Rampage 2: Universal Tour

"Hmmmmm."

-Visuals 7/10-

Anyone who has played the arcade version of Rampage, won't be disappointed in this version for the PSX in the way that it looks. It features everything that the arcade version did in the terms of visuals, including the annoying slow down that comes about with too much onscreen.

The game visuals itself, stay true to the arcade version of the game, with some exceptions in the detail of the buildings and the detail of your character. The actual levels, all look the same after the first 15 or so, so be prepared to see alot of the same thing after that.

The effects that happen in game are cartoonish to watch and look at, as far as breaking a building apart, and for some reason, it all falls into a semi-small pile of rubble after smashing on the damn thing for 5 minutes...that isn't too bad. What is bad, is the fact that the little people that run away fromt he buildings, don't seem to have enough substance to them..it's like picking up a small M&M and popping it into your mouth.

-Sound 6/10-

The music is run of the mill, and fairly quiet. It gives you the feeling that you're sneaking around instead of stomping through the downtown area, and terrorizing the populace by leveling their homes and buildings. That's not too impressive...so pop in a CD, and hit play.

The sound effects come off like they did in the arcade version of this, in smashing the buildings, and then listening to them crash down beneath your feet, even the gutteral growl of your monster comes out right, but this isn't enough to keep your interest for too much longer after the first 5 stages. All of it sounds the same, and there isn't any sort of change in what you hear.

-Control 7/10-

Not bad, and the rumble effect is a nice touch. You have a general control of up and down, jump, punch and kick. If you hold a direction and press jump on top of a building, you'll cause it to crash beneath your feet. It's an easy way to take down buildings. Another direction and either the kick or punch, and you'll take out everything in front of you, below or above.

While this isn't too bad, there is room for improvement in terms of giving you something else to do other than punch, kick and smash things. Regardless, you should have a good base on the control about 10 minutes into the game, and be able to do what you're supposed without any real hitches.

-Gameplay 7/10-

Destruction all the way around. Your goal is to smash as many cities as it takes to get to the end, this isn't bad at all, but it can wear down on your patience when you start seeing more of the same thing each and every stage.

There are stages where you have the chance to free one of the old characters, but that comes only once every 25 stages or so...you have a few bonus rounds thrown in as well, for points and life benefits, which is about what the game needs..some variation, but these stages don't come often enough.

Each character is pretty much the same in what they do, just choose one that looks cool, and get to stomping, there isn't a real goal outside of surviving the levels and attacks that are thrown at you from the humans...which brings an interesting aspect into play. You can eat the humans for food, and gain little pieces of energy doing so.

All in all, it's a good game to play with a couple of friends, but other than that, it doesn't have the replay value...you can get everything out of the game in one sitting...which brings us to another point. The game is exceptionally long, and full of stages...but again, the stages are pretty much the same, and don't have much variation. That gets nerve racking.

-Overall 7/10-

While this game isn't that bad, it's not that great. It's got most of the port over from the arcade, right down to the slow down you find when there is too much going on with the play. You'll find that time and patience is what this game takes.

It does offer a couple of neat things, such as eating the human's, and freeing up more playable characters, but that about it. Surviving is what you'll be doing most of the time, as you have limited continues, and the game, at later stages, can be damn near impossible to make it through.

Rampage 2: Universal Tour, is a rental game. You can do everything you need to in a weekend rental. It's ap urchase if you're a collector like myself..but other than that, rent it only if you have money to spent...

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 03/31/00, Updated 03/31/00