Rise to Honor

"Wushu master? Who me?"

INTRO
Jet Li: Rise To Honor is an incredibly innovative game that feels as if you're playing through one of Jet Li's action packed movies. (Several movie references are in fact borrowed) The storyline unfolds just like his typical movies do and the control scheme is so incredibly versatile that you too can now experience what it is like to be a true Wushu master.

STORY 10/10
You play Kit Yun(Jet Li) who is an undercover cop in Hong Kong. Many years ago when Kit's father was killed by the brutal underworld, Kit swore to dedicate his life to stopping these criminal empires. As the strory unfolds however Kit must fulfill his honor by fulfilling a dying request to a Big criminal boss whom he is protecting as part of his cover. The story takes Kit from Hong Kong to San Francisco and back again as the truth behind the story begins to unfold. It is truly an unpredictable storyline completer with twists and turns along the way. All in all the story is of movie quality. It was very well thought out and implemented flawlessly.

CONTROLS 10/10
The controls are very unique in the sense that your typical Triangle, X, Circle and Square buttons are of no use whatsoever. Instead Kit can unleash numerous combos, grabs and throws by rhythmically slapping the ''R3'' stick in the direction of your choosing. Couple that with an Adrenaline meter that, once filled, will allow you to unleash even more breath taking martial art combos on your adversaries. It does take some time to get used to this type of scheme but once you start getting the jist of it you will be in absolute Wushu heaven. You'll also have numerous weapons in the game that can be wielded from Bats, clubs, wrenches, meat hooks, machettes and guns. Add to that the fact that you can pick up chairs, plant pots and other such items with which you can inflict more pain than Max and fun suddenly becomes a twenty letter word. Besides all of these abilities you can also smash enemies into walls, drown them in sinks, drag and throw them across countertops etc. etc. etc. It is truly remarkable how free you are by using this type of control scheme.

GAMEPLAY 10/10
Gameplay is split into three distinct categories. There is the brawling beat 'em up type scenes that require you to simply unleash the fury of true Jet Li motion captured fighting while using weapons and your environment to your advantage. Then there are the gunplay scenes that require you to navigate and shoot your way through incredibly challenging situations and environments. (There are even slow motion dives like Max Payne) Lastly there are Stealth based missions that require you to sneak and or subdue enemies akin to Tenchu or Splinter Cell type games. The three styles are pretty evenly dispersed throughout the game and are all fun as well as challenging.

GRAPHICS 10/10
The graphics in Rise To Honor are absolutely fantastic. Hong Kong is gritty and dirty while San Francisco feels crisper and brighter. Backgrounds are beautifully detailed as are the character features. There are tons and tons of unique looking innocents as well as enemies and the fighting moves are absolutely movie like.

CAMERA 8/10
The camera is very well done overall with the one exception being that you have no control over it. Certain levels will require getting used to the layout as you might initially not know where to hide next. However, I experienced no complications with the camera placements whatsoever.

FMV's, MUSIC and SFX 10/10
The cutscenes are breathtaking in detail and exceution. Characters look realstic as do environments. There are incredibly choreographed multi-car collisions, explosions, escapes and effects and even during fighting there are often cinematic effects when landing certain combos and strikes. Truthfully, the cutscenes make you feel as if you were watching a Jet Li movie at times. The music is also very dramatic and changes based on the environment and or situation you happen to find yourself in. (Estros Bar for example has jazz playing in the background which adds to the high society air it attempts to exude) The Sound Effects are also flawless throughout the game. Civilians and Patrolling guards have witty commentary with one another while other enemies urge their brethren on as you dismatle them piece by painful piece. Action sounds are perfectly orchestrated as well. Not only does it look painful, it sounds painful too.

REPLAY VALUE 10/10
Replay value is very high primarily because of the DVD like ''Scene Selection'' set up. Once you have completed a scene you can always go back to it without having to play through entire levels as most games force you to do. There are also additional unlockables once you've completed the game which allow you to play as two other Jet Li movie characters complete with unique weaknesses and strengths. (There could have been more extras but then again there could also have been none) Either way, the control scheme will make this one game that you can always come back to and mess around with. The experimentation factor here is massive.

OVERALL 10/10
As you can probably tell by now I totally love this game. Every aspect is pretty much perfect and the replay value is clearly there. Couple that with the fact that Sony put the game out at a discount (They think you deserve some perks for owning their system) and you have got one of the best games ever made for the best price possible. The question here is not whether to rent or buy it but rather how soon can you go get your hands on it.

I give it a 10!

Rise To Honor Rocks!!!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 04/13/04