If you’re like me, you have absolutely no interest in Soccom or other war-based games, and you’ve spent the better part of a year wondering Just What the Hell is There to Do with My PlayStation 2 Network Adaptor. When I got the stupid thing all I had to go with it was some Tribes game, and I never got very far into it because it wasn’t very fun. Luckily for you, the bored gamer with a PS2 network adaptor, I am here to help you out with your gaming needs. I’ve got three PS2 games here that you can go online with, and right now it is most certainly time for:
THE BATTLE OF THREE ONLINE PS2 GAMES THAT AREN’T SOCCOM
Champions of Norrath: Realms of Everquest (PS2): If you enjoy games like Gauntlet, Dungeons and Dragons: Heroes, and Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance, you’d might as well just type “amazon.com” into your browser right now and order this game, because it’s the only action-RPG currently online for Sony’s current console. I really couldn’t tell you what the plot was because it wasn’t all that exciting, but you certainly get to spend a lot of awesome hours hacking and slashing through various dungeons, caves, and beaches, solving easy puzzles and defeating very large bosses along the way. If you’re a fan of Everquest you might recognize some enemies and locales, but don’t go into this expecting the same type of gameplay as that MMORPG. It really basically is Gauntlet: Online, and if that sounds like your cup of tea, then your personal winner has already been decided.
Trivial Pursuit: Unhinged (PS2): I only got this game a few weeks ago, and already the questions are repeating. Heck, I’ve only played through the game three times, and already the questions are repeating. I’m starting to wonder if maybe this game would be better suited as a rental, but it’s the only online PS2 trivia game available right now, so I guess you gotta take what you can get. Plus it’s only $20, so it’s not like you’re getting majorly ripped off if you buy it. Supposedly, the game features voice-chat via headset, but I’ve yet to get that to work. (It always works on Champions of Norrath, though!) Playing through the game online with new GC staff member Eric Regan didn’t make me feel like I’d lost any hinges, as it’s title might suggest, but it certainly had more powerups and bonus spots than the actual board game contains.
Serious Sam: Next Encounter (PS2): If you’ve played the original Serious Sam on the PC or Microsoft’s Xbox, you know the type of gameplay to expect here. It’s a first-person shooter. You shoot stuff. Sometimes rampaging demon bulls, sometimes headless screaming zombies, and sometimes your best friend, if you play it online. This title is the only of the three that doesn’t claim to support headset chat, but if you have a USB keyboard you won’t be left completely without communication. It might have been a little too much with headsets anyway, because each game can hold up to eight users, and I’m not sure having eight people screaming at once about how they were just robbed of a kill would be all that aurally pleasurable. This game probably has more users online than the other two do, but you really shouldn’t even bother with any of these if you don’t already have a buddy or two to play them with.
Okay, so it boils down to this: If answering obscure questions about Soviet Russia is your thing, get Trivial Pursuit. If you’d rather spend the day shooting flamethrowers at strangers than proving that you’re smarter than them, get Serious Sam. If you’re into defeating beasts with your Chestplate of Fiery Might, your Drakel Bastard Sword, and your Templar Jockstrap of Pain, get Champions of Norrath. I personally fit into all three of these categories, but only one of these titles has held my interest for several hours over several months. Thus, the winner of the coveted “Winner of Versus Mode” title for this month is:
Winner: Champions of Norrath: Realms of Everquest (PS2)
