Game Review Data
 
Game Title
Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever 2
Publisher
BAM! Entertainment
Features
1
- 4 Players. Password Save.
Format
First Person Shooter
Reviewer
Andrew Blanchard


RATING

Excellent!


Ratings Scale:

Excellent!

Good!

Playable!

Ho-Hum!

Yuck!


Archived Game Reviews:

From A - Z

 

 
Introduction

When the first Ecks vs. Sever was released last year, it was suppose to come out at about the same time as the movie. The movie, however, faced delays in filming and so the game was left without its title tie-in. Ballistic, on the other hand, has been released on the heels of the actual movie starring Antonio Banderas and Lucy Liu. Unfortunately though, the movie sucked and consequently flopped at the box-office. But unlike movies, game sequels often have a better chance of being better than the original, thanks in no small part to player feedback. Let's hope then that the developers, Crawfish, have listened.

Screen Shots

GamePlay

As with the last outing, Ballistic's single player game gives you the option to play as either Ecks or Sever; these usually take place in the same area but with slightly different story lines. What you'll also realize very quickly is that you can still shoot at almost anything, but the introduction of innocent bystanders will end any trigger-happy gamer's session very quickly.

Stealth tactics play a much greater role in Ballistic, so staying in the shadows or utilizing the element of surprise should get you out of an occasional tight spot. The levels also have very different objectives, and where one may simply require you to clear the immediate area of all enemy forces, others may challenge you to utilize your various gadgets in order to escape in one piece. Another new addition is the ability to talk to people, which not only makes the story more immersive, but you'll also find that the information they give is essential to the success of your mission.

The various multiplayer modes were one of the most successful aspects of the original game, but disappointingly you'll require an extra copy of Ballistic for each player. First up is the classic Deathmatch, which is incredible fun even if there are only two of you. In Bomb Kit, you must race around buildings in order to locate three pieces of a bomb and detonate it before your opponents do. Finally, there's Assassination, where one team must protect a VIP while the opposing team tries to eliminate him.

Everything in the main game is saved via a password system consisting of meaningful words of varying length. This works well for single player missions, but the lack of a battery backup to save those multiplayer high scores is a bit of a shame.

Controls

As with many other aspects of this sequel, the control system has also been given some significant updates. The overall interface is still incredibly slick, and you'll find navigating around the various missions intuitive and very responsive.

The big change is the ability to aim at a target by pressing the 'select' button. This is an essential new addition, and although you can't actually move when it's active, it does allow you to pick hard to get targets such as security cameras and other surveillance devices. You can also now swim underwater, which not only allows you to hide from the enemy, but also to discover the location of secret passages.

Graphics

Visually, gamers will notice little improvement from the original, and although there's a real variety of textures used throughout the various levels, the indoor environments still lack floor or ceiling details. On the other hand, the various enemies you'll encounter are far more detailed, and most importantly, the graphics shift around at a fair speed with very little evidence of slowdown, regardless of how much is going on. Overall, the whole game now features an incredibly polished interface, which also disposes nicely of the text-heavy story line that received much criticism in the previous outing.

Sound & Music

Audio wise, Ballistic is much more impressive than the first game, and though it doesn't play actually in-game, the front-end and various menus are now accompanied by one of the best soundtracks I've heard in some time. This isn't such a bad thing, as the sound effects are excellent and the introduction of any music would only damage the wonderful sense of tension created by footsteps and people shouting in the distance.

Final Comments

Looking back at my other reviews, I've previously stated that both the original Ecks vs. Sever and Duke Nukem were the best FPS games on the GBA market, and while that was true at the time there's a new challenger for the crown. Ballistic seems to improve on every gaming aspect of the genre, as well as adding a fair few that were unexpected. Considering the limited control layout of a handheld console, it's a remarkable achievement by developers Crawfish Interactive. It is tough though, and while new gamers might find it a real challenge, FPS fans will relish the immersive missions featuring some of the best AI I've ever seen. I know I've said it before, but this really is 'THE' best FPS available for the GBA at present, which is even more of a shame as it is also one of Crawfish Interactive's final releases.

@ EAGB Advance 2002. All rights reserved.