Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
GameCube, £39.99 Silicon Knights/Konami,
****
Despite the myriad games that would benefit from modern technology, Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes is the first credible effort to receive such treatment. Essentially, The Twin Snakes is Metal Gear Solid with the extra moves that Solid Snake acquired in Metal Gear Solid 2 and tarted-up graphics plus redone (very impressive) cut scenes.
Thus, Solid Snake can hang from ledges and enter first-person mode to shoot at people - which comes in handy during some of those hitherto frustrating battles with bosses. For anyone who played the original, The Twin Snakes will be reassuringly familiar. Unfortunately, the camera, which is either so tight-in that you find enemies shooting at you, or virtually top-down, will also bring back memories. Compared to Splinter Cell, it appears archaic, but provides surprisingly fulfilling gameplay.
Steve Boxer
Kya: Dark Lineage
PS2, £34.99 Eden Studios/Atari,
***
Kya: Dark Lineage is another stylish and enjoyable Gallic videogame, a 3D adventure similar to Nintendo's Zelda games. So expect to spend your time exploring lush environments and solving puzzles. The plot sees Kya being dragged into another dimension and each of the nine levels is different enough to encourage perseverance, although the connecting wind tun nels are frustrating in places. And there are some rough edges that see you falling through scenery.
However, numerous mini-games scattered throughout, each with a typically quirky French twist, add variety. There are also plenty of things to collect, bad guys to destroy and a collection of eccentric characters to interact with. What there isn't, sadly, is a great deal of originality.
Sure the graphics are striking, depicting a beautiful fantasy world. And yes, the use of wind - to travel and solve puzzles - is a pleasing progression of ideas from the last Zelda title. But everything has been done before. The mishmash of ideas - from platforming to stealth to puzzle-solving - means Kya stands or falls on its plot and characters. Luckily, it pulls through, making for an enjoyable, if slightly predictable, adventure.
Greg Howson
Singles: Flirt Up Your Life
PC, £19.99 Koch media/Deep Silver Robobee
**
Judging by the sanitised attitude of EA's Sims games, it's hard to imagine the franchise truly embracing Singles, a game which revolves around sex. Not that the sexual side of Singles is a mere gimmick: you have to build your sexual foundations on a good friendship and make sure that your would-be lovers do their share of the housework. Full-frontal nudity, heavy petting and bedroom action are tastefully depicted through an attractive, realistic 3D graphics engine. So, you don't feel too much of a pervert playing it, which may disappoint some!
The interface and the game mechanics, which revolve around trying to build up both a living space and a relationship, have been designed to appeal to Sims fans. Unfortunately, there is a general lack of replayability and depth. This is slightly cushioned by the price, but you could buy a Sims expansion pack for the same money. With such a nice engine, here's hoping that Robobee can come up with something more challenging next time.
Rhianna Pratchett
