Official UK PlayStation Magazine Issue 2

OPM Issue 2

Editor

Steve Jarratt

Publisher

Future Publishing

Pages

116

Cover Date

January 1996

Previous issue	Next issue
Issue 1	Issue 3

This magazine was cover dated January 1996 and priced at £4.99. This issue had a demo CD attached.

Regulars[]

Contents - 2 pages (5,7)

Letters - 2 pages (65-66)

GameOver: Kileak: The Blood - 1 page (114)

News[]

Pages 8-9

PlayStation: Most Successful launch in videogame history - 1½ pages
SIE's winning formula?: World exclusive news on Sony's new F1 racer

Pages 10-11

PlayStation Expo '96: The first deicated PlayStation show - 1½ pages
Japan Column

Page 12

Namco races ahead: The Japanese softco keeps 'em coming: Galaxian³ and Soul Blade
Elite offers shock tactics: Action stations in the air and on the ground: Aftershock and ONSIDE Complete Soccer

Page 13

X-Rated: Acclaim joins the one-on-one combat club: X-Men: Children of the Atom
Play Myst for me: SIE exhumes rendered PC adventure
US Column

Page 14

US Gold launches Bazooka!: Johnny Bazookatone all ready to rock
Zero plue one: Beat 'em up secret revealed!: Zero Divide
No video nasties: ATD says farewell to blocky FMV: Q-Motion

Page 15

Rise from the dead: Mirage takes another swipe at robo-combat: Rise 2: Resurrection

PrePlay[]

Ridge Racer Revolution - 1 page (16)

Resident Evil - 2 pages (18-19)

Core Design Line-Up - 2 pages (20-21)

Shellshock & Firestorm: Thunderhawk 2

Criticom - 2 pages (22-23)

Bullfrog release line-up - 2 pages (24-25)

Hi-Octane, Syndicate Wars, Magic Carpet, Magic Carpet 2, Creation, Indestructables & Dungeon Keeper

Sentient - 2 pages (26-27)

DefCon 5 - 2 pages (28-29)

Warhammer: Shadow of the Horned Rat - 2 pages (32-33)

Gremlin Interactive - 2 pages (34-35)

Actua Soccer & Actua Golf

SIE France line-up - 3 pages (50-52)

Parasite & Adidas Power Soccer

Krazy Ivan - 3 pages (54-56)

Battle Arena Toshinden 2 - 1 page (57)

Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors - 2 pages (58-59)

Road Rash - 2 pages (60-61)

Street Fighter Alpha - 2 pages (62-63)

Doom: One Step Beyond: Quake and Hexen - 1 page (73)

Features[]

Videogames from another dimension - 6 pages (40-45)

Dodging fists in Tekken, avoiding smashes in Ridge Racer and screaming round space-age racetracks in Wipeout; the PlayStation world has gone fully 3D. PSM examines the technology developers use to achieve their effects...

Press Start to Play - 2 pages (68-69)

And in a clearing, the peripherals did gather cowering in terror and awaiting assessment. Wipe the sweat off your brow and let judgement commence...

Reviews[]

Game Title	Publisher	Pages	Pg No(s)	Rating
Doom	GT Interactive	3	70-72	9
Mortal Kombat 3	Sony	3	74-76	9
ESPN Extreme Games	Sony	1	77	6
Tekken	Sony	4	78-81	9
WarHawk	Sony	2	82-83	8
Assault Rigs	Sony	2	84-85	7
Viewpoint	Electronic Arts	1	87	5
WWF Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game	Acclaim	2	88-89	8
Loaded	Gremlin	2	90-91	7
Striker '96	Time Warner Interactive	2	94-95	6
Starblade α	Sony / Namco	1	96	5
Raiden Project, The	Ocean	1	97	7
Alone in the Dark: Jack is Back	Infogrames	2	98-99	8
Twisted Metal	Sony	1	100	7
PGA Tour 96	Electronic Arts	1	101	8
FIFA Soccer '96	Electronic Arts	2	102-103	7
Goal Storm	Konami	2	104-105	8
Worms	Ocean	1	107	7
Cyber Sled	Sony	0.5	108	4
Novastorm	Sony	0.5	108	3
CyberSpeed	Mindscape	0.5	109	3
Power Serve	Ocean	0.5	109	3

Verdicts

Game Title	Verdict
Doom	Easy to see why Doom was one of the biggest games on the PC - compelling gameplay, with a spine-tingling atmosphere and a sense of urgency.
Mortal Kombat 3	An exceptional game and a brilliant conversion job. This is about as good as conventional combat games get. Next step Mortal Kombat 3D?
ESPN Extreme Games	A triumph of design over content, ESPN initially makes you gasp but upon closer inspection, the wrinkles reveal themselves. Uneducated fun.
Tekken	A pugilist's dream, Tekken is quite simply the finest game around. Unrivalled depth and playability. We score it nine but add more points anyway. It's the best.
WarHawk	A genuinely rewarding, thrilling action experience. Very, very tough but well worth the investment in time, patience and lost sleep. Go get it.
Assault Rigs	A deceptively simple looking game with hidden depths. It makes a welcome change from racers and beat 'em ups - and the two-player game is a blast!
Viewpoint	A truly gorgeous shooter, currently first in a field of one. But difficulty and frustration factor means die-hard game fans only need apply...
WWF Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game	A genuine contender on the beat'em up circuit. Not as accomplished as MK3, but more hilariously entertaining than anyone would have expected.
Loaded	Explosive. Exasperating. Exciting. Examining. Energetic. Enraging. It's technically brilliant, but Loaded is big guns for small brains.
Striker '96	Doesn't offer enough in the way of continuity to earn the title of 'next generation', but despite the flaws in the gameplay, it does just about enough to entertain the gamer.
Starblade α	Prettier than a winning lottery ticket. Slicker than snot. But easier than a leather-clad nymphomaniac in a monastery.
Raiden Project, The	Bloody good fun and reams of brash explosions to tease the eye. This is a perfect conversion - just don't expect graphical excellence.
Alone in the Dark: Jack is Back	A unique gaming experience, this is one of the most playable and picturesque adventures around. Shame about the ropey texture-mapping, though.
Twisted Metal	As viciously competitive as any of the finest two-player games out there. Even the workman-like visuals can't mask the scorching classic lurking beneath.
PGA Tour 96	A fair way to describe PGA? An enormously engaging, addictive golf game which will take days from your life. Shame about the dearth of courses, though.
FIFA Soccer '96	FIFA, while an undeiably impressive and thorough soccer sim, isn't quite the game many hoped it would be. It warms the console rather than sets it on fire.
Goal Storm	In combining large, stylish, angular polygon graphics with a playable arcade engine, Konami has succeeded in producing an intuitive sports game. We like.
Worms	Although visually off-putting the intense gameplay compensates for the lack of polygons. But don't expect to be playing this two months down the line.
Cyber Sled	A desperately flawed version of a non-too-original coin-op. After the glories of Ridge Racer and Air Combat, Namco should apologise to everyone for this sad effort.
Novastorm	A brave attempt at harnessing the power of full-motion video with gameplay - which fails miserably. Please do not approach this game under any circumstances.
CyberSpeed	The standard of competition deems CyberSpeed surplus to requirements. It's ill-conceived, poorly realised and ultimately a pointless exercise. Avoid.
Power Serve	You'll have to be the world's biggest tennis fan to buy this one. And blind. In two-player mode there's limited fun to be had, but the music will finish you off.

On the CD[]

On the CD - 2½ pages (111-113)

Air Combat, Striker '96, Rayman, Jumping Flash, and ESPN Extreme Games

Adverts[]

Edge Issue 28 - 1 page (92)

Other Credits[]

Art Editor

Deputy Editor

Sub Editor

Games Editor

Art Assistant

Contributors

Andy Dyer, Dean Evans, Andy Stout, Steve McGill, Graeme Sandiford, Dave Roberts