WETRIX SPLASHES AHEAD
Zed Two's Wetrix is an extremely entertaining, endlessly addictive puzzle game for
Nintendo 64. The concept behind the game is simple, but clever: bubbles of water fall
from the sky onto an isometric surface. Players must build dams and gullies deep
enough to capture the water so that it doesn't drain off the surface. Finally, water can
be evaporated with giant fire-balls that also fall periodically from the sky. Sounds
simple, but it takes quick thinking and problems solving techniques -- and it's a lot of
fun.
It looks great and even has a split-screen two player
mode. The single-player mode of the game is spectacular,
offering endless amounts of increasingly difficult and
frantic gameplay. The two-player mode plays just as good,
but because levels are cut in half it can often be hard for
players to get a full shot of the action. Look forward to its
release.
WHAT IS THE ONI?
Her name is Konoko. Know it now, because Rockstar
Games and Take-Two interactive are planning to bring her
to your home. Rumored long ago, Rockstar has finally
announced that it has picked up the rights to develop Oni,
Bungie Software's massive cyber-thriller action game, for
PlayStation 2.
In Oni, neo-players will be drawn into a stunning 3D world
with realistic natural lighting effects and futuristic
settings. Character motion is hyped as interpolated motion, meaning that transitions
between motions are rendered by the system. The game is a beat-em-up
fighting game taken to the next level, following a one-man SWAT team in
Konoko, the lead female. Konoko can also light up enemies with weapons that
can be stolen out of their own hands. Aside from her martial arts prowess,
Konoko has a scarred background that plays into the storyline (oni translates
to "ghost / demon" from Japanese).
Rockstar will develop the game in conjunction with Bungie
Software, so the different versions will be virtually identical. The
anime style, fast action, and mysterious storyline are unique for a
PlayStation 2 version, so this game should be hot.