Play It:
For the Arcade and PS2.



Story:
NeoDyne industries has launched a series of satellites (64, to be exact) as part of the Starline Network. However, this turns out to be a front for the launch of a military satellite! Agent Ryan was working undercover when she was discovered. Now, agents Keith Martin and Robert Baxter must rescue her and stop the launch.

Nothing here that hasn't been done in a James Bond movie. Oh well, its not bad.



Graphics:
The arcade graphics are outdated, but the PS2 version has new and improved graphics which still look snazzy. Well, as of 2003.



Sound:
Like its predecessor, orchestrated music. This time, it isn't repetitive. Sound is your standard fare. Voice acting is nothing special.



Difficulty:
Easy! You'll beat this game in no time if you are competent in the least, and there is little you can do to make it harder. Well, you could go with only 1 life for the whole game, but even that isn't too difficult.



Enjoyment:
Solid. If you liked the first one, you'll love this one. Or maybe you'll just like it, I don't know. Two player action is now available. Welcome to the cutting edge, Namco! The home version has a double gun mode for those John Woo cravings. Groovy.



Replay Value:
There are 2 (slightly) different paths through the game. There are also a few "secret" paths, although all they really are is the normal path with some yellows instead of more threatening guys. There are also a few minigames to enjoy, for a few minutes at least.





Rant Session:
The first thing you will notice when you boot up the disk is that its really LOUD. Yes, the CD is supposed to make that horrible grinding noise you hear. Why the hell couldn't they use a normal DVD? It makes a more noise than a frickin' busted chainsaw when its spinning around in the PS2. It sounds like the CD is going to shatter and send razor-sharp death shrapnel flying around my room. However, it is quiet when you pop it in a PS3.

I'm glad to point out the increase in your clip capacity. They now can hold 9 bullets! All right! Too bad most handguns nowadays hold at least 15. But I guess I shouldn't complain since the enemy guns only carry 3 or 4.

I'd also like to point out the stupidity of the Namco staff on this quote in regards to proposed new PS2 features "We were going to put in a car chase, but we thought a boat chase would be more intense." Hell NO! What were you thinking? Well, aside from the fact that they had already put in a boat chase for its original release. Sorry about that, I'm just stewing over the fact that there could have been a kickass car sequence in this game. Although they extend the life of the game, the minigames are pretty lame, and so is Crisis Mission. I'm glad they are there, but I would trade them all for another level or even just another area. The battle with Richard Miller is a cool touch. Only problem is that Richard looks like a complete douche. His face looks incredibly chubby. Remember what I said about never speaking? See what happens?

Also, special no-props to the horrible 2-player mode on the home port that you have to use unless you have a link cable, 2 PS2's, and 2 copies of TC2. Imagine this: It's a shooter... on a split screen... in widescreen format. Get it? All right, try this... Divide your TV screen into 4 even squares (mentally, guys. Don't actually draw on your TV.) That, my friends, is about how much screen you actually each get. Basically, you get little more than a dinky fourth of the screen to play the game in. You need to squint to see anything, and its bloody close to impossible to play. Even the cutscenes are squashed into tiny squares, and forget about reading the subtitles. Plus, the game chugs a lot.





Bottom Line:
TC2 is fun, fun, fun, at least until you get a jagged piece of CD in your throat. It WILL happen. I'm sure of it.

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