camera if you were AFK. Almost all of the humour in this game is based around pointing out you're playing a game and not only is it not really very funny in the first place it gets old real quick.

Continuing with immersion, this might not be something that bugs everyone but it did bug me and that's that when you play as Hunter in his two levels Spyro asks Hunter, as you, if you want to switch back to playing as him. I know what's wrong with that but it just feels weird hearing Spyro who you've played as for possibly 4 and a bit games to be saying that, especially when some of the other games seemed to try and immerse you as Spyro, Year of the Dragon always had you as Spyro if he was on screen, including always talking from his perspective even to other playable characters, and I liked it that way, rather than how A Hero's Tail had you talk from Hunter's perspective to Spyro a couple of times instead.

Maybe you're thinking I'm slightly going over the top with some of these criticisms but when you're trying to follow up my favourite trilogy ever I'm going to analyse a lot. This brings me to my next problem though, which is that this game is obviously aimed at a younger audience than the originals which felt like they were aimed for anyone regardless of age. I don't really know why they felt like changing that but I think it was a bad move. At least it's another thing that makes this game easier to disconnect from the original trilogy and this game certainly does feel different (I like to think of the original trilogy in its own universe separate to this and Enter the Dragonfly, since the first three are all directly connected by Insomniac and other stuff far more than the two games after, I don't think that's unfair).

I'll give them credit for actually trying to create a new villain in Red rather than reusing an old one, well ignoring Gnasty Gnorc but he wasn't the main antagonist in this one and hardly seemed like the same character anyway. Red may have been weaker than the previous ones too but it was more fun than having Ripto again or something.

GRAPHICS

General levels might look a bit boring and uninspired but the character models generally looked pretty good and the overall graphics such as textures, lighting and things seemed fine.

SOUND
Only two voice actors from the previous four games reprise their roles and only one of them sounds similar to how they did. A lot of people didn't seem to like Spyro's new voice actor and I didn't think they were as good as Tom Kenny however I didn't think they were as terrible as some people touted.

No Stewart Copeland for the soundtrack which ended up being pretty bland. I did like the music to Dragon Village though.

Interestingly I think the only obvious reused sound effects were for Sparx however they were only used in his mini-games rather than with Spyro. Of course the pause menu had a similar sound to the originals but there wasn't much else harking back to the previous four games.

VALUE FOR MONEY

Around the same length as the original games but with much less quality and far more repetition.

OVERALL
What the Spyro franchise needed was a big return to form to win some people back after Enter the Dragonfly. A Hero's Tail fails at that but doesn't drag it further down from the mess of a previous game either. Instead A Hero's Tail is just alright, clearly missing the magic that made the first three so great but not further stamping the franchise into the mud.

RATCHET & CLANK: UP YOUR ARSENAL (2004) REVIEW

Upping the game?

PS2 exclusive.

Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal is a platformer published by Sony and developed by Insomniac Games for the Playstation 2, Playstation 3 and Vita.

GAMEPLAY
The introduction of multiplayer is great, however if you can't play online the experience is really neutered sadly, even if you have some friends round the game modes feel more fitting for more than four people, and there's no option of AI bots to bring up the numbers. Perhaps in an effort to remedy this there is some side content in the campaign seems like a single-player version of some of the multiplayer maps.

Levels are more linear and the game just feels tighter and much smoother than the previous games. The Hypershot is a good example, combining two gadgets together and allowing the game to flow much more nicely

Putting one big hub in the game was a nice idea

I'm glad Insomniac just stuck to Ratchet and Clank as playable characters and giving them a few new abilities, rather than putting in segments with playable characters that are one trick ponies or who have abilities that Ratchet or Clank could have easily made use of (Looking at you Sly 3).

More upgrades

Enemies take cover and seem more tactically aware than in previous games

Space sections have been removed, probably for the better. Instead they're replaced by a few vehicle sections which feel a bit better.

Only came across a single turret section!

The final boss is a good fight that's ruined by random enemies. It's hard enough to dodge the bosses moves, but when out of nowhere random enemies keep firing at you and doing most the damage, and while you can destroy these enemies you'd have little to no ammo left for the boss.

The Clank sections actually felt like a step back from Going Commando, removing the new robots they introduced and replacing them with a monkey. It's not really a big deal, as they're still alright, I was just a bit disappointed to see that nothing really improved here.

STORY
Funniest game yet

Better cast of characters, or in some cases makes better use of them

GRAPHICS

Looks pretty good.

SOUND
Best soundtrack of the series so far

VALUE FOR MONEY

OVERALL
Up Your Arsenal is like a Going Commando that went on a diet, trimming down the fat and improving upon what was already good. If you enjoy shooters, platformers or action-adventure games make sure to check this game out.

THE INCREDIBLES REVIEW

PS2 version reviewed.

The Incredibles is an action game published by THQ and developed by Heavy Iron Studios for the Playstation 2, Xbox, Gamecube, Game Boy Advance and PC.

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STAR WARS TRILOGY: APPRENTICE OF THE FORCE REVIEW

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GBA exclusive.

Star Wars Trilogy: Apprentice of the force is an action game published and developed by Ubisoft for the Game Boy Advance.

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STAR WARS: BATTLEFRONT (2004) REVIEW

Possibly the best Star Wars spin-off game.

PS2 version reviewed.

Star Wars: Battlefront is a shooter published by LucasArts and developed by Pandemic Studios for the Playstation 2, Xbox and PC.

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OVERALL
Balanced classes, great maps and simply fun gameplay, Star Wars: Battlefront can be enjoyed whether you're a fan of the series or not.

SLY 2: BAND OF THIEVES (2004) REVIEW

Worth bringing the band back together?

Playstation 2 exclusive.

Sly 2: Band of Thieves is an stealth platformer published by Sony and developed by Sucker Punch for the Playstation 2, Playstation 3 and Vita.

This review has some spoilers!

GAMEPLAY

Still fluid and responsive, perhaps less in your face and more about taking your time though. Some great innovations are made though, such as the parachute, which really does change up the gameplay for the better. The introduction of Bentley and Murray as playable characters is interesting, even though Sly is still by far the most fun to play. I hope the sequel retains just the three and doesn’t go crazy.

A couple of bugs are still there, although they are actually different to last time. The final boss isn’t very good, sadly, especially when compared to the finale of the first game. Bottles are more frustrating than the first game. Master Thief Sprints are gone, which is great, but so is any bonus content. They removed the maps and Sly can’t hit safes anymore (why?).

I would probably have given this game a higher rating if there had been fewer turret sections, as one is already pushing it with me, let alone the obsession this game seems to have with them. But I'd had so much fun with it I was ready to ignore those flaws and give it a great rating, that was unless they botched the final boss fight, but all the ones so far and the final one in the prevoius games had been good, so why should I have worried? Well, imagine my disappointment to find that the final boss was one big turret section. Pretty much a badly done version of a similar fight from the first game. Such a shame.

STORY

A surprisingly good story, with twists and turns, numerous betrayals and an overall healthily expanded scope from the original game’s more simplistic story, however a few loose ends are left dangling (What happened to Murray and Bentley). I'd just like to give a special mention to the main villain too, as they were such a love to hate character, for the right reasons, and were easily the best villain I've seen in a platformer like this, along with one of the best stories too.

GRAPHICS

The same as the first game really, although perhaps not as stunning now that the PS2 has been out for a few years.

SOUND

Voice actors and SFX are all good and the music has improved from the poor soundtrack of the first game. The dance theme from the first episode was great, but the soundtrack didn’t stand out too much, it’s still a large improvement from the original however.

VALUE FOR MONEY

It can be played by anyone of any age and offers around 15 hours, depending on how you play

OVERALL

Sly 2 improves upon its predecessor in many ways, with a longer adventure, a story with twists and turns, more ways to tackle levels and a slightly better soundtrack. However, for some reason there are even more turret levels, the final boss fight is a large downgrade in comparison to the previous finale, and somehow the game seems to have lost some magic touch that the first gave off. The game is absolutely still worth your time, but expect a transition from a series that focused on platforming with stealth elements, to becoming a real fusion of the two.

SPIDER-MAN 2 REVIEW

GBA version reviewed.

Spyro: Season of Ice is a platformer published by Activision and developed by Treyarch for the Playstation 2, PSP, Xbox, N-Gage, Gamecube, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS and PC.

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DRIVER 3 REVIEW

GBA and PS2 versions reviewed.

Driver 3 is an action game published by Atari and developed by Reflections for the Playstation 2, Xbox, Game Boy Advance and PC.

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XS AIRBOAT RACING REVIEW

Playstation exclusive.

XS Airboat Racing is a racing game published by XS Games and developed by Miracle Designs for the Playstation. The game is so noteworthy that the closest I've been able to get to finding its proper release date seems to be at some point in June, 2004.

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HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN REVIEW

GBA version reviewed.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is an action game published and developed by EA Games for the Playstation 2, Xbox, Gamecube, Game Boy Advance and PC.

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SHREK 2 REVIEW

PS2 version reviewed.

Shrek 2 is an action adventure game published by Activision and developed by Luxoflux for the Playstation 2, Xbox, Gamecube, Game Boy Advance and PC.

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RASCAL RACERS REVIEW

Playstation exclusive.

Rascal Racers is a racing game published by Midas and developed by Miracle Design for the Playstation.

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