State of Emergency 2
Score: 60% ESRB: Mature Publisher: Southpeak Interactive Developer: DC Studios Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 - 2 Genre: Action/ Shooter
Graphics & Sound: The original State of Emergency came with a ton of hype surrounding it (most of which can be attributed to the popularity of the GTA 3) and stumbled on the actual delivery. State of Emergency 2 not only comes with a new developer and publisher, but also a different play experience that is unlike anything seen in the first game. In some respects this is a good thing; at the same time the game never really builds into anything other than a generic shooter. Visually, State of Emergency 2 is a better looking game than the first. Even with that in mind, the game looks antiquated next to most games you’ll find on the PS2 these days. The game retains the same visual style as the original, with characters receiving a slight upgrade, though they still feel rather stiff. Other characters, like enemies and various rioters, haven’t received much in the way of an overhaul, presumably to keep the framerate from dropping too much during times when multiple characters are on screen. Yet, this isn’t nearly as impressive a feat as it was a few years ago. Audio also comes up short. There’s nothing that stands out as being memorable about the experience other than the terrible voice acting. Characters come off as way too cheesy, to the point where they’re outright annoying to listen to. The game’s writing doesn’t help out all that much either.
Gameplay: State of Emergency 2 takes place almost a decade after the original. Upon entering the game, it is clear that little has changed in the last decade. The Corporation is still in control of everything and the rebel group Freedom is still fighting the good fight against them. The game opens with one of the group’s key leaders, Mack, about to be executed on live TV. Of course, there wouldn’t be much of a game if he died in the first story sequence, so Mack is able to bust out of prison. Once he’s reunited with other Freedom members, Mack sets out to stop a conspiracy-laden plot involving mind control. The inclusion of a story is the first major difference between the original and the sequel. State of Emergency was a wildly incoherent game trying to build on a more free-form style of play. The second game instead places the game in the confines of a third–person shooter. At first, this sounds like a good idea, but once you begin playing it, there is really nothing here to distinguish State of Emergency 2 from other shooters, resulting in a generic experience. The rioting of the original is still present, but in smaller doses. In the developer’s attempt to make the experience more coherent, the game seems to move further away from the original’s unique aspects. The few riots you do participate in don’t feel as chaotic as the original, mostly because rioters really don’t do much beyond running around and yelling a lot. There’s very little noticeable interaction between on-screen characters. On the positive side, the developers try to throw in a variety of play types to keep the game from becoming too much of a bore. While most of the time you’ll find yourself running around and shooting anything and everything in your way, others have you completing assorted other tasks. For example, some sections have you driving vehicles, while others have you manning a machine gun. However, even a variety of play types can’t help to feel as generic as the rest of the game. Instead of branching out and trying new things, the game feels content with sticking to what every other game on the market does. Arcade mode is a minor saving grace. In fact, I found myself returning to the Arcade challenges more than the actual game. The games found in the Arcade mode aren’t that drastically different than the play types found in the main game, but for whatever reason, they just feel more entertaining.
Difficulty: A.I. is flat out stupid and fails to react to anything around it. Nearly every encounter feels almost too scripted to be any real fun. Enemies will always come out at the exact same times and do the exact same things each time you replay an area. Also, guards will always search you out in a single-minded attempt to kill you, even as hundreds of other characters are on-screen raising all kinds of hell. While I’ve never had the opportunity to participate in a riot, I’m pretty sure that the authorities wouldn’t zero in on ONE person and make sure they get him while allowing dozens of other people to freely cause chaos. Any challenge you find is either a result of spotty aiming, an overabundance of enemies (many of which are either expert marksman or near impossible to shoot at) or sparse supply of health packs.
Game Mechanics: State of Emergency 2 uses the now-standard third-person shooter control scheme, so the controls should be immediately familiar to anyone who has played a shooter in the last 5 - 6 years. The controls work, though they aren’t the smoothest or most refined in terms of response. In particular, aiming controls feel a little too loose, even after some fine-tuning in the Options menu. There are attempts to make gameplay a little different, though these are mostly flops. One of the better mechanics is the ability to rally followers to attack. What seems like a good idea isn’t executed all that well. Followers will stick to your commands, but are hampered by the same A.I. problems as enemies. Some missions also give you the option of switching between characters. Each has their own skills which are presumably needed to complete tasks in levels. Sometimes this works, while at other times, there’s no logical sense for the inclusion of a character other than a fresh health bar. Whatever interesting concepts found in State of Emergency 2 are lost in a generic, run-of-the-mill shooter. Instead of expanding and building on solid concepts, the developers chose to build a game like every other one on the market with these concepts shoe-horned in. Even if you enjoyed the first game, there’s little here that is compelling enough to try out.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
Minions of Mirth Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max