Mature (17+)

According to ESRB, this game contains: Animated Violence

In critiquing Maken X, I am surprised I went this long without blasting the game's overall look. Although the game is rendered with crisp, high-resolution graphics, it is ruined by the choice of character designs and models. Being the anime fan I am, I have no problem with Asmik Ace keeping the anime-look and porting it into a three-dimensional environment. After all Capcom and Square have done it wonderfully with Power Stone and Final Fantasy VIII respectively, and the games were the better for it. The one caveat is that the designs must be appealing to begin with.

I have incredible soft spot for games that take preexisting genres and really put their own spin on it. This was truly the case with Maken X. While it uses the first-person view to full effect; it plays nothing like the usual Quake-engine based shooter. Instead, Maken X fuse styles of gameplay (hand-to-hand combat, lock-on feature, charged attacks, blocks, computer AI patterns) more commonly found in console games with the first-person view.

Game Description: With exciting first-person sword combat and an engaging storyline with multiple endings, Maken X is one of the most unusual action- adventure games to hit the Dreamcast. Players assume the role of Maken, a supernatural entity that can "brain-jack" the minds and bodies of other characters to utilize their particular strengths and knowledge. Not a bad skill, especially given the evil and gruesome baddies that Maken must overcome. Using a unique lock-on system that targets an opponent's weakest area, Maken takes advantage of a variety of hand-held weapons. As the story unfolds through 20 massive levels, your specific actions will decide your gaming route (as well as which ending you'll uncover).

According to ESRB, this game contains: Animated Blood, Animated Violence

The original Syphon Filter was an all out mission-based action title that had a lot going for it to separate it from the pack. Using an over-the-shoulder perspective, it placed you in the role of Gabriel Logan (Gabe to his friends) as he chases after members of a terrorist group and tried to prevent them from destroying the city. Plus, while hes at it, he had to capture a top-secret biological agent called the Syphon Filter. The game hinged on me completing a series of main objectives (one per level), but in order to meet those objectives I had to complete smaller, more specific tasks in a predetermined order. These tasks ranged from hostage rescues to bomb defusals and, to 989 Studios' credit, they were meshed seamlessly into the overall storyline of the game.

Game Description: In the game, players assume the roles of secret agents Gabriel Logan and Lian Xing. Framed for a crime they did not commit, the two must race against the clock in order to prevent the sale of the Syphon Filter virus to a terrorist nation. Played from a third-person point of view, the story takes gamers from the streets of Moscow to the Agency's secret Syphon Filter lab. Such a dangerous mission requires effective weapons and gadgets; naturally, the agency provides an arsenal of more than 25 enemy-stoppers, including a cross bow, a sniper rifle with a night-vision scope, tear gas, binoculars, and other goodies. New to the series is a two-player, split-screen mode featuring fast head-to-head combat action in 20 arenas. 

My experience with the original Syphon Filter was limited to the extremely brief demo that came with my PlayStation. On that basis, I somehow concluded that the game was a cheap Metal Gear Solid ripoff (at the time, I was utterly engrossed in the Hideo Kojima masterpiece and didn't want to be bothered). Now that I've played Syphon Filter 2, I not only realize that my skepticism of the first game was unfounded and ridiculous, but that I also may have missed out on a pretty good 3-D action game.

Game Description: Enter the world of survival horror with Resident Evil Code: Veronica. It’s up to you to help Claire Redfield escape from the penal colony that the Umbrella Corporation has put her in. The problem is, the prison is on an island, and there’s something strange happening on it: zombies are running rampant. You’ll have to solve puzzles, move crates, and shoot a lot of zombies as you try to make your escape. Great graphics, realistic cutscenes, and plenty of zombies result in the best game in the Resident Evil series yet.

Yet, the graphical wonder of Code: Veronica also becomes a lethal double-edged sword. While the presentation received a shot in arm and everything looks fairly realistic, the same can't be said of the gameplay mechanics, which has remained unbelievably ridiculous.