Die Hard Trilogy Review

The key to this collection is that each game soars to the top of its respective genre.

Die Hard Trilogy delivers more than most would ever dream of even asking from a regularly-priced Playstation game. Not only are all three games hands-down good, but they're all also very big and replayable. Die Hard takes you through more than 15 brutally intense levels of the Nakatomi Plaza. But what separates Die Hard from a run-of-the-mill shooter is the need for strategy over firepower. Players must learn to hide John McClane behind walls, and out-think and ultimately ambush the enemy. This first installment of the trilogy is extremely challenging, and brute force just won't get McClane through it alive. Think of this game as a Resident Evil, only with more action and strategic elements. Action games simply don't get better.

Die Hard 2 scrolls through every nook and cranny of Dulles International Airport. The mission is to blow away a horde of enemies en route to the final snowmobile chase. Die Hard 2 has the personality and punch most light-gun games lack, thanks in large part to the legacy of the films and the wise-cracking McClane himself. But it's the fantastic set design that really transports you to Dulles. Think of this as Operation: Wolf and Virtua Cop, only better.

Die Hard with a Vengeance puts virtually all of New York up for grabs: downtown, Central Park, and even the subway. The player's vehicle can do 90 degree swerves at the touch of a button. In other words, players are free to race at the highest speeds and make those impossible turns only seen in movies. The Bruce Willis sound-alike adds that special touch of Hollywood when he shouts, "I don't like to lose," "Somebody get me some aspirin," and that Die Hard classic, "Yippe-kai-ay!" The game's high-tension, ticking clock is extremely effective, and it's on-the-edge-of-your-seat action from start to finish while McClane mows down pedestrians to get to those bombs in time.

The key to this collection is that each game soars to the top of its respective genre with sharp control, some of the best polygon graphics we've seen yet, and superior gameplay. One word of warning, however: All three games are fairly hard, and there's no adjusting the difficulty. That, combined with the outrageous violence (smashing into pedestrians and using your wipers to get the blood off your windshield), makes Die Hard Trilogy inappropriate for young children. For older gamers, though, this is the cream of the crop of console action games, and easily one of the best ever. Yippe-kai-ay!!!

The Good

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The Bad

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