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The Spy Hunter franchise meets the Zodiac.
Spy Hunter has been released for many, many different gaming platforms. Most recently, there were console versions released (two for PlayStation 2 and Xbox, and one for Gamecube) and there is another PS2/Xbox sequel in the works. While the newer games change some things, the core gameplay has always been to shoot down the opposition. The Zodiac edition of the franchise does a fine job at doing that.
Spy Hunter’s main single-player gameplay mode is called Missile Crisis. Here, you’ll have to use your trusted vehicle to destroy the opposition in various locations of the world (like Venice, for example) and complete numerous objectives (most of which are rather simple). The game’s arcade mode provides much more casual action, simply asking you destroy everything while making sure you finish the level in one piece. Nonetheless, the basic gameplay will always be to shoot down your opponents whether it is with the default machine gun or cooler missiles.
Bluetooth capabilities allow you to play against other Zodiac-havin’, Spy-Hunter-playin’ friends.
Spy Hunter’s has fairly manageable controls. You’ll mainly use the bottoms to fire your weapon or switch, since there is no acceleration button. You’ll need to press up on the control stick to accelerate, which is a minor distraction at first. The analog stick’s response is excellent for Spy Hunter’s 3D gameplay. Furthermore, the vibration brings the gameplay to life.
The game’s visuals are stunning and show off the Zodiac’s capabilities. Much like the N-Gage, the Zodiac appears capable of early PlayStation graphics and is probably even more powerful given that it needs to display said graphics at a much larger resolution (compared to N-Gage). The different environments are varied enough and surprisingly detailed, with an excellent draw distance. Powered by Fathammer’s X-Forge engine, everything from the environments to your trusty Interceptor is in full 3D.
The game’s audio sounds good, but is used very sparingly. In fact, besides the menu, you won’t hear any music whatsoever from the game. Thankfully, the sound effects do a decent job at keeping things interesting, as does the custom soundtrack capability.
Spy Hunter is an excellent Zodiac title, since the gameplay is so easy to get into and the visuals are so darn fine. -- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- Aug 27, 2004
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