GAME OVER

By Transworld
Tue, Dec 5 2006 3:00 pm | Comments

TRANSWORLD SKATEBOARDING
VOLUME 24 NUMBER 12
FILE:

ATV Offroad Fury Pro
Sony
PSP
*** (3.5)
Overview: ATV Offroad Fury Pro is Sony’s expanded sequel to Blazin’ Trails for PlayStation Portable. For you noobs out there, don’t let the title fool you: With buggies, trucks, snowmobiles, and motocross bikes to choose from, the game packs a lot more that just quad racing.
Gameplay: Thankfully, the twitchy analog-stick controls that plagued Blazin’ Trails have been tightened up-so get ready to blast serious mud in the faces of your wireless foes. Terrainwise, you’ve got 64 all-new tracks to pick from, and you can bust 30 different freestyle tricks in endurocross, rallycross, circuit, rally, and snowcross modes. Basically, you’ll never be short of options.
Graphics: In this PSP follow-up, the tracks themselves have been given the biggest facelift. Trees, plants, tires, ramps, and the riders themselves look so good, you could bring ‘em to church (but only after you wiped off the mud).
Sound: Vrooom, vroom. You’ve heard it before.
Entertainment: The improved controls, nearly infinite gameplay options, wireless capability, and wicked-sharp graphics are dandy, but there’s still something rather humdrum going on.-Clay Staeshon

Bully
Rockstar
PlayStation 2
****
Overview: Rockstar Games takes its ever-favorite open-gameplay model created for the Grand Theft Auto series and sets the scene at the Bullworth Academy prep school. (The game is already getting loads of attention due to its controversial content portraying the brutality of high school life.)
Gameplay: After everyone gets over the notion that video games make people crazy rather than those people actually being crazy, we’ll all be able to enjoy the hostile scene called high school. You have to deal with teachers giving you a hard time, bullies pushing you around, and even trying to win over the girl. Bully makes it possible to live out the mantra, “If I only knew then what I know now, high school would have been totally different.”
Graphics: On the eve of the release of PlayStation 3, you should feel a little cheated. But, in all fairness, Bully has had some hiccups to handle considering that there’s been some resistance to the game’s release.
Sound: Grunts and ughs associated with taking swift kicks to the side, kids crying from being hit in the head with dodge balls, urethane wheels rolling across the concrete, explosions in the chemistry lab, and lips smacking while you’re making out with the hot chick are pretty realistic.
Entertainment: Just like all GTA games, Bully will provide endless hours of comedy and entertainment. Live out high school how you’d like; it doesn’t mean you have to be an a–hole (especially in real life). It’s only a video game; it’s not real.-Eric Sentianin

Knights Of The Temple II
Evolved
PlayStation 2/Xbox/PC
* (1/2 star)
Overview: If you’re waiting for your knight in shining video-game armor, this ain’t the guy. Knights Of The Temple II (why a sequel was made is beyond me) follows a Templar Knight named Paul who must save the world from the evil Azrael who’s about to open the gates to Hell. Paul has his gate to hell, and now you have yours.
Gameplay: This is a straight-up third-person hack and slash game with one monumental flaw: the camera work. Not only is it disorienting, but your knight has absolutely no option of angling or zooming the camera. Oh and did I mention dated combat and completely cumbersome weapon switching?
Graphics: The graphical elements of KOTT II are the only thing this medieval mess has going for it. You gotta love highly detailed plague rot.
Sound: The sound effects are more generic than a pair of Payless shoes, and the music is something only a D&D junkie would like.
Entertainment: Wait, there’s more to complain about! You can pretty much defeat the game in less than a day-the bosses are that easy to kill, and the grunts are that deefenseless. The only intense part of this game is its stench.-Gamey Thomas

Reservoir Dogs
Eidos
PlayStation 2/Xbox/PC
***
Overview: It’s an action-packed game centered around Quentin Tarantino’s cult-classic film (duh).
Gameplay: Typically, making a video game of such a cult classic would make you think they’re a bunch of sellouts trying to make an extra buck. But Eidos went to great lengths to make accurate recreations of many memorable scenes in the movie. The beauty of Reservoir Dogs comes in what wasn’t seen in the movie, because how entertaining would a video game be with some fired-up guys talking to each other for two hours? The game has ten third-person shooting missions and six driving missions, plus you’ll finally know how Mr. Blue made it through the diamond exchange.
Graphics: Movie scenes were regenerated as accurately as possible down to specific camera angles.
Sound: Gun shots, hostages screaming, voice-overs, and tunes from the movie.
Entertainment: This game is worth playing just to see your end-of-level rating, ranging from professional to psychotic. Besides that, you can find out if Mr. Pink survived the final seconds of the film.-Eric Sentianin