Cult Classics: PlayStation 2
Part 5: Horror, bugs, puzzles and anger.
RTX Red Rock
- Publisher: LucasArts
- Developer: LucasArts
This certainly wasn't LucasArts' finest hour, but if you were one of those people who thought Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis was a wonderful game, then you should consider hunting down RTX Red Rock. Written and effectively directed by the mighty Hal Barwood, it has the same otherworldly atmosphere and sharp writing present in every title he had a creative influence on - and it's almost enough that you can forgive the rough and ready feel of this totally ignored action adventure. Initially described as Tomb Raider in space, it wasn't too far away from that, with similarities drawn from its puzzle-driven gameplay and occasional forays into action. But while the puzzling element was rather excellent, and the visuals were often superbly detailed, frame-rate issues, dodgy auto-targeting and a fiddly inventory system conspired to make it rather irritating. Patience is definitely required, but it you're an old-school LucasArts disciple, this is effectively the last one connected to its adventure lineage. The world is still weeping.
What we said: "If you're prepared to stick with it and cast off your frustrations and the game's limitations, you'll slowly begin to enjoy what is actually a rather solid enjoyable, well paced adventure game... [Hal] Barwood's presence is felt throughout with an air of mystery and otherworldliness."
Ebay price guide: Around GBP 2
Resident Evil: Dead Aim
- Publisher: Capcom
- Developer: Capcom
Of all the millions of Resident Evil spin-offs, Dead Aim is by far the best - and that's including the recent Umbrella Chronicles for Wii. Sadly, Capcom's track record for putting out dismal Gun Survivor light-gun games was, at the time of Dead Aim's release in the deadzone of summer 2003, pretty much carved in stone. And yet this turned out not only to be a good gun game, but a good Resident Evil game full-stop. It wasn't a crappy old-school, on-rails shooter at all; you had the same degree of control that you had in any normal Resi game thanks to the G-Con 2 d-pad, and moved around levels picking up items and solving puzzles in the traditional fashion. The major difference was that you viewed the action from first-person, and hence shot at your enemies in a far more exciting, more accurate fashion than usual. It was the best of both worlds, and only suffered because it was short. And suffer it did: with almost zero promotion, it was a commercial flop and few bothered to champion it. If you consider yourself a fan of the series and never bothered with Dead Aim, you must now. Setting it up these days with all the G-Con 2's incompatibilities with modern HDTVs might prove bothersome, but if you've got all the old kit still, this is well worth a shot.
What we said: At its core, this is the most entertaining Resident Evil game we've ever played, and easily the best use of a light gun ever.
Ebay price guide: Less than GBP 10
Zone of the Enders
- Publisher: Konami
- Developer: Konami
Famous as the game which included a demo of Metal Gear Solid 2, this was a Hideo Kojima side project which nevertheless is a long-forgotten curiosity. Released in the infamously barren first summer of PS2, it looked like a more conventional take on Rez, where big robots battled it out among the stars. The main problem was that it wasn't very long, and nor was it especially challenging - which, when you're being asked to part with GBP 40 or more, is kind of a deal-breaker. These days though you'll struggle to pay more than about a fiver for it, and for that sort of cash it's the kind of left-field game development we wish we saw more of - especially pertinent for a game such as this which would look lovely in high-definition. A second, even better Zone of the Enders slipped out a couple of years later, but with no Metal Gear-shaped promo to help sell it, it slipped into even greater obscurity. Given you can pick up the pair and still have change from a tenner, quibbles over game length disappear. Essential cult fodder.
What we said: Not reviewed. [Too busy playing the MGS2 demo like everyone else. - Ed]
Ebay price guide: Around GBP 5