Constantine
Xbox, PlayStation 2
Publisher: THQ
VISUALS: Good likenesses of movie cast.
AUDIO: Keanu sound-a-like is hysterical.
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
FUN FACTOR: Good rental for movie fans.
RATING:3 THUMBS UP
John Constantine–initials noted–committed suicide, was belched back from the abyss and is on a mission to take down enough demons to earn a ticket to the pearly gates. It’s a good horror-game premise, but–perhaps because of pressure to release the game simultaneously with the movie–it becomes a standard-issue action title that does nothing to advance the ball. Constantine suffers from too many underdeveloped concepts. You must switch between Constantine’s hometown of Los Angeles and hell (what, they’re not the same place?) and often just perform basic puzzle elements–some impasses can only be removed in hell, which then opens up new paths in the real world. What a waste of brimstone.
Constantine also has access to magic spells–shouldn’t they be prayers?–but they are so base that players will probably just stick to the crucifix-shaped shotgun and dragon’s breath flamethrower. Constantine has a great score, but the action is really punched up by a voice actor that does such a wicked Keanu impression it borders on parody. Not the most evolved movie game, but a decent title for fans that may be willing to look past some warmed-over game play to spend time with their favorite chain-smoking exorcist.
Ys: Ark of Napishtim
PlayStation 2
Publisher: Konami
VISUALS: Excellent use of color–just fun to look at.
AUDIO: Worth buying for game-music fans.
DIFFICULTY: Easy
FUN FACTOR: Old-school action fans will be in heaven.
RATING:4 THUMBS UP
The role-playing genre has seen much evolution in the last 15 or so years–the inclusion of branching story lines, online game play elements and cinematic cut-scenes have really fleshed out the category. But while Square has been busy adding mini-games like Blitz Ball and fashion shows to its flagship Final Fantasy series, itty-bitty developer Falcom has been sticking to its roots. Ys is pretty much the same game today that it was in 1987. And fans (the niche RPGers, all 12 of them) will likely embrace that lack of progression because sometimes it’s good to celebrate the basics.
The game follows the same hero, Adol, on a mission to–wait for it–crush evil on a series of mysterious islands. Action is handled the same way it was all those years ago: with a single button. Adol runs up to an enemy, slashes with his sword, collects points, gets stronger, attacks another enemy. Rinse. Repeat. Ys’ main drawback is that by being so accessible, it’s almost too easy. But for genre fans, it’s still a great ride down memory lane–just do yourself a favor and turn the volume up, as this is as good as classic-style video game music gets.–levi buchanan is a redeye special contributor.
COMING SOON
– Devil May Cry 3, March 1, PS2
– The Shield, March 1, PS2, Xbox
– Star Wars Republic Commando, March 1, Xbox
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Edited by Cara DiPasquale (cdipasquale@tribune.com) and Ben Delery (bdelery@tribune.com)
