Phantasy Star Online: Episode I & II
Xbox (Requires Xbox Live), £39.99 Sega/Sonic Team, *****
The original Dreamcast Phantasy Star Online was the Western console world's first online role-playing game, and despite the demise of Sega's great grey box, its spirit is very much alive and kicking in Xbox Live. This latest Phantasy incarnation is undoubtedly the best yet, with improved gameplay over the Dreamcast version, and a few benefits, such as voice communication and polished content, over the GameCube release.
It can work out expensive: despite having an offline mode, you are going to have to fork out for Xbox Live to get to the main menu screen. There is also a £5 monthly license fee but, since Sega wants to get you addicted first - and that is a certainty - the first two months are free.
You have to choose and develop one of three basic character types: hunter, ranger and force. Each has four sub-categories: male human, female human, male android and female android. From there on, it is down to the inhospitable planet of Ragol to pillage and conquer.
As you gain experience, offline and online with up to four players, you level-up your character and gain access to different weapons and spells. There's also your Mag to take care of, a unique robotic creature that accompanies every player, feeds on their unwanted booty and can provide valuable battle assistance.
There are a few annoyances, such as the lag in the voice-comms system and the uncertainty surrounding whether Microsoft and Sega will be providing enough regular new con tent. However, get past the corny Disney-style opening soundtrack and you'll find a truly engrossing game.
Rhianna Pratchett
Starsky & Hutch
PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC, £39.99 Empire Interactive ***
The games industry has taken a surprisingly long time to exhume the 1970s cop show, which retains something of a cult following - thanks mainly to Antonio Fargas' character, the pimpish Huggy Bear, who neutralised much of the TV series' tendency towards schmaltziness.
Empire Interactive's primary concern has been to bring Starsky & Hutch to a new - young - audience. Hence the garish, comic-book style 2D cut-scenes, which will make all but teenagers wince. Starsky & Hutch won't win any prizes for innovation, but it is a fairly entertaining piece of fluff. Inspired by the game Driver, it puts you behind the wheel of Starsky's Ford Torino, in pursuit of baddies. Starsky drives, while Hutch leans out a side window and shoots.
To keep your TV ratings high, you must hit ramps and pull off stunts, shoot power-ups and traffic lights and, of course, unload countless bullets into escaping vehicles. It constitutes entertaining, arcade-style action, but breaks no boundaries. A surprisingly coherent storyline knits the missions together fairly well, but the game could do with an injection of variety. Despite the shooting, it is more suitable for youngsters than Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. A bit of summer fun for the currently game-starved audience, but adults will find it too cheesy and unsophisticated.
Steve Boxer
Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick
THQ, £29.99 (includes Evil Dead 2 DVD) Xbox, PS2, *****
Inventive plotline? Mentally challenging gameplay? Free DVD? One out of three isn't bad, even if die-hard fans will have seen the movie countless times. The rest are left with a hack'n'slash black comedy that simply requires rudimentary reflexes and an appreciation of zombie carnage.
With a simplistic plot that apes the films, your aim is to kick undead ass. Using your spade or chainsaw, or both, it's relatively easy to take down anything in your way. Scything down baddies captures the simplistic mood of the movies. Evil Dead fans will revel in the slaughter, particularly when combined with the quips from the main character. A "magic" system lets you impersonate a Deadite, which becomes useful for when stealth is necessary. Otherwise, it's kill, kill and (yawn) kill again.
Rudimentary puzzles crop up, offering a welcome rest for the thumbs. The graphics do their claret-spilling best, and are relatively perky, especially on Xbox. But only the wisecracking one-liners give the game any character. If the fact that these were recorded by Bruce Campbell means anything to you, add a star.
For non-Evil Dead fans, Boomstick offers a schlocky, button-bashing that will keep you occupied for 90 minutes, but don't expect intellectual stimulation. This is as mindless as gaming gets.
Greg Howson
