Virtua Cop 2
SYSTEM: Sega Saturn
DEVELOPER: AM2
PRODUCER: Sega
PRICE: We paid $49.99
RATED: Teen- Animated Violence
Although currently the least popular of the 32/64 bit console machines, the Sega Saturn remains my "System of Choice" for the time being.
It's not that the system is technically superior to the others (Playstation, N64, ect..), because it's not! And it's not that it has the most games, because it doesn't! It is solely because of the excellent Sega exclusive titles that are available for this system.
In my opinion the AM2 and AM3 development teams at Sega are among the best in the world. I have not seen any game developed by either of these teams that I would consider to be sub-par.
Virtua Cop 2 was developed by AM2, and is an excellent testament to their game creation ability. The graphics are astounding, and the realism is unparalled. They also took much time to make every possible option a reality. This game is really a class act from start to finish.
I'll start with the graphics. The polygon count for enemies is very high. This gives them both a relistic look and feel. Sega put a great deal of effort to make enemies that not only look good, but respond appropriately to where they are shot. Shot them in the head, they fall backward. Shoot them in the leg, they fall to their knees. Equally impressive are the environments in where the carnage takes place. Your character (one of three cops) is whisked from place to place, and put into action. The polygonal backgrounds are nothing short of spectacular. Sometimes you are stopping a jewelry store heist, and sometimes you are speeding down the road trying to shoot criminals who are shooting at you. Regardless of the senerio, the graphics are top notch, and really give you the feel that you are actually there.
The sound is pretty good too. I like the "cop" type audio, but the gunshots were a little weak. I would've liked to hear more relistic gunshots, and have the ability to turn them way up. When I shoot, I like to have the room vibrate! Still, all in all, it still sounded pretty decent, and I would rate it above average.
I didn't play the first game in the series, so I can't comment about improvements. I do know that most designers usually decide to give the user more options in sequels to increase playability. I tell you, Sega went through much effort to give the user a wide range of options for play in this game . Get this, you have three skills to choose from (Beginner, Medium, Hard), and the ability to choose among two different paths within the levels. You also have a full range of setup options that include, adjustable credits, lives, player skill, gun looseness (how easy to hit target), ect.. Additionally, Sega choose to allow powerups along the way like: Machine Gun, Automatic, Shotgun, Magnum, Rifle, and Automatic. They have varying lengths of use, but all can come in handy in tight situations. The main point is this, for something as repetitious as a light gun game, Sega did much to ensure the game would have some replayability.
Another thing I like about the average "in house" Sega game, is that they are not excessively violent. Sure your shooting people in this game, but it is only to put yourself into a senerio, and it is actually positive one. I don't think many would doubt that trying to stop bad guys from steeling, and killing is a good thing. You use your strength to stop the bad guys, to help better society. You are actually given more points for disabling criminals by shooting their gun, then by directly trying to kill them. They also don't bleed when shot! Sega only tried to convey the scenerio, and left out all the gratitious violence. I commend them for that!!
Well, after all that raving, I guess I better tell the "not so good" points of the game. First off, it's a light gun game. I don't care how much time a developer puts into this genere, it will still be somewhat repetitious. The replay value in these games is always pretty low. Sega tried real hard, but I still got bored of it rather quickly. Second, although the enemies respond relistically to your shots, they also all die with only one hit. I would've loved to see the enemy who was shot in the foot kneel, but continue shooting until it was fatal. Nothing could improve realism more then this (maybe Virtua Cop 3!). These are my only major gripes. Sure it could be better is there was more environment interaction (although there is some now), and if there was more path choices, but actually I don't have much to complain about. Oh, I almost forgot. The included light gun is good, but I would've liked a little better accuracy.
All in all, Virtua Cop 2 is a good game. It could be improved (what game couldn't), but it is still worth a few hours of great fun. Give it a try!
RATING
GRAPHICS 88%
SOUND 78%
GAMEPLAY 80%
ORIGINALITY 86%
REPLAY VALUE72%
OVERALL 80.8%
