Crisis Zone is aright for a rental but you won't get much enjoyment at full price and it's disappointing in comparison.
Game Title: Crisis Zone
Platform: PlayStation 2
Developer: Namco
Publisher: Namco
Genre: Light Gun Shooter
Age Rating: PEGI: 16+, ESRB: T for Teen
Release Date: September 17th 2004 (UK), October 19th 2004 (NA)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Score: 5.0/10
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Summery:
Crisis Zone is aright for a rental but you won't get much enjoyment at full price and it's disappointing in comparison.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Launched in the Arcades in 1999 Namco's spinoff of the successful Time Crisis series called Crisis Zone eventually makes it's way over to the PlayStation 2 with updated graphics, new campaign and unlockable weapons. Dispute some new tweaks Crisis Zone ends up as a shooting gallery is better for a rental.
Crisis Zone's premise is the same as later instalments but however the characters involved are different. A terrorist group known as the U.R.D.A takes over a small park which consists of a shopping centre, a park and an office building and a small counter-terrorist group lead by you with a Namco gun controller in hand has to regain control and blast dozens of enemies on screen. It's typical Light Gun story telling and it's honestly nothing special including the characters and the terrible voice acting which is somewhat laughable for only a few chuckles.
Like most other Time Crisis games and other gun games in general is that the gameplay takes place On Rails in a First Person perspective. You play through the story mode with different stages that can choose to play through, much like Virtua Cop. The main campaign goes for three stages before having 4th stage with the games Final Boss. It sadly only lasts for about over half an hour but however these gunfights are fast paced then other games. The game is G-Con 2 compatible and you do also have the option of using the classic G-Con 45 if you want. Personally the G-Con 2 works better because of the guns placement of buttons for the game. If you wish to use G-Con 45 then I recommend using a second controller plugged in or using the Steering Wheel pedal to reload as using the guns buttons can tire your hands after a while.
Crisis Zone uses the same Duck N Cover mechanic from other instalments but however the main change is that your character can take cover behind his shield and reload, you use a Submachine Gun instead of a simple Handgun and there's a sound effect letting you know that a bullet is about to hit you as well as a circle showing you who's about to shoot you. The Submachine Gun carries 40 bullets but it's easier to take out groups of enemies by going for the enemies heads since the enemies have armor and it takes about a dozen of bullets to put some down. You're goal is too clear out each act in the stage by killing all enemies on screen before the time runs out so you can move on to the next act. Alongside blasting everyone up you can shoot down all shoot dozens of objects from CD's, TVs, Cans, Windows, some walls that are breakable and finally electrical equipment. These rack up dozens of points you can keep it going as long as you don't lose the combo, thus making it one of the best features of the game.
At the end of each stage there's a boss battle you face off against such as a tank, a group of gun coppers, two U.R.D.A henchmen and eventually the final boss fight with the leader of the Terrorists. These boss fights are challenging but however there's one flaw, you are given 45 seconds to complete each act and when that runs out you'll lose a Life. I wouldn't have a problem with that but however at some acts there way to many enemies that you'll eventually run out of time that you'll lose a life very cheaply. After beating the game you are ranking on the amount of points you got in the game and then you'll unlock an additional campaign to play. This takes place in a new location not seen in the arcade version, this new area becomes very tough and there's a segment where you need to keep the shield lowered in order to move forward, otherwise it's the same experience but it's just very hard.
After you beat through the two campaign modes you'll then unlock the special where you unlock weapons like Flamethrowers, Gatling guns and Laser Rifles while you start off with the Shotgun and Handgun as well as the default Machine Gun. You can play Double gun mode but however it's an unlockable and it requires I think over 50% completion in order to unlock it which really blows compared to Time Crisis II's Double Gun which was there from the get go.
You start the game with 4 Lifes and 4 Contiunes when you first start which is perhaps not enough for your first run through the game. Each time you fail you will gain extra Lifes and Contiunes, While this does make the challenging it simply becomes frustrating upon having to get far and have to restart the entire game as you're out of Lives and Contiunes.
In addition to the main game you have trial stages where you can play any stage from any of the two campaigns and they can be brutal as you only have 4 Lifes and no Contiunes. You must have great reflexes to be able to beat them. You then have the Crisis Mission mode where you do various objectives which most of them involve completing them without taking a hit which does make each of them very repetitive and tedious to accomplish. Overall the gameplay still makes Time Crisis enjoyable but however this game lacks the content material to compete with other games in the series.
In 1999 Crisis Zone looked exactly how the arcade version of Time Crisis 2 looked back then, the PlayStation 2 of Crisis Zone updates the graphics with improved characters models, environments and of course the destructive walls in some of the stages. They do look much better then the arcade version but however not as good as Time Crisis II or 3. The sound effects are good as well as the passable soundtrack and the voice acting is laughable.
Crisis Zone is aright for a rental or if you want the G-Con 2 controller in a bundle but however the game is both short and most bonus content is tedious. The game won't give you as much enjoyment at full price and it's very disappointing in comparison to Time Crisis II & 3 as well as Vampire Night that are way superior.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Good Points:
1. It's enjoyable to blast a ton load of objects
2. Some extra weapons to use in Special Mode alongside Double Gun Mode once you unlock them.
3. Improved graphics from the original version
The Bad Points:
1. Both Campaigns are too short
2. Crisis Mission Stages are tedious and repetitive quickly
3. Some acts in a stage take too long and you'll lose a Life cheaply
4. Trial stages are way too hard
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reviewed by: Anthony Hayball (AQWBlaZer91)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------