xbox 360 New Games : The Tenchu Z

The Tenchu Z

Ninjas will invade the Xbox 360 in From Software's latest stealth action game. We tried out a nearly localized build.

Some people may not remember that Tenchu helped start the stealth action craze back on the PlayStation. This took place even a few months before the seminal and more highly regarded Metal Gear Solid exploded onto the scene.

The original Tenchu let you choose one of two master ninjas and then embark on a series of important secret missions throughout feudal Japan. In these missions, you used your stealth, guile, and bag of ninja tricks to assassinate important targets, sabotage enemy operations, and gather sensitive information. From Software is now finishing up a new entry in the Tenchu series for the Xbox 360, and we got to try out a nearly finished English version. Some of the particulars have changed in Tenchu Z, but the underlying formula in the series is definitely still here.

There seems to be less focus on the storyline in Z because you won't take control of past named main characters, such as Rikimaru. Instead, there's more emphasis on customization. You'll choose between a male or female lead ninja, whom you can then trick out with the usual custom-character assortment of faces, hairstyles, and types of ninja garb. More important than your appearance is the distribution of your various skills, which you'll tweak before you start the game itself.

You'll have a fixed number of points to distribute to your movement speed, health bar, and attacking power, so you can influence your overall ninja ability to an extent. You'll then get to visually spec out and name a partner (whose gender seems by necessity to be the opposite of your own), but after playing a handful of missions, we didn't notice that our partner had an effect on anything but a few end-level cutscenes.

All that customization stuff is relatively new, but the action within the missions is classic Tenchu. You'll begin at a little hub camp in the forest where you can equip a set number of ninja goodies. These include throwing stars, smoke bombs, explosive darts, and so on. Then you'll talk to your master to receive your next mission (of which there are about 50 in total).

The game's first few missions proceed in a linear fashion, but they'll soon branch out and allow you to skip around a little bit as you progress through the storyline, which seems fairly thin so far. Our objectives in the first few missions included killing a couple of high-profile bad guys, collecting a number of bombs that had been scattered around a village, and making our way across an occupied town to cross a bridge into enemy territory.

In practical terms, you'll accomplish all of those objectives by sneaking around and cutting throats a whole lot. This is how Z is closest to all the preceding Tenchu games: You've got the same color-based enemy-proximity indicator, along with a Splinter Cell-style meter indicating your relative visibility, to help you remain hidden from the numerous guards that you'll want to neutralize silently.

Performing a stealth kill is as easy as getting behind an enemy and hitting the attack button. Additionally, if more than one enemy is nearby and none of them detect you, you can actually kill all of them in a combo kill if you have the right timing.

However, we encountered some preternaturally observant enemies in our build, some of whom could see us in places where it seemed like we'd be safely hidden, so pulling off stealth kills will require a lot of patience and care.

Of course, if an enemy spots you, you'll have to fight him head-on, which seems a tad clunky right now but is mostly manageable. You can lock on to an enemy and circle around him or flip over him while throwing sword combos and the occasional ranged attack his way.

Luckily, you can escape back into the shadows with relative ease because your character is a lot more nimble than your enemies. Plus, the trademark grappling hook in the series returns, which allows you to take to the rooftops in just a few seconds to evade pursuers.

But you'll suffer other penalties for repeatedly getting noticed because the game grades just about every aspect of your performance in a given mission. Everything from mission duration to number of stealth kills and number of times caught to the manner in which you killed the boss character will contribute to (or deduct from) your final score.

Your final rating will be tallied and then converted into the amount of gold you'll receive, which you'll use to buy new ninja items, attack combos, special abilities, and so on. However, there are a lot of things that can heavily impact your income. For instance, getting spotted by a guard deducts a relatively huge amount from your final score.

In another example, playing on the easy difficulty will only award you 90 percent of your original total. Before we got the hang of it, we actually managed to receive no money upon successfully completing several missions early in the game.

But luckily, you can replay any mission over and over to earn extra gold, which will buff up your character something fierce.

Our build of Tenchu Z was still a little rough around the edges, with some localized text still in need of polish and various cinematic animations missing. But the fundamental gameplay seemed to be on the money for Tenchu fans (aside from a few stealth-related oddities).

So the real question will have to do with the amount of variety and replayability that will or won't exist in the whole of the game's dozens of missions. We'll have the final word on that with our full review of the game in June.

New PSP Games : Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas, PQ2 : Practical Intelligence Quotient, Puzzle Scape, Zendoku

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas

Ubisoft is bringing its upcoming Clancy sequel to Sony's handheld, though it's not just a cheap port of the console version. We get a gander at Vegas PSP.

It should come as no surprise that Ubisoft is working on a handheld version of Rainbow Six Vegas--the upcoming fifth installment in the popular Tom Clancy-inspired tactical shooting series--for the PlayStation Portable. But it might surprise you that the PSP version of Vegas is more than just a straight, stripped-down port of the game soon to hit the Xbox 360 and PS3.

The PSP's Vegas is actually a related but separate game being created by a 50-person team at Ubisoft's Quebec City studio, and we got to try out a bit of the game's single- and multiplayer modes to see how it's coming along in advance of its early-December release date.

Like its console brethren, Vegas on the PSP will take place in and around, well, Las Vegas--but otherwise, the storyline and characters are different. On the PSP, you'll primarily take control of Rainbow operative Brian Armstrong, who has teamed up with sniper specialist Shawn Rivers on what seems like a routine rescue mission. But before long, a new threat is revealed: a covert terrorist organization led by an evil guy named Lucas Picares, who's bent on poisoning the local public-water supply, among other things. Naturally, Armstrong and Rivers' objective quickly shifts to stopping Picares and his minions from wreaking whatever brands of havoc they've come up with.

The single-player portion of Vegas on the PSP plays similarly to most other first-person shooters you've seen on the platform, with customizable controls that can put movement and looking on the face buttons, D pad, or analog stick. Aside from that, Vegas seems to feature most of the features you'd want out of a Rainbow Six game, and in fact it borrows some of the new gameplay features from the console versions of Vegas. You can back up against cover in a third-person view, and the game luckily features a lock-on that will let you select between body and head shots.

The under-the-door snake camera will also make an appearance here so you can see what kind of tangos you'll be facing in the next room. Finally, you'll get to switch from Armstrong to Rivers at key moments in the story, such as when precision sniping is required. The campaign is said to take place across a number of environments--including a ranch, private airport, water filtration plant, and a dam (perhaps that little Hoover one?)--as you chase Picares and his cronies from one location to the next.

On the multiplayer side, Vegas will present a fairly modest six-player offering that will at least work with both ad hoc and infrastructure modes. Survival and team survival modes will be on offer, which are essentially Rainbow Six's slightly more tactical versions of deathmatch and team deathmatch. We didn't get to see a list of the available maps when we got to play a quick survival match, but Ubisoft says this competitive mode will feature "classic" multiplayer maps from past games that fans should recognize.

Rainbow Six Vegas seems to be shaping up into a competent shooter so far, and it's nice to see Ubi putting some effort into making its own beast on the PSP, rather than just dumbing down the console version and shoving it out the door. The platform hasn't traditionally been very hospitable to FPS games, but hopefully Rainbow Six's more slowly paced, strategic brand of shooting action will translate well to the available controls. We'll have the final word when Rainbow Six Vegas ships on the PSP in December.

PQ2 : Practical Intelligence Quotient

PQ2 uses a measuring system that was created under the guidance of Professor Masuo Koyasu of Kyoto University in Japan that determines players' 'Practical Intelligence Quotient' or PQ.

Puzzle Scape

Puzzle Scape is an action block busting puzzle game for the PSP, featuring 3D visuals, and gameplay that revolves around arrange blocks of

different colors into chains that are exploded by 2x2 same colored blocks.

Zendoku

Zendoku Hands-On

We go up against sudoku black belts as we check out Eidos' upcoming puzzler.

Cheat : Final Fantasy XII Unlockables

Final Fantasy XII Unlockables

Unlockable Fishing Spots

Once the Fishing mini-game began, you can only fish in the Lower Reaches fishing spot.

However, you can unlock more fishing spots when get to certain requirements.

Unlockable- How to Unlock

Master Den- Fish up Cactoid Crest un the Secret Reaches
Secret Reaches -Fish up Cactoid Bond in the Upper Reaches with Matamune
Upper Reaches -Get 5 perfect fishing in the Middle Reaches
Middle Reaches -Get 5 perfect fishing in the Lower Reaches
Taikou Chest (treasure) -Get 9 perfect fishing in the Master Den

Sky Pirate's Den Figurines

Unlockable -How to Unlock

Vaan -Awarded for stealing 50 times from enemies.
Ashe -Awarded for having the average party level over 50.
Balthier -Awarded for attacking 300 times.
Fran- Awarded for using magic 200 times.
Basch -Awarded for killing 500 foes.
Penelo -Awarded for getting 100,000 gil.
Vayne- Awarded for using techniques 100 times.
Montblanc- Awarded for attaining (monster) chain level 50.
Gurdy -Awarded for using/spending 1,000,000 gil.
Chocobo -Awarded for walking 50,000 steps.
Migelo- Awarded for selling 1000 loot.
Dalan -Awarded for completing every map.
Reks -Awarded for earning 500,000 clan points.
Gabranth -Awarded for initiating every fusion technique.
Ba'Gamnan -Awarded for completing the hunt catalog.
Vossler -Awarded for obtaining every character's techniques.
Crystal -Awarded for obtaining every character's magics.
Belias -Awarded for obtaining every esper.
Trickster -Awarded for defeating the monster, Trickster.
King Behemoth -Awarded for defeating the monster, King Behemoth.
Gilgamesh -Awarded for defeating the monster, Gilgamesh.
Zodiac -Awarded for defeating the esper, Zodiac.
Yazmat -Awarded for defeating the monster, Yazmat.
Carrot -Awarded for defeating the monster, Carrot.
Fafnir -Awarded for defeating the monster, Fafnir.
Hell Wyrm -Awarded for defeating the monster, Devil Dragon.
Ultima -Awarded for defeating the esper, Ultima.
DeathGaze -Awarded for defeating the monster, Death Gaze.
Rasler -Awarded for mastering all character's license board.
Mimic? -Unlock and buy all Monographs and Canopic Jar, also create

and buy several Bazaar items to unlock.

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PS2 Games Review : Indigo Prophecy

Indigo Prophecy is a game that actually gives the term "cinematic gameplay" some context, as well as some real heartfelt meaning.

The Good: One of the best game stories to come along in quite a while; deep, richly textured characters you will grow incredibly attached to; inventive gameplay mechanics excellently tie together with the onscreen action ; high-quality voice acting and soundtrack; great atmosphere.

The Bad: Story has its flaws, as it feels like it's missing a few key points of explanation; not exactly impressive on the graphics front; some of the more traditional adventure elements aren't great; camera can be a royal pain.

The term "cinematic gameplay" gets tossed around an awful lot these days. And it's often tossed around by game makers who simply throw in a few letterboxed cutscenes and minimalist heads-up displays and then just call it a day. Developer Quantic Dream's Indigo Prophecy is a game that actually gives cinematic gameplay some context, as well as some real heartfelt meaning. More movie with an interactive progression than video game pretending to be a movie, Indigo Prophecy eschews practically any modern gameplay convention in favor of a significantly more subtle mechanical interface. You take part in every action in Indigo Prophecy--from the biggest fight sequence, to the most minor of day-to-day tasks--and you do it all with simple movements of the analog sticks on your controller, or with some quick button presses that are more akin to a rhythm game than a typical third-person adventure. But where Indigo Prophecy truly shines is in its story, which is a deep, captivating, and sometimes disturbing tale of one average man's journey to solve a murder that he himself committed.

The average man in question is Lucas Kane, a handsome but worn gentleman who lives his life as any IT professional in the great city of New York would. Kane's life takes a decidedly dark turn one night, however, when he decides to visit a local diner. In the very opening scene of the game we find Lucas sitting in a bathroom stall, convulsing and carving bizarre symbols into his forearms. An unlucky schmo happens into the bathroom during this period, and Lucas, seemingly unable to control his actions, attacks him, stabbing him multiple times. Moments after the killing, Lucas returns to his senses, only to be equal parts horrified and stupefied by his actions. From here you take control of Lucas, and it's up to you to get him the hell out of there.

This opening sequence gives you an excellent glimpse into how thoroughly intertwined Indigo Prophecy's plot and gameplay are. Presented with a corpse, a murder weapon, and one of NYPD's finest sitting out in the restaurant, it's up to you to decide how to proceed. Should you take the time to hide the body, ditch the weapon, clean yourself up, and try to casually make your way out of there? Or will you simply make a run for it as quickly as possible? You can do any or all of these things, and the outcomes will vary from a very quick game over screen to you getting Kane the hell out of dodge. And first and foremost, that's what Indigo Prophecy is about: choice. Every decision made and every question asked takes the story in a slightly different direction. Of course, in most cases these changes are merely cosmetic, simply letting the core scene play out marginally differently while ultimately pushing you toward the same goal. But in more than a few cases, your choices will drastically change the flow of the story.

And what incredible directions they can be. It is with no amount of exaggeration that we state Indigo Prophecy features one of the best stories so far this year, as well as a remarkable amount of character depth. The game is like an unholy mixing of The X-Files, The Dead Zone and CSI, with sprinklings of The Matrix and Shenmue thrown in for good measure. But the incredible thing is that it never flies off the rails, no matter how ambitious its intentions are. The story dives into some truly morbid territory, with its ritualistic killings, deeply troubled protagonist, and downright intriguing backstory. We won't give any of the main plot points away, but needless to say, there's an awful lot more to Lucas Kane's plight than mere loss of mental and bodily control, including a series of past, similar murders and a mysterious cold front that's literally burying the city in snow.

You won't just experience Lucas Kane's story, either. Early on you'll be introduced to two other main characters, Detectives Carla Valenti and Tyler Miles. The detectives are the ones assigned to the murder Kane commits, and right from the start we get to know these characters just about as intimately as we do Kane. Carla professes herself to be the obsessive type, transfixing herself on any case that comes her way. Tyler's more the streetwise type--the cop you'd expect to see shaking down narcotics informants and busting up gangs during the day, while clubbing it up at night. Carla and Tyler are both playable throughout the story, and it makes for an interesting scenario. While Kane is clearly not culpable for his wrongdoings, here you are playing two law enforcement officers on the opposite side of the law from this accused murderer, with no understanding of the circumstances beyond the fact that one man killed another. In effect, you're helping two sides that are both intentionally and unintentionally working against each other.

Other characters are introduced into the fold, like Lucas' ex-girlfriend, Tyler's current girlfriend, and Lucas' priest-brother Markus (who is also periodically playable)--not to mention the villains behind all this. And even though the main three characters are really where the game devotes its focus, it doesn't leave the other ones underdeveloped. Lucas, for instance, goes to his brother not long after the murder in search of guidance. Markus shows a great deal of conflict during this scene. He loves his brother, but he can't begin to believe his incredible story. He wants to help but is also bound by his faith and his perception of reality. The game doesn't treat the terrible crime that Lucas has committed ambiguously, nor do the characters within it. Though some are willing to help, effectively Lucas is a man without a country.

All in all, this is a sharply written game with a lot of depth. With that said, it does have its problems. Namely, the later portions of the game take some sizable leaps, both in logic and coherency. There's a big chunk where it seems like the developer went from point A to point C without writing in a convincing point B. Getting into too many details beyond this would give too much away, but it basically boils down to key characters being too willing to simply dive headfirst into seemingly unbelievable situations, despite appearing much more cautious and intelligent earlier on. There are also elements that feel out of place, especially early on. Tyler's main storyline seems to act more as comic relief than anything else, and when he's not making wisecracks while on the investigation, he's investing time in his relationship or playing basketball against coworkers. In fact, the early goings of the game center a bit too heavily around mundane tasks in general. So basically, the story needed about 45 minutes cut from the first act, and it needed about 90 minutes more added to the last one.

It also bears mentioning that at times the branching paths of the story sometimes lead to problematic conclusions...especially in the end. There are three different endings to the game, and the big final conflict can either be pretty damned good or pretty lackluster, depending on how you end up there and how you play it. In fact, you actually get the best, most dramatic final battle if you intentionally lose during certain portions. Fortunately, once you've beaten the game, you can go back and select any of the game's 40-some-odd chapters to replay them however you like, ensuring you won't miss out on the best story paths and endings. That's good, because the first play-through is unlikely to yield more than eight to 10 hours of gameplay. But there are enough different options to squeeze at least a few more hours out of the game beyond that.

It's unfortunate the story takes these uneven turns, because it really is incredibly good overall. It's got far more emotional impact, drama, and character development than what's often required of a video game these days, and even with its rough spots, it has more than enough fantastic moments to keep you engaged as you play it.

Yes, believe it or not, you do actually play Indigo Prophecy. The reason we've talked up the plot so much is because your enjoyment of the game will hinge very largely on how into the story you get. The actual game portion of Indigo Prophecy doesn't really require an awful lot of skill on your part, save for certain sequences. Instead, it asks you to simply explore and engage the many environments, characters, and tasks before you by using simple, unobtrusive control mechanics that place you right in the thick of the scene--without relying on generic "action" buttons or heavy shooting sequences.

PS2 Games Review : Winning Eleven 2007

Konami's sixth Pro Evolution Soccer title plays a superb game of football but offers little in the way of new features.

The Good: The most refined Pro Evolution Soccer yet; more features than the xbox 360 version; online mode with support for eight players.

The Bad: Only a few little tweaks to the gameplay; little change to the master league mode; dreadful menu presentation.

The second word of "Pro Evolution Soccer" proves to be more appropriate with each passing year, thanks to incremental updates that never go beyond slowly evolving Konami's winning formula. True, the series has long offered deep and rewarding gameplay, but the lack of innovation has become increasingly apparent of late. The tweaks that Konami has made to the match engine have produced a more refined game, but there's not a hint of the revolution attempted by EA Sports in most annual FIFA updates. There are also only a handful of new features, chief of which are eight-player online support, an increase in the number of licensed teams, and an international challenge mode.

It will take you quite a few practice games to adjust to the new playing style of Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 (known as Pro Evolution Soccer 6 in Europe), which is even faster than last year's game. One of the more noticeable improvements is in player animation, with polish added to the already astounding movement. There's more tangibility in the way they interact with each other and the ball, and collisions and tumbles better reflect the physical nature of the game. Pro Evolution Soccer is a game that rewards real-world tactics, and the lifelike movement of the players only adds to this suspension of disbelief.

In terms of playing the game, Konami has made a number of tweaks that certainly make this the tightest Pro Evolution Soccer yet. It's now easier to dribble the ball while running, with players keeping it closer to their feet. However, defending players are much more effective at relieving you of the ball, and they're certainly favoured in one-on-one situations. As a result, you have to adapt your game toward making quick, short passes that are accurately directed to the intended player. You should definitely be facing the recipient when passing, as indirect passes often end up short or off-target.

Konami has also created an even larger gulf between the star players in the world and everyone else. Players such as Henry and Adriano are lethal at cutting swathes through a defence or outpacing nearly anyone down the wing. Teams like Inter and Brazil are unstoppable if you can combine a possession game with the use of the radar at the bottom of the screen.

Picking out players with a crafty through ball is now the most effective way of getting on goal. Previously dependable tactics, such as running along the goal line and pulling the ball back into the box, are now met with defenders ready to clear the ball away. Goalkeepers are now much better at deflecting powerful shots over the line, as opposed to spilling them in front of goal. And for the advanced players among you, there are around eight new moves including tricks, feints, and turns. In short, it's the most rewarding game of Pro Evolution Soccer yet, and even though EA Sports is chasing hard, this year's Pro Evolution game just edges out FIFA 07 on gameplay.

That's not to say that the game is perfect. In last year's game the referees were extremely card-happy and it hindered the pace of the match, but this year's game has swung too far the other way. Blatant fouls frequently go unpunished, and teammates are now eager to slide in for hard tackles when they're not under your control. It never resulted in a penalty kick during testing, but we've occasionally been punished with a yellow card as a result of a foul made on our behalf. Time your strikes right, and attackers are now much more eager to take volleyed shots if they're on the end of an accurate cross, but as in real life, only the best strikers can mix flair and accuracy. And while it was always difficult to score free kicks, it now seems nigh-on impossible unless you're using the world's best free-kick takers.

What's most surprising is how different the PlayStation 2 version is to its Xbox 360 counterpart. Whereas the "next-gen" version runs at a somewhat sluggish pace, the PS2 game is blisteringly fast and undoubtedly the more fluid game. The differences extend off the pitch as well, with the PS2 version allowing you to extensively edit player and team information so you can update rosters throughout the season. Many people like to save their goal replays to a memory card, and while this has been omitted from the 360 version, it has thankfully remained on PS2. Of the extra gameplay modes, the memorial match keeps track of wins, losses, and average goals between friends, while the international challenge pulls together three European and American cups of between six and 32 teams. Finally, Konami's online service lets you play games with up to eight players over the Internet, which trumps Xbox Live's support for only two players. On the other hand, the PS2 version lacks the Xbox 360 game's Teatro Blanco and Antlion Colosseum stadiums, although it does have more stadiums overall.

PS2 Games Review : FIFA 07

FIFA 07 plays a fast-paced and realistic game of soccer and boasts plenty of gameplay options for solo and social players alike.

The Good: Looks great; sounds superb; plays an enjoyable, fast-paced game of soccer; interactive leagues are a great new way to play online.

The Bad: Defensive players are a bit lazy; noticeable slowdown when there are lots of players onscreen.

Almost a year to the day since the release of FIFA 06, EA Sports has released that game's inevitable sequel, FIFA 07 for the PC, the PlayStation 2, and the Xbox. Last year's game could only be described as the best FIFA game to date; so the question, of course, is whether or not EA Canada has improved upon that game in any meaningful way. Not all of the changes that have been implemented since last year's game have been for the better, but there are more than enough improvements here to make FIFA 07 worth a look.

On the pitch, for example, you'll find that FIFA 07 plays a quite different game of soccer to its predecessor, though initially it can be difficult to figure out exactly what has changed. One of the few obvious changes to this year's game is that players accelerate and decelerate more realistically, which means that they can't turn nearly as quickly when they're moving at speed. This results in your needing to pass the ball more, and depending on your play style, you might find that your trick (right analog) stick gets a lot more use than it did last year when you're attempting to beat opposing players in one-on-one situations. Both passing and using trick moves are a little more challenging in FIFA 07 than they were in 06, and because that's true for both teams (and because tackling when you're on defense is still relatively easy), the result is often that ball possession changes more frequently.

Trick moves have become more challenging not because they have a lower success rate, but simply because the controls for them are a little less forgiving. The section on trick moves in the FIFA 07 instruction manual bears more than a passing resemblance to a special-moves list for a fighting game, and the tricks available to you vary according to whether your player is running or standing still at the time. Passing the ball hasn't become more difficult per se; you just can't take it for granted as much because the accuracy of your passes is now dependant on the positioning of your player in relation to both the ball and his intended target. A pass to a player directly in front of you when you have the ball at your feet, for example, is more likely to succeed than a pass to a teammate who is barely in your players' field of vision, particularly if you're trying to make that pass on your first touch after receiving the ball at waist height. Lengthy strings of one-touch passes, then, are more difficult in FIFA 07 than in previous games, which adds a nice risk-versus-reward mechanic any time you attempt one rather than take a moment to get the ball under control.

Shots at goal are also greatly affected by the positioning and balance of your player, as well as by how well he has the ball under control. If you try to play the game just like FIFA 06, you'll watch a lot of your shots fly wide of the goal and into the crowd. This can be frustrating at times, but the flipside is that spectacular, almost unbelievable goals in the game are now the exception rather than the norm, which is certainly a good thing. That's not to say that scoring goals in FIFA 07 is difficult, though, because it isn't. Defenders generally back off attacking players a little too much, and the goalkeepers, although good at stopping shots for the most part, are a little too prone to spilling the ball when they do. Worthy of note is the new "finesse shot" feature that, using a modifier button that needs to be held down when taking a shot, lets you unleash shots that are more accurate but less powerful. It's not a feature that we've felt inclined to use a great deal, but if you've already beaten the defense and rounded the keeper it's a great way to avoid embarrassing open-goal misses.

Another way that you can avoid potentially embarrassing mistakes, though in a much more subtle way, is to keep your team's momentum up. Your momentum, as indicated by a performance meter in the top-left corner of the screen, is an indication of how well your players think the game is going, as determined not only by the current score but also by recent events on the pitch. It's entirely possible, then, for your team to be a couple of goals down but your players will still be playing their very best football or, by the same token, to be winning a game but struggling to contain their opponents. It's difficult to quantify just how much of an effect momentum has on your players' behavior, but it's definitely noticeable, and we've enjoyed numerous matches in which the run of play has shifted between the two teams several times.

Matches like those, along with one-sided goalfests, are perhaps the ones that best show off one of FIFA 07's most improved features--in-game sound. The commentary from ITV's Clive Tyldesley and Sky Sports' Andy Gray isn't nearly as repetitive as it has been in previous years, and it's both accurate and well delivered to boot. Complementing the commentary team's efforts perfectly is the noise from the crowd, which changes dramatically according to what's happening on the field and which of the teams is playing at home. Many of the teams in FIFA 07 have specific crowd chants (it's generally just the name of the team being shouted over and over again, but it's still neat), and these will give way to thunderous applause and cheering or venomous boos and whistles as the action dictates. One especially nice touch is that if a home team is winning comfortably and passing the ball around without their opponents getting a touch, the home crowd will start to cheer every completed pass individually--mocking the away side in exactly the same way you'd expect them to in real life. Furthermore, when the crowd is quiet, you'll occasionally hear the players calling to each other, though it's far easier to make out what they're saying if you're on the practice ground with no crowd at all.

PS2 Games Review : SBK'07 Superbike World Championship

SBK '07 is a good mix of simulation and arcade-style racing, and it's a welcome change of pace from the Moto GP series of racing games.

The Good: Caters to both arcade and simulation players; accessible while also offering depth; fantastic bike and rider animations; highly customisable.

The Bad: Simple presentation; basic trackside detail and sound; limited number of tracks; no psp linkup or online play.

The world of two-wheeled motor sports is dominated by two disciplines--the glamorous Moto GP category on one side, and the more down-to-earth Superbike World Championship on the other. Compared to the custom-built vehicles of the former, superbikes are modified versions of those that are sold all over the world. As a result, Superbikes attracts plenty of interest from bike modders and manufacturers alike, with the famous phrase "Win on Sunday, sell on Monday" referring to just how important race outcomes can be. However, this interest hasn't led to any SBK video games since EA published an official tie-in back in 2001. It's fitting, then, that the same developer is responsible for bringing the license back to the gaming world for the 2007 season--and the game not only does the sport justice, but it's also a refreshing alternative to the numerous Moto GP games on the market.

The key goal for Milestone has been to accommodate both casual race fans and simulation enthusiasts in SBK'07. When you first start playing the game you'll find it to be a highly accessible arcade racer which can easily be picked up from the first race. However, switch to the simulation mode and it develops into an incredibly realistic reproduction of the sport. Basic skills such as braking and steering become a lot more difficult, while even on the straights you'll be wrestling with the power of the bike just to keep it under control. You can alternate between the two styles or tweak individual settings to reach a compromise. For example, you can turn on braking assistance, or turn off motorbike damage if you're finding it too difficult. As the game can be played in its entirety in any way you wish, it offers a customisable level of depth from the start.

SBK'07 offers all of the game modes that we've come to expect from the genre. The main focus is on the championship mode, which presents 11 official tracks on which to practice, qualify, and race. You're given the choice to skip the prerace stages if you like, and if you're playing on the arcade mode you'll find that it's not necessary to be at the front of the starting grid. You can choose a bike and a rider from 15 teams at the start of the game, although some riders need to be unlocked by winning races. The length of races can be altered to the length of your choice, while the difficulty level has three settings, rookie, amateur, and professional. Again, arcade players shouldn't have much problem winning races at the medium level, and even the professional-level opponents don't present too much of a challenge once you've learnt the tracks. Aside from the championship mode, you can choose to play individual time trials and races, as well as the full weekend of qualifying and racing for any of the venues. The challenge mode is perhaps the most difficult part of the game, as you're disqualified for having even one wheel stray from the track when you're racing. Nonetheless, the acceleration, skidding, time trial, and chase games let you hone your driving skills and win some bonuses in the process.

On the multiplayer side, two players can jump in and play any race from the game in either the quick race or time trial modes. Most options can be tweaked in this mode, including bikes, rider, and opponent artificial intelligence, but we'd have liked to be able to change the difficulty level for individual players to make it fairer. For example, if a real fan of the game is playing a rookie friend, it would have been fun to put the former player on the simulation mode and the latter on arcade. With many recent PS2 racers featuring an online mode, it's a shame that it's missing from SBK '07. It's also a letdown that no PlayStation Portable linkup mode has been included. The PSP game may contain fewer tracks and racers than its big brother, but it would still have been cool to transfer your career to the PSP to take on the move.

While the choice between racing and simulation styles is a big draw for SBK'07, the main reason that it succeeds comes down to a fantastic racing model. The excellent animation means that you really feel as if you're playing as the human being rather than the bike, and the game really conveys the struggle between man and machine in a convincing, compelling way. This is especially true at the simulation level, where merely accelerating too quickly is enough to send the front wheel up in the air. While the Moto GP games have also successfully captured this, the simulation mode in SBK will give dedicated players a very accurate feeling of controlling some of the fastest bikes in the world as well as tweaking them extensively should you so desire. Even with these issues taken away in the arcade mode, the game still challenges you to learn the basics of braking, accelerating, and cornering in order to win. The collisions also look bone-crunchingly realistic, giving you a dilemma over whether to cause spectacular pileups at the beginning of the race or try to escape unscathed.

While 11 tracks might not seem like that many, they're sure to be instantly recognisable to anyone with a passing interest in the sport. Silverstone, Brands Hatch, and Donnington make up a healthy collection for the British Isles, while Monza, Valencia, and Magny-Cours are sure to be popular with international fans. They're also all available from the beginning of the game, meaning you can visit your favourite circuit the first time you play if you wish. SBK'07 also has a healthy approach to unlockables, with plenty of bonuses available for those who want to win every race in every different game mode. For example, come first in a race and you'll be able to turn over three cards from a selection, with early bonuses such as ghost cars recorded by members of the development team. Work your way through the races and you'll unlock cheats, pictures, and videos.

In terms of presentation, SBK'07 is fairly simple. Like the sport itself, there's an unhealthy obsession with young girls in skimpy outfits, who adorn the majority of menus, loading screens, and videos. Each location features a short introduction clip which gives some sense of occasion to the proceedings, but the tracks themselves lack the sheer noise and atmosphere of a real racing event. Part of this has to do with the rather simple trackside details, but they've clearly been sacrificed in order to keep 20 riders moving without any effect on the frame rate. To give the developers credit, they've managed to capture the realistic movement and physics of the bikes while maintaining a smooth game. On the audio side, generic rock tracks combine with average crowd noise to create a fairly unremarkable soundtrack. Perhaps some commentary or more imaginative atmospheric effects would have improved this aspect of the game, but fans will be pleased with the audio reproduction of the bikes themselves.

The decision to make SBK’07 both an arcade and simulation game will let you choose the short of experience you want to get from it. If you simply want to jump in and enjoy the thrills of superbike racing without any of the spills, the arcade mode gives you the keys to some of the coolest bikes in the world. If, however, you take it more seriously and have an interest in every minutia of the sport, SBK'07 also caters to your needs. In either mode, though, SBK'07 is a fun, rewarding, and even educational experience, and one that should certainly be experienced by racing fans.

By : Guy Cocker