Hands-onDie Hard: Vendetta

At Vivendi Universal Games' press event in Berlin this week, we got to play a near-beta version of Die Hard: Vendetta for the PlayStation 2. The game was originally released for the GameCube last November, but, as we 2908808reported last month, the PS2 version will boast a number of gameplay enhancements, including the addition of a multiplayer mode.

The PS2 version of Die Hard: Vendetta looks almost identical to its GameCube predecessor, but even in the single-player mode it boasts a number of refinements that have come about as a result of feedback from gamers. The fact that the PS2 controller incorporates two analog sticks means that the controls are instantly a lot easier to come to grips with, but Bits Studios has also upped the number of controller configurations from three to six, so nobody should have a problem finding one that suits. On the controls front, the effectiveness of the game's auto-aim function has also been reduced so that players can no longer shoot enemies merely by looking at the half of the screen that they're occupying.

The main improvement being made to the PlayStation 2 version of Die Hard: Vendetta is undoubtedly the addition of a multiplayer mode, which we're pleased to report will support up to four players. The version of the game being displayed this week allowed for a total of four players and four bots to fight it out on a single level, although since this can currently cause the game to slow down on occasion, there's a chance that the number of bots permitted will be lower when more than two people are playing. New weapons including boxing gloves, a minigun, and a paintball gun will also be available in the multiplayer mode, although we didn't get to see any of these unfortunately.

It's good to see that Bits Studios is making a genuine attempt to address the faults of the original game for the PS2, but whether or not Die Hard: Vendetta can really compete with the likes of Red Faction II and Red Faction II remains to be seen. We'll bring you more information on Die Hard: Vendetta as it becomes available. In the meantime, you might like to check out our Red Faction II of the GameCube version.