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 Pursuit
Force: Extreme Justice (PSP)
Taking players on another wild ride with the police, Pursuit Force 2:
Extreme Justice for the PSP is an exciting and challenging action title
that mixes arcade style racing and combat. Like the first game, Extreme
Justice allows you to battle a series of gangs as they rampage through
your city while jumping between cars and attacking them head-on. This time
around, there are new vehicles such as helicopters and more elaborate
on-foot missions to keep things fresh. Improved visuals and controls make
this installment even better. While it's not the deepest game, Extreme
Justice is an enjoyable title that delivers fast, frenetic gameplay. |
Set against a dangerous backdrop where criminals are once again marauding
throughout Capital City, the new installment in the popular Pursuit Force
series finds our cops facing several new gangs and other ones who have
re-emerged after being defeated in the last game. In addition, our cops
are now faced with a rival group of elite forces named the Vipers who have
been enlisted with a new mission of zero tolerance. Their brutal tactics
have made the streets safer but they have also made the Pursuit Force feel
a bit overshadowed, while also making the citizens feel less secure. The
plot is somewhat cartoonish, like an action movie, but this isn't a bad
thing, since it's this lack of seriousness that makes the series so much
fun. Extreme Justice doesn't mess with a solid formula, but its additions
make the game feel deeper and more engaging. The basic premise of the
first game remains unchanged. Players chase the bad guys around the
streets with their police vehicles and can jump between their cars when
they come close, allowing them to combat the criminals at close range.
After they have beaten the criminals, they can take over their car. The
action takes place in a similar set of places, and players will have to
complete a variety of missions before the timer runs out. There are many
different types of missions, and they are generally divided into two parts
with a checkpoint around half-way through. This time around, there are
several new abilities and modes of play included that keeps things fresh.
Players will find some new vehicles this time around, including
helicopters, tanks and motorcycles. There are also several new playable
characters that bring different abilities to the table. You'll also find
several new weapons including flame throwers and machine guns. Pursuit
Force's driving missions are also complimented with new on-foot missions,
that allow you to take the action to the street. Unfolding from a
third-person perspective, these are longer and play better than they did
in the first game. The missions themselves are a bit longer this time but
the game's fast pacing makes them go by quickly. There aren't many
branching paths, but players can go back and replay levels in order to get
a higher score, which adds to the replay value somewhat.
 Pursuit
Force's structure is simple to understand and most players should be able
to progress through the game's level fairly quickly. Extreme Justice's
gameplay is quite fast but most players should be able to jump right into
the action thanks to the game's intuitive controls, where you press a
single button to leap between vehicles and attack the criminals. You can
use the shift button to target foes, which makes for some fairly easy
kills. The racing sequences are fast and easy to play, but the game adds
several new modes which are just as much fun. There are new air-borne
helicopter missions where you have to target vehicles on the ground while
avoiding their fire. This is fairly fun to play and maintains the game's
fast pace. One of the better aspects of the game's design is the fact that
individual missions can mix different types of actions, which helps to
keep things interesting. As you complete each mission in the game's story
mode, they'll unlock a new mode called Bounty. Here, you can replay the
missions and you'll earn bonus stars that you can use between rounds to
unlock additional items such as vehicles, weapons and other character
upgrades. Once you have these, you can go back and repeat your missions to
try for a higher score, they also help to make subsequent missions easier.
Pursuit Force's single player mode is quite intense and enjoyable, but the
developers have implemented some extensive online modes to add more depth
to the experience. In this mode, up to four players can compete in a
variety of missions which include a cops and robbers mode where one team
tries to evade capture while the other tries to stop them before they
reach the finish line. There's also a survivor mode where you and a friend
play driver and gunner and need to beat the clock without being destroyed.
Finally, the game allows you to play as either side in a rampage mode
where you have to destroy or protect as many vehicles as possible. These
modes are quite enjoyable and make Pursuit Force a solid online experience
as well.
While the basic gameplay mechanics
remain largely familiar, players will find a significantly better game in
the production values department. There are long, elaborate cut-scenes
that help to flesh out the plot, with better voice acting used to help
make the game come to life. Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice also has
superior in-game visuals with more richly detailed environments and
character models used to create a more realistic look. The game's larger
selection of vehicles is also better looking and showcases more detail as
well. You can definitely see the changes that have been employed in the
game's slicker and cooler HUD, which allows you to select and view
missions on a computerized mainframe interface that gives the game a
futuristic feel. While these changes are all for the better, there is
still some room for improvement. The game's missions are relatively short
and somewhat linear and despite some attempts to change things up, there
is still a sense of monotony that seeps into the gameplay after awhile.
This is definitely one of those games that's better in short bursts than
in extended play. However, this doesn't mean that the game isn't fun while
it lasts, and the arcade feel of the game makes it quite enjoyable for the
most part, with an over-the-top storyline and characters to keep you going
forward. The game is easy to play and understand and delivers an engaging
mix of racing and action that's both challenging and entertaining. This
isn't a game that tries to be more than it is, and while it's not overly
elaborate, it delivers the goods by staying true to its mission. Pursuit
Force: Extreme Justice offers a solidly entertaining arcade experience in
a slick package of action and twitch excitement.
- Michael Palisano
Grade: B |
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