|
|
|
I
remember the original Loaded, where you were set the task of escaping from a
futuristic prison, using a selected character from a band of murderous killers.
The game involved shooting enemies, collecting weapon power ups, shooting
objects, finding color keys, shooting mechanical gunposts, picking up health
boosts, shooting and more shooting.
As you've probably guessed, Loaded
was a shoot-em-up and being an avid fan of this genre, I suppose that I belonged
to the part of the games market that Gremlin were aiming for.
Now some
18 months ago, I purchased a brand new, next generation games console, and being
excited by the prospect of playing those arcade titles, Tekken and Ridge Racer,
in the comfort of my own home, I duly set up my PlayStation and inserted the
demo disc provided with the unit. Hmm, now which title should I select? Loaded
sounds a barrel of fun.
So there you are, the very first game that I
experienced on a PlayStation was Loaded and I thought, is this it? Is this the
future of gaming? Where on earth were the multiple camera angles, the graphical
splendors and the varying landscapes that the 32-bit console must be capable of?
All I could see was this fat, bald blokes skull, creating mayhem in about
thirty odd identical areas in a building where the roof had been cut off. That
was the last I ever saw of Loaded, it was WipEout and Doom for me. Yes, your
trusty reviewer judged a game from a demo disc, but is that not what they are
provided for?
I remember the feeling of excitement and anticipation
when I first loaded Resident Evil and Tomb Raider into the PlayStation, but this
feeling was sadly missing when I inserted a copy of Re-Loaded into the console.
I wasn't expecting anything spectacular or even different from the original, but
boy was I to be surprised.
|
|
|
|
The
story goes that FUB's brain pod was left flying around the galaxy when Loaded
came to an end, and now the fat ugly bastard's pod has crashed onto a planet
full of hippies and artists. Mistaking the brain for a comet, an artist named
Manuel Auto takes the pod home, only to be awoken during that evening by a
terrible nightmare. He felt evil and his mind was full of terrifying ideas. It
appears that FUB has transferred his twisted psyche into Manuel's body and would
prefer to be called CHEB (Charming, Handsome, Erudile Bastard)
Enter
our gang of misfits, as five of the original characters return to this time
complete the job properly. The missing member Vox, has been replaced by two new
girls Sister Magpie, a cyber nun and The Consumer, a young girl that enjoys a
tasty morsel of human flesh for a mid-day snack. Fwank appears as a hidden
character (see cheats), while larger than life are Butch, Bounca, Mamma and Cap
N Hands.
Re-Loaded returns as a top down bloodfeast, but this time each
level is mission based, packed with new ideas, superb lighting and effects and
includes much more of a puzzle element.
|
|
|
|
Each
character is introduced to us using some neat animation scenes, although a
little short in duration. On entering the game, we find that Re-Loaded has
expanded from it's two dimensional construction into a world where we can move
up tiers, clamber up ramps and walk on rooftops and walls, with this depth fully
utilized in the gameplay. The enemies appear more varied and interesting while
their reduced numbers allow more pace and balance to the gameplay. They appear
to have a degree of AI, as they will retreat when wounded, only to return on a
tier above to roll a boulder in your general direction. Gremlin have retained
their gory deaths as their bodies are splattered around the surrounding areas,
leaving a split rib-cage in a pool of blood.
Each world that you enter
has a unique appearance, with the sandy desert wastelands of Oasis, the neon lit
rooftops of Town, the scorching heat of the Foundry, the rich green gardens of
the Monastery, the deadly graveyards of the Tropics deserted islands, and the
unbelievable finale on CHEB himself.
The most impressive aspect of
ReLoaded is the lighting effects. The vision as you unload a smart bomb on your
enemies is stunning, while the neon lights and the smoke billowing from the
chimneys as you clamber across the rooftops in the Town level, help to create an
atmosphere to the game.
|
|
|
|
The
sound effects are similar to Loaded, which is basically an ongoing blast as you
continuously unload your weapons in the general direction of your enemies,
although their demise is accompanied by a realistic splattering sound as you
spread their inners across the scenery. All of the action is backed by the
Loaded signature tune from Neil 'Fingers' Biggin.
|
|
|
|
The
controls have a good feel as you walk, run and shoot and there is also an option
to strafe or stand your ground firing in rotation. A press of the circle button
will flip the weapon hud to reveal a map of the immediate area. As you advance,
a colored line shows where you have been but there is no indication shown of the
direction of your objective, which is unfortunate, as you often have to stumble
upon an item, such as a obscure teleporter, to proceed through the game.
The
option screen offers a setting for lives and continues with a choice of three
levels of difficulty. You may also select the strength of the friendly fire of
your weapons, while your progress may be saved with the use of a memory card.
As each level is loading, you are supplied with a mission or an
objective. For instance the opening level asks you to cross a bridge to the
east of where you begin. When you arrive there, a grumpy hippy demands three
insect grubs before he will lower the bridge, so you must work your way around
the area, checking under rocks, before returning to complete the level. Similar
tasks are set for each section of which some are quite obvious, while others
require a bit of thought.
The Town level is the most impressive as you
must manoeuvre across the multi-leveled rooftops using strategically positioned
lifts, although this can become quite frustrating as one slip on from the
rooftops will usually mean that you must trudge all the way back to the start
of the level.
The Foundry is quite straightforward as long as you
remember to use the sprinkler system to cool the floors, as failure to activate
these will result in a death similar to cracking an egg onto a hot stove.
The
Monastery is a fun level as your character must run around an outdoor garden
maze searching for a crystal to gain access to the monastery, chased by knife
wielding monks. Once entry is gained, then silence is the order, as any sounds
will result in giant icicles plummeting from the ceiling. Given the size of
your weapons, this is not good news.
You must also roam the art
galleries and rescue the bottom wiggling damsels, beat off the Kamikaze divers
on the Boat, enter the islands of the Tropics and avoid the pot-bellied zombies,
and finally face the oversize CHEB in a battle to the finish.
Now all
these areas have an individual look and are divided into twelve missions, which
is a huge improvement over charging around a barren prison camp.
ReLoaded
can be fun when opting for a two player game. It can be slightly frustrating if
you team up with a partner who cannot keep up with your pace of the game, but
Gremlin have had the foresight to include a catch up button in the form of a
teleporter. Unfortunately the game is lacking a split screen deathmatch, which
these level designs would have been ideal for, but you can alter the friendly
fire option so a mistimed shot can wound your opponent, if that's your style.
|
|
|
|
I
must admit that I really enjoyed ReLoaded, due to the bright and interesting new
level designs. There is actually not a wall in sight in the first two levels
which allows a freedom previously uncatered for in the original. Don't be
fooled, this is still a mindless blast, but the missions and puzzle solving add
an extra element to the gameplay, while the reduction in enemies allow a
tactical approach rather than a kamikaze mission.
|
|
|
|
MARTIN |
|
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS: |
Good |
If
you had told me a month ago that I would be singing the praises of ReLoaded, I
would have just tightened your straps and called for the nurse, but I found I
was playing this game until two in the morning and there has not been many games
around recently that could hold my attention like that. Who knows, I may even
pick up a copy of Loaded and try again. |
|
SOUND: |
Good |
|
PLAYABILITY: |
Brilliant |
|
VALUE: |
Good |
|
OVERALL
8/10 |
|
|
|
|
TOM |
|
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS: |
Average |
After
reading all of the negative reviews on this game, I was really hesitant about
picking this one up. But I really enjoyed the first one and figured "how
bad could the sequel be"? I gotta go along with Martin on this one. The
game is a lot of fun to play. Are the graphics better than the first? nope.
Is the music better? eh, not really. Is the gameplay improved? You bet.
There are considerable puzzle solving elements and good enemy AI. You need to
think a bit in this game instead of just blasting everything in site. I liked
the fact that you can now move around outside, something the first game had very
little of. I can't rate the game a must buy, but can easily say it's a must
rent to see if you like it. |
|
SOUND: |
Average |
|
PLAYABILITY: |
Good |
|
VALUE: |
Good |
|
OVERALL
7/10 |
|
|
