Endgame Screenshots   The Final Say! Gameplay 8.0 Graphics 8.0 Sound 7.5 Value 7.9 Endgame - reviewed by Tory Favro Review Date: 11 July 2002 Review Score: 8/10 Distributed By: Vivendi Universal

I am going to make this very, very easy for you. If you have a light-gun you must own this game! The third light-gun game for the PS2 on the Australian market is up there with the other great games currently available to the Australian market with silky smooth gameplay and a frantic pace that will wear out your trigger finger in no time! The game is based a number of years into the future and Virtual Reality is quite frankly a reality administered to the masses by companies such as Eurodream Technologies. You play the part of Jade Cornell (pictured on game cover) who is thrust into the role of hero when her boyfriend uncovers a plot to update virtual reality to plant subliminal suggestions and other sorts of badness. He is captured, however Jade is spotted over a video link when the capture takes place, putting her own life in danger. Her boyfriend Tyler hid a gun behind the fridge as a safety precaution in case something like this every occurred which was quite handy and thus armed, Jade has to battle her way through over 20 levels featuring varied gameplay styles that will suit both the G-Con2 and G-Con 45 light-guns. The pace at which Endgame runs is an absolute delight to experience and has been programmed delightfully to take advantage of the prowess of the PS2. The game's action follows set cutscenes that outline the story and set you up to face more of the bad guys. Whilst not an original innovative storyline, it's enough to keep us going to find out what is going on. Some of the scenes are cut short though, when it could have gone on a bit longer or found a better place to transition. Characters are slickly animated and react nicely to being hit by your gunfire. You can hit enemies with multiple shots and they will grasp the injured part. The game is one shot, one kill for the most part other than bosses and there are special enemies who when they fire, emanate a colourful blast that will do considerably more damage than a normal shot. Another nail biting part of the game is the timer feature, making the pace of the game blistering in your quest to keep moving forward and beat the clock. An ominous beeping sound will get your adrenaline pumping as it announces the end of the game if you don't hurry up. An important note to make is the Endgame is single player only which may detract some people from purchasing this title, however the inclusion of addtional mini games in the form of Mighty Joe Jupiter will put a smile on your face. Mighty Joe Jupiter is a game that Jade plays within her game world. Now we can play it too.

Mighty Joe Jupiter is a homage of sorts to older style shooters and it quite innocent in it's portrayal of destroying an alien menace. It is a very cutesy game and a nice little add in. The volume does play a little low in some places during this game which was odd. It is in essence a 'lite' version of endgame itself, albeit a more cartoony version.

Setting up your gun is simple with Endgame and I found no problems at all in calibrating the G-Con2 on the screen, it is accurate and very easy to set up. I have noticed on other reviews that they had problems setting it up. The G-Con does not want to work in the first USB slot on the PS2, so make sure that you use the second slot. This is a bit sloppy but easily remedied.

Comparisons will be drawn between Time Crisis and Endgame and that is inevitable. Accusations of copying etc will certainly be made, however Time Crisis is the original and there are only so many variations of a gun game with the exception possibly of the point blank series.

Endgame is a good value shooter that will have you glued until the end, and then you will have Mighty Joe Jupiter to keep you warm. This game is a good addition to the shooters currently available on Playstation 2!

- Tory Favro