Warpath Jurassic Park is one of EA's biggest titles of the new year. Developed in association with DreamWorks Interactive, this head-to-head fighter uses the dinosaurs of the mega-blockbusters "Jurassic Park" and "The Lost World" (as well as all-new dinos) in a brutal brawl for domination. There are 14 different dino-fighters (including the T-Rex and Triceratops). Each is rendered in a new graphic technology called Hierarchical Modeling Data (HMD), which allows for very smooth animation and fast action, coupled with single-skin textures for the utmost detail. The game also boasts real-time lighting and shadowing on the dinosaurs, and colored lights will be shown on the skin of each dinosaur. Dinos show damage in bites and gashed. The game's 14 arenas also come straight out of the film (such as the '76 Station and the Helicopter Pad). The fighting action is similar to (but upgraded from) Atari's Primal Rage game, with signature moves and advanced AI for each character. There are all kinds of environment effects and destructible objects (you can bash the backgrounds pretty harshly), and these details do effect the gameplay. And, of course, the soundtrack is DreamWorks quality (just like the outstanding Medal of Honor). This is a fun fighter, but look to our review this week to see if it has the depth to make it
EA also has a very impressive title in the sequel to V-Rally. In fact, V-Rally 2 Presented by Need for Speed may be a Turismo killer, boasting a crystal-clear 3D engine so 'to-the-metal' that it renders (real-time) an animated driver in the car and features four-player spit screen gaming (quite a rarity, even after Crash Team Racing proved that it can be done well). The game is completely re-designed this year, and allows multiple weather conditions (including rain and nighttime racing), realistic physics, crashes with car damage (doors bash in and windshields shatter), a random track generator (if you do ever get bored of the game's 80 pre-designed courses), and a very detailed track editing feature ( you design the course, choose the terrain type, design the elevations, and even pick which international city you want your custom course to be set in). If that's not enough to prove that the PlayStation is being pushed to the max, note that all of this is being processed along with a very complex, hi-octane soundtrack (which includes audio commentary from your racing co-pilot, as well as music by some big-name pop bands). 16 cars have been licensed to run in any of the game's 12 exotic countries (from Sweden to Brazil). Of course, there will be plenty of mud, snow, and gravel kicked up in the process, but the game has been specifically redesigned with the assistance of the Need for Speed team, so while the tracks are tough off-road terrain, the game is all about speed and beauty.
989 Studios is bringing college hoops back to the PlayStation with NCAA Final Four 2000. Featuring over 300 Division I-A Teams (from 21 conferences) and special playbooks for each team (designed with input from Georgia Bulldogs head basketball coach Jim Harrick), this may well be, as 989 boasts, "The most comprehensive college basketball videogame available." All-new player models have been rendered with a new 'skinning' technology, which should render players twice as sharp and detailed as last year's models while still running smoothly. The game also features the "6th Man Meter" for when your team is on a hot streak, and has running commentary by ESPN's Quinn Buckner. There are also a collection of new animations, including coaches and players on the sidelines (who cheer or get mad, depending upon how the team is playing). This all goes together with 989's patented Icon Passing, Icon Cutting, and Icon Switching techniques for the tightest of control over the players.
Look for Warpath Jurassic Park, V-Rally 2, and NCAA Final Four 2000 in stores right now. Or, better yet, check out our preview section for details on each one of these titles.
