[Joe]

Damn this took me a while to do... And without further adue, here it is : Damn. PS2 has a bunch of shooters being released. And they are all looking mighty fine. This thread is dedicated to the First Person Shooters and the Third Person Shooters coming out for PS2. I will post impressions, information and screen shots of several games. Please feel free to add your own as well.

Red Dead Revolver

From IGN (Preview) -

Now this is weird. Capcom's biggest surprise hit this year is a smokin' western shooter, and it's made in conjunction with an American development company. There is assuredly a story behind the odd couple comprising Capcom Japan of, well, Japan, and Angel Studios, of San Diego, California, a company once known for not making Buggy Boogie for Nintendo 64.

The being that red Dead Revolver is a potentially excellent game, and with Angel Studios and Capcom working closely together in development to complete the game, it is assuredly going to bring gamers something that have been clamoring for since Mad Dog McGree. And with none of the filthy taste that game left in your mouth, either.

But let's not wrapped up in the weirdness of the '80s arcades. Red Dead Revolver is more assuredly a third-person perspective Western-styled cowboy shooter that aims to please gamers with an original arcade-style shooting system and some of the best caricatures of the west we have yet to see in a videogame.

The first thing that impresses a person about Red Dead Revolver is it's Western stylings. Everything about the game is coated with some direct reference to Sergio Leone's Italian-made Western films (see the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly for starters). The lead character is a gaunt mean looking loner who re-appears in a town in which everyone thought he was dead (High Plains Drifter). He even throws a rather forward townsgirl over his shoulder and heads toward the barn...

The game delivers a pretty decent aiming system, although at this point in development that is one of the central issues that Capcom and Angel are grapping with. Nonetheless the aiming system looks to reach its goal, and when the camera system is tuned and polished, and the game is farther along, we'll have an excellent third-person shooter.

So, the targeting system: Players draw their guns with L1 and shoot with R1. You can automatically target enemies or choose to manually target them, which is far more fun. It becomes clear right away that the screen fills up with more than a handful of enemies, at least in the first two levels, and you have a pretty resilient body for such a thin, undernourished body. You draw, and use the R3 button to aim your reticule and blast away. Enemies don't just take one hit, they take several, and so you have the chance to see them responding to each limb or body part that's hit. Hit a foot, and the enemy reaches to grab it in pain. You can shoot a gun out their hand, and then you can run over and pick it up. The targeting system is partially auto- targeting, too. When you target a moving enemy, say for instance, a guy on a horse, the reticule follows him well enough to knock him off the horse. Then, if you're feeling bold enough, you can run over, press R2, and jump on. You can gallop around blasting the crap out of everything.

The backgrounds are also excellently detailed, and the first two levels we played looked very much like a classic Hollywood imitation of the Wild West. Actually, to be perfectly honest at least one of the levels looked like a stunt set from the Universal Studios Western set it uses in its theme park. Stereotypical, yes. Funny, and perfectly good material for a videogame? Oh yes. You get into the action right away, too. You walk into town and a cutscene ensures, and then before you know it, bam! Four guys are shooting at you, and you only have a pistol. Naturally, you're faster and better, and so you nail them all. You can buy new weapons at a gun shop in the second level, where I also bought dynamite to throw.

There is much more to say about this game, but the most pertinent thing for you to know is that Red Dead Revolver is a very good game, it's a funny, personality-driven title, and it's got more character, in-jokes and Western-isms you can shake a ten gallon hat at. Oh, and by the way, red spins his guns like a pro after every litter of bad guys he smokes.

https://www.gamespy.com/e32002/ps2/reddeadrevolver/3.jpg
https://www.gamespy.com/e32002/ps2/reddeadrevolver/5.jpg


Red Faction 2

From www.redfaction2.com (features of the game) -

Earth. Twenty-second century. Five years after the rebellion on Mars.

For 15 years, Chancellor Victor Sopot has oppressed the people of the Commonwealth. His corrupt rule and a relentless war of unification with the United Republic has left the Commonwealth bloodied and impoverished. As distant battles rage, sewage taints Sopot City's rivers, pollution smudges the sky, and wretched citizens huddle in crumbling ruins. The Public Information Building, built by the dictator as a tribute to himself, broadcasts lies about Sopot's bravery and the Commonwealth's military victories.

Condemned to death by Chancellor Sopot, six super-soldiers unite to save their country, vowing to overthrow Sopot using the unique powers that nano-technology has given them. Join the squad as Alias, a demolitions expert. Fight side-by-side with Molov, Repta, Shrike, Tangier, and Quill--each possessing unique attributes and specialties. Battle through diverse environments using vehicles, an arsenal of specialized weapons, and explosives in a mission to overthrow the government. Defeat Sopot and restore the honor of the Commonwealth!

-Revamped Geo-Mod engine
- the only FPS with real-time, arbitrary geometry modification.
-All-new storyline & characters
- fight as a member of an elite squad of six.
-Enhanced graphics and prerendered cutscenes for a completely immersive experience.
-Utilize four varied vehicles in combat, including a tank, a hover flyer and a submarine.
-Acquire superior firepower from multiple boss battles
-14 specialized weapons of mass destruction, including dual-handed pistols and machine guns.
-All-new inventory of useful items
- health kits, night vision goggles, numerous grenades and more.
-Stealth, puzzle solving and action-oriented objectives.
-Advanced AI behavior
- AI works in squads and reacts realistically to events.
-High replay value due to multiple endings based on player actions.
-4 player mode
- split screen death match and create your own bots.
-USB keyboard/mouse support.


From IGN (preview) -

Five years after the rebellion on Mars, THQ has returned to action. As a demolitions expert named Alias, your mission is to meet up with your five specialist squad members and dethrone the powerful dictator Sopot. After 15 years of a ruthless and merciless reign, it's time to end the bloodshed and bring peace to his oppressed people; and so begins the storyline behind Volition, Inc.'s next first-person shooter, Red Faction 2.

Building on the groundbreaking Geo-Mod engine that allowed players to alter and destroy different areas of the game environment in real time, Red Faction 2 is trying to outdo the original in just about every way. Instead of tossing in the ability to destroy your surroundings as a novelty, it will become an integral part of solving puzzles and finding items from level to level. Not to mention the additional elements that can now be manipulated that couldn't have been in the original.

Weapons will be just as powerful as ever, with everything from grenade launchers, sniper rifles, and rail drivers to the brand-new dual-handed weapons and grenades. 15 in all, the explosion- heavy arsenal is primed to mix a healthy dose of first game guns with new items for the sequel. Accompanied on a much heavier level than before, your five squad companions are now completely autonomous and have particular skills that can be applied to individual missions throughout.

Also new to the mix will be full-on USB keyboard and mouse support. Hoping to reel in the PC addicts perhaps who have stayed away from the majority of console FPS titles over the years, Red Faction 2 should have even tighter control than ever before (not to say that the award winning first edition didn't, since it's considered by many to be one of the most brilliant of the genre to ever appear on a home system).

The other big bonus for returning players has to be the all-new four-player split-screen mode. While details on that particular feature have yet to be revealed (no word yet on what kind of cooperative and competitive modes there will be), we do know that there will be customizable CPU opponents. Similar to the bots we've seen in the online world for years, the reportedly clever A.I. foes are set to emulate human competition extremely well.

Slated for stores this winter, Red Faction 2 is easily one of the most anticipated first-person shooters this year. With multiple mission objectives and game endings, refined graphical polishes and smarter A.I., plus the return of several rail-based vehicles like tanks, hover flyers, and submarines, Volition's heavy hitter is already turning heads. Check back with us later this month from the E3 show floor, for hands-on impressions. See you then.

https://www.redfaction2.com/images/sc...2/screen06.jpg
https://www.redfaction2.com/images/sc...2/screen14.jpg