Covert Strike
PC £34.99 Codemasters/ Innerloop ***
The stealth game genre was born out of the desire to see a more realistic, less gung-ho style of first person shooter, which would rely not only on weapons and body count, but also factor in lighting, sound and enemy AI.
The original Project IGI, which focused on the stealthy operations of covert agent David Jones, staked its place in the stealth hall of fame by immersing the player in vast seamless environments, where they could run through rolling hills and over snow-covered mountains. Many of the features that made Project IGI a joy to play have been transferred to the sequel, along with much polish in the areas which let the original down, such as the lack of multi-player and the fact you couldn't save mid-mission.
However, during the three years that have passed between the two titles, there have been several good stealth releases, including Metal Gear Solid 2, Splinter Cell and No One Lives Forever 2, which have helped fine-tune the stealth genre. Unfortunately, IGI 2 seems to have been created within a development bubble. For example, the game doesn't allow you to do certain things like move bodies out of sight or climb through windows, actions that have become so fundamental that their absence is grating. So, while IGI 2 is still enjoyable to play, when compared with contemporaries, it is not nearly as fresh as it could have been. (RP)
Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance
PS2 £39.99 Midway **
It is a shame that such games still get made. With the significant strides in sophistication recently - think Ico's spatial splendour or GTA 3's freeform madness - Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance feels retrograde. Not so much for the quality of the title, but for the straitjacket of its genre.
This is a beat-'em-up game that follows the rules. Ridiculous characters pitched into one-on-one battle? Check. Random button bashing as effective as trained dexterity? Check. Dull and pointless single player mode? Not quite.
MK does have a one man Konquest option, although it doesn't compare to the old Dreamcast title Soul Calibur's detailed equivalent. This relatively uncomplicated feel is replicated throughout.
Fatalities - the gory set-pieces - are back. When the original MK appeared, these extended death sequences caused controversy. Now, comedy is the overriding emotion, even if the head skewering makes the humour black. The slick visuals appeal, though, with well-animated combatants and backdrops.
But, despite the polish, there is nothing original and little that will attract new players. Mortal Kombat is a pretty, but vacuous, button basher that will appeal to teenagers and post-pub pugilists. Add one star if you are one of those. (GH)
Def Jam Vendetta
PS2, GameCube £39.99 EA Sports ***
Electronic Arts, the biggest and richest games publisher, would probably list collecting official sports licences as a hobby. But the one sport in which it was beaten to the punch (by up-and-coming rival THQ) is wrestling. This must gall, as officially licensed wrestling games are blue-chip blockbusters.
Def Jam Vendetta is an attempt to generate a wrestling franchise through a tie-up with hip-hop label Def Jam. This means a fine soundtrack and the chance to grapple with hip-hop heroes.
But Def Jam Vendetta also impresses in pure gaming terms. Wrestling games are usually ponderous and saddled with confusingly arcane control systems, but Def Jam Vendetta feels responsive, and the control system is logical.
An excellent tutorial, chopped into bite-sized chunks, helps. Two status bars show Health and Momentum: build the latter up to full and you will be able to launch amusingly flashy special moves. A four-player Tag Team mode should prove popular, and the attitude- filled cut-scenes leading up to bouts are surprisingly bearable, as they concentrate on street grittiness, rather than the camp glitz of the WWE. But while Def Jam Vendetta is at least as much fun to play as its officially licensed peers (once you have mastered the inevitable learning curve), observing Electronic Arts' attempt to get down with the kids is a bit like watching your granddad take to the dance floor. (SB)
