Play It:

For the arcade only.



Story:

A military team is dispatched to destroy a terrorist organization.

The story is unremarkable, except for the fact that it is so unremarkable. I just told you everything the game does. Seriously. You're out to destroy the headquarters of an organization that's never named, although the leader is. Exactly what the 'terrorists' are doing or what their motives are is never discussed. You don't actually meet the leader in person (unless he was in one of those bosses) and there is only 2 or 3 lines of dialog from the enemy in the entire game. For all you know, you could just be a mercenary army. The game doesn't even have a real conclusion, setting up potential for a sequel. Or perhaps an extra story mode for a home port? Of course, we never play these games for the plots, so I guess maybe Namco did us a favor by skipping it.



Graphics:

Really nice. Of course, the real beauty is in the explosions, debris, and destruction that goes on at almost all times.



Sound:

It's an arcade game. Therefore, I can't really hear the music. However, there are a couple of licensed songs by a real band, or at least I think. They're screaming emo though, which is just what I'd listen to if I went to Iraq. Thankfully, they are relegated to the opening and credits. Once again, the sound effects are almost impossible to hear, except this time it's because you're probably only going to be able to hear your automatic weapon firing nonstop. Amazingly, the voice acting is actually good. Of course, like I said, there is virtually no plot, so all the dialog is almost entirely shouted commands. Also, is that the voice of Paul Eiding (Metal Gear, Syphon Filter, and the original Transformers) I hear?



Challenge:

On the easy side. I'd definitely say it's easier than Time Crisis 3 or 4. It does contain a degree of self-adjusting difficulty to keep things from getting stale. However, there is a rather large amount of set enemy behavior. Much of it are sudden unexpected attacks (also known as "cheap shots"), but once you get caught by one, you can remember it and probably never get hit again. There is a time limit, but it provides virtually no pressure. You will probably get pretty trashed the first time you play, but you can quickly adapt.



Enjoyment:

This game is the spiritual sequel to Crisis Zone. There's no STF, no VSSE, but it plays like a Crisis title. Although there is a timer, there is no crisis in the time, which is probably why it isn't a Time Crisis. So, basically it plays just like Crisis Zone did. If you didn't play it, the game requires you to take a fully automatic weapon and go to town on the enemies, anything they hide behind, and pretty much everything. This game is what Crisis Zone should have been in the first place. The environment is not just background destruction, it plays a role in the game. Benches, tables, and even walls crumble as they get shot up, reducing the amount of cover they provide for enemies. In addition, numerous objects explode or fall, resulting in death to nearby enemies. There's a lot more killers than the ONE exploding barrel in the arcade version of Crisis Zone.

Okay, so other than gratuitous destruction of property, what else has the game got? Well, nothing really, but like I said, it plays like a Crisis title, which means chaos will be going on at all times. You are actually part of a team, and you'll get to watch them locked in combat at times. Furthermore, some of the enemies in this game are absolute beasts. It's like Metal Gear Solid 4, except you regularly go up against Geckos or Metal Gears.

I have no gripes about the gameplay, but I do take issue with some design choices of the cabinet. First, and this is just a personal preference really, is that the lightgun is a submachine gun rather than a rifle like GHOST Squad. I just find using a rifle more comfortable. Plus, the characters have rifles in the game. Second, and this may just be the one I played (which was a deluxe cabinet), but the cords connecting the weapons were really short. I'm not especially tall (5.10), but I was forced to hold the weapon slightly below my comfortable firing height. A taller player may need to fire from the hip. Perhaps Gameworks reduced the length, but I don't see why they would.

It is nice to see a shooter provide such nice environmental destruction. You can make a room look totally different from when you entered. But the game takes place in a war-torn city, which means many places are already in shambles. I mean, sure watching some early 80's junkers do a demo derby is fun to watch, but seeing several Porsche's smash into each other is so much more satisfying.

For a second opinion, my brother enjoyed the game, though not as much as GHOST Squad. He told me that he usually couldn't even see the enemy he was shooting at. Now THAT'S how intense the game gets.



Replay Value:

There are 4 levels to be seen, though the last one requires a certain criteria to be met to play. Other than that, none.



Bottom Line:

Basically an improved version of Crisis Zone. An impressive showcase of destruction that is sure to delight any gunstar.

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