CloudEngineer Posted December 13, 2002 Share Posted December 13, 2002 (edited) Jason Hill road tests the 20 biggest games to hit stores this Christmas. 1. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City PS2 The PS2's controversial bestseller has been transported to the '80s -- the decade of big hair, greed and excess. There's a huge Miami-like city to explore, from glitzy beaches to dangerous ghettos. It's twice as big as Liberty City and brimming with characters. You can jump in a high performance car, strap on in-line skates, ride a motorbike, steal a powerboat or even take to the skies in a helicopter. As you attempt to become Vice City's most powerful figure, you'll be rocking to some of the biggest hits of the '80s. 2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets PS2, Xbox, GameCube, PSone, PC Harry's latest adventure is magic. It offers superb cartoon-like visuals and a host of exciting challenges. You can shop for potions in Diagon Alley, sneak through the Magical Menagerie, battle the grumpy Whomping Willow, wander around Hogwarts by day and night, duel with other students, and fight Aragog the spider and the Basilisk. And flying a broomstick to play quidditch is thrilling. Just watch out for the bludger! 3. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers PS2 Based on the first two films, this epic adventure lets you battle Sauron's minions in a stunning recreation of Middle-earth. You can play as Aragorn the Ranger, Legolas the Elf or Gimli the Dwarf, and each has their own fighting style and upgradeable attacks. You can use blocks, parries, thrusts and special moves to slay opponents. The story is smartly entwined with the action. There's also scenes from The Two Towers, allowing fans to get an exclusive preview before the film's Boxing Day release. 4. Age of Mythology PC Transports players to a time when heroes battled with legendary monsters. From the makers of the massively popular Age of Empires games, Mythology plays very similarly to its predecessors. The addition of myth characters such as Medusa, Cyclops, giants and Minotaurs, however, really adds to the fun. If you keep the gods happy, you can also use incredibly potent divine powers, including summoning lightning strikes, earthquakes and meteor showers. 5. Timesplitters 2 PS2, Xbox, GameCube This time-travelling shoot-'em up is an absolute blast. Multi-player games are the highlight, with modes including last-man standing, capture the bag, escort and deathmatch. There's over 100 playable characters, 16 fantastic arenas and the hilarious Monkey Assist mode, where struggling players get friendly primates to help blast their mates. The solo missions see players visit locations like the Wild West, a futuristic Tokyo, 19th century Paris, and Depression-era Chicago. 6. Colin McRae Rally 2 PS2, Xbox A demanding rally simulation that takes realism to a new level. Cars and terrain are incredibly detailed and the exceptional handling is just like the real thing. Vehicles sustain realistic damage, with panels dented or even ripped off. Players take on the role of Colin McRae at the beginning of a three-year contract. On PS2, rally fans also have the excellent WRC Rally Extreme to choose, but Colin just pips it with more realistic car handling. 7. Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem GameCube An extremely clever and entertaining psychological thriller. The adventure spans countless centuries and allows you to control a dozen characters throughout time, each with different abilities. You'll visit ancient Persia, majestic chapels in France and an incredible underground city. Players battle hordes of zombies, cast powerful spells and must fight to keep their sanity. As you encounter diabolical enemies, your sanity meter falls and unnerving events take place. 8. Splinter Cell Xbox I spy a thrilling action adventure game. The exciting missions include infiltrating high-security strongholds, neutralizing enemies, seizing critical intelligence, destroying threatening data and trying to disappear without a trace. The stealth action lets players perform diving somersaults, hang from ledges, peek around walls, grab opponents from behind, and hide enemy bodies. You can devise all manner of cunning methods to avoid detection. 9. The Getaway PS2 One of the most ambitious games ever made, The Getaway features 40sq km of London. Every street, building and even cracks in the road have been replicated. It's a gritty British gangster tale. Action is similar to Grand Theft Auto -- missions involve both driving and on-foot confrontations. The difference is that there's less freedom and more realism -- the compelling storyline and characters provide a movie-like experience. 10. Ratchet and Clank PS2 An appealing and challenging platform game with likeable characters. There are 35 gadgets to earn, like a helipack for hovering in the air, a slingshot for swinging between gaps, and a flamethrower for toasting baddies. Over 15 wacky planets can be explored, and there are lots of giggles and fun challenges, like hover-board racing and puzzles to solve. 11. Unreal Tournament PC One of the year's most highly anticipated PC games doesn't disappoint. Eye-popping graphics and stunning arenas include lush tropical jungles and barren industrial ruins. It must be played against human opponents, whether using networked computers or the Net. 12. Kingdom Hearts PS2 A dazzling, action-packed role-playing adventure from the makers of the Final Fantasy games. Incredibly, there are over 100 Disney characters in the game. Players control 14-year-old Sora, who wields a key that is used like a sword and allows access to different realms. Each of the nine worlds is based on Disney movies, including Aladdin, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Tarzan and Pinocchio. 13. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 PS2, Xbox, GameCube, PSone The best instalment yet of the world's favourite skateboarding game. It offers more freedom than its predecessors. There's no time clock so you can fully explore the massive environments with no constraints. There are even other skaters to chat with, more inventive challenges and levels that change as you play. 14. Sega GT Xbox A shameless copy of Gran Turismo, from the license tests to the menu screens. It is, however, an excellent game, featuring 125 vehicles from manufacturers including Mazda, Ford, Toyota, Honda, Dodge and Nissan. The highlight is racing classic vehicles from the '60s, '70s and '80s in the Chronicle mode. 15. Star Fox Adventures GameCube Armed with an enchanted staff, Fox McCloud must battle against mutated dinosaurs. Not all the prehistoric creatures are enemies though -- you can ride a triceratops called Prince Tricky and command him to help solve puzzles and battle enemies. Fox can also summon spells and transform himself into different beings. 16. WWE Smackdown: Shut Your Mouth PS2 With all-new superstars, an enhanced season mode and more matches than ever, this is another entertaining wrestling game. It's visually impressive, and there are thousands of animations including Superstar signature moves. Players can enter the draft pool and there's a deep-story mode where you can choose your character's destiny. 17. Mario Party 4 GameCube The hilarious party game comes to GameCube, complete with 50 new mini-games. Up to four can play, choosing characters like Donkey Kong, Mario and Yoshi. The clever, fun, little games include racing, target shooting, basketball and amusing games of chance. 18. Rocky PS2, Xbox, GameCube Rocky brings the ageing pugilist out of retirement and provides the most realistic and entertaining boxing simulation yet seen. The movie mode sees Rocky challenging contenders from all films, with video clips adding to the atmosphere. Players must strategically use the ring and a variety of punches to survive gruelling 15-round bouts. 19. Pro Evolution Soccer 2 PS2 This is a beautiful game simulated with incredible realism. Matches are always engrossing, tight contests. Games against two skilled players are as fascinating as watching a World Cup encounter. The Master League mode, which enables players to earn points and use them to buy new players, offers a lengthy and absorbing challenge. 20. Haven: Call of the King PS2 An epic, ambitious game featuring many different styles. It's a platform adventure game, but there's also shooting, vehicle and boat racing, arena combat and space exploration. The transition between each game style is seamless as the adventure unfolds about a young hero's attempt to free his enslaved people. Source: Herald Sun Australia Edited December 13, 2002 by DJ^TuRKiYe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CloudEngineer Posted December 13, 2002 Author Share Posted December 13, 2002 IMHO Splinter cell should be in at first or second place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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