Play It:
For PS2 only.



Story:
In the future... Virtua Reality has become THE form of entertainment. EuroDream is about to launch the new Dreamworld Tomorrow VR program. However, the program also comes with pre-installed subliminal messaging. It's mind control! One good-intentioned ED employee has learned of his company's nefarious plot and has taken action. Now he and his girlfriend are targets. Jade must survive, save her boyfriend, and stop the company.

Well hey, we've got a woman rescuing a dude in distress. A little role reversal is nice. The plot ain't too shabby (though cheesy) or overdone either.



Graphics:
No complaints to be had here. They hold up enough to not detract from the experience at all. Destructible objects also break with some nice visuals.



Sound:
Music: Functional. Although some tunes are worthy of a little headbanging, they are pretty redundant and you probably will not remember a single one when the game is done. They also tend to be totally drowned out by the sound effects and sometimes changes several times in a scene. Sometimes it doesn't even play when it should, leaving you to fight in silence. Sound effects are very bland; the gun in particular is weak. On the other hand, the voice acting is better than average. Can't say the same for the script though. One complaint though is that many FMV's end abruptly, cutting off lines, and the Mighty Joe Jupiter in particular all feature a stuttering voice at the end.



Challenge:
Harder than Time Crisis, but once you get the hang of the game it becomes much easier. The only catch is that running out of time is an instant game over. Take too long on a boss and that's it. Seems a little harsh to me.



Enjoyment:
This is where the game falls flat. The game is a pretty straight rip from the Time Crisis book. The game features the ability to duck harm (which you also use to reload), indicates deadly attacks via flashes, a ticking timer, and yellow bad guys who grant you more time if you manage to tag them. All in all, this is probably the most blatant ripoff in the lightgun genre. Too bad they didn't copy the sheer amount of action on screen. Don't expect explosions, giant military-spec vehicles crashing through buildings, or anything more exciting than a trooper firing a few shots at you. Bosses are just typical thugs that keep popping up in subsequent scenes.

Even lamer is they couldn't even copy the custom setup. No second controller footpedals here, you're stuck using the buttons on the gun. I dunno about you, but I CAN'T freaking stand using the Guncon buttons, and I just gave up on using a gun. If you DO decide to use a gun, plug it into the 2nd USB port. Or use the original Guncons.



Replay Value:
On the plus side, the game does have a little random element in it. There's at least a few enemies that don't usually pop up and can surprise you. There's also a (considerably smaller) second game included called Mighty Joe Jupiter. Unlocking bonus features requires beating the game several times (or cheating.)





Rant Session:
The first thing I noticed when I fired up the game is that the GUNS DON'T FUCKING WORK WITH THIS GAME. So much for first impressions. I actually knew about this issue beforehand but forgot about it. The game does not recognize guns in the first-player USB port for some unfathomable reason. The solution is simple: plug the gun in the 2nd port. However, the ease of working around the problem doesn't excuse the fact that THE GUN DOESN'T FUCKING WORK IN THE FIRST USB PORT. I guess everybody at the company naturally uses the 2nd port, because how else could anybody not notice "Hey, the gun's totally not working." Or did anybody even playtest this game?

Oh hey, there's a double gun mode! AWESOME! 2 guns at once is always good. Oh wait, one of the USB ports doesn't work... So one of the guns isn't going to work... So the mode is pretty much USELESS, unless you want to play with 2 controllers at once (aw shit, son!) Let's have another round of applause for the playtesting committee! Okay, the original Guncons will work, but again, it doesn't excuse shitty programming.

In the future, we will have voice-activated appliances, Virtual Reality entertainment, improved military technology, and guns will still only carry SIX fucking bullets in a clip. Thank you Tyler for the weapon. Why don't you just save your money next time and give me a sack of marbles and a rubber band?

Additional non-props go out to the FMV's. Most consist of Jade moving from scene A to scene B. A very select few feature Jade standing around looking confused before 2 shots almost hit her.

At least the game has a wide array of countries to explore, like England, recognizable by right-side steering wheels and the use of the term 'flat'. Then there's France, identified by a French flag and a couple French words on screens. Next is Germany, with it's forests I guess. Is Germany famous for forests? I haven't heard. And Italy, taking place entirely inside a generic base. Finally, there's Switzerland, with the big mountains being prominent... Holy shit, there's actually some geographical representation of the country in question in this level?





Bottom Line:
A poor man's Time Crisis that you can safely overlook. In the future, we will hopefully have better games than this.

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