The 2 people who actually read my Virtua Cop Rebirth review 
may remember that I was less than enamoured with Virtua Cop 1 and 2 after all these years. Sure, in their day the games I pumped many a pound coin into them and found them the pinnacle of their genre. However, upon their release that honour was awarded almost by default, with no light gun game prior to the original?s release having the same feeling of cool that Virtua Cop did.
However when viewed in 2003 the games seemed to lack the vital pace that had developed within the genre over the coming years. Both Namco and Sega themselves, with Time Crisis and House of the Dead respectively, had created games that retained the same basic playability of the Virtua Cop games yet offered something more. Compared to the almost laborious VC these new games were fast, frantic experiences reluctant to let the player catch their breath even for a second. In short, Virtua Cop didn?t offer the same level of exhilaration.
Today, I found that Trafford Centre had finally taken delivery of the VC3 machine. Initial impressions from elsewhere had been positive but I was hesitant as to whether Virtua Cop still had a place in modern gaming.
My fears proved unfounded.
Whilst the very early attack waves have rather slow pacing, with enemies appearing sequentially, each waiting for their turn, it doesn?t take long for the game to kick into top gear. Even in stage 1 it is not uncommon for 3 or 4 enemies to appear at once diving in from all directions and each wave of bad guys show up in quick succession offering no respite for the new player. In fact, avoiding shooting the civilians is inherently more trickier thanks to the faster pace. The game demands so much from your reactions that it becomes natural to fire at every movement the split second it occurs, yet this over-zealousness can prove disastourous. Yet when it goes right the results are impressive to watch. Make no mistake VC3 is not a slow game.
Yet one of its greatest features is actually SLOWING the game down. Now, Bullet Time has been done to death over the last couple of years, yet Sega have implemented it so well it feels like it should have been in Virtua Cop from day one. Dubbed EMS mode, the feature is implemented by pressing down on a TC style foot pedal and for a limited time the game world slows to a crawl allowing you greater accuracy and more time to deal each wave. Yet like any good game system, it?s knowing when to use it that will mark the difference between a good player and a great one. Kick in the EMS when shots have already been fired and you can actually see the bullets flying towards you and in a brilliant touch you?re able to shoot enemies? bullets out of the air. How I panicked when after failing to shoot out the electronic lock to block in a wave of 6 or 7 heavy weapon troops and kicked in the EMS mode. I was faced with a screen of 20 bullets yet was able to take them all out and the enemy wave with precise use of the pedal. Truly a great gaming moment.
Likewise, when faced with a mini-boss in the middle of stage one he cloaks with a MGS style stealth device. Whilst you are normally unable to track his movements, use of the EMS makes his shimmering outline apparent which is a great touch and one that I hope will become a greater requirement later in the game.
Even technically the game doesn?t disappoint. It looks amazing, throwing so many special effects around with such ease and never a hint of slowdown. The results are even more impressive thanks to the quality of equipment used in the cabinet. The high quality display makes a mockery of the blurry and poorly defined TC3 monitor. Whilst TC3 is probably comparable on a technical level with VC3?s graphics, the monitor doesn?t make this apparent.
Is Virtua Cop 3 the best light gun game yet? Yes, I would say it is marginally better than its closest rival Time Crisis. Whilst TC3 is probably still a fast, more hectic game, I came away from VC3 knowing I?d played something better. Whilst TC3 is simply TC taken to it?s natural limits, the inclusion of EMS mode does make VC3 feel like a new experience and certainly there is much greater scope there to become a great player.
Top work Sega!
may remember that I was less than enamoured with Virtua Cop 1 and 2 after all these years. Sure, in their day the games I pumped many a pound coin into them and found them the pinnacle of their genre. However, upon their release that honour was awarded almost by default, with no light gun game prior to the original?s release having the same feeling of cool that Virtua Cop did.However when viewed in 2003 the games seemed to lack the vital pace that had developed within the genre over the coming years. Both Namco and Sega themselves, with Time Crisis and House of the Dead respectively, had created games that retained the same basic playability of the Virtua Cop games yet offered something more. Compared to the almost laborious VC these new games were fast, frantic experiences reluctant to let the player catch their breath even for a second. In short, Virtua Cop didn?t offer the same level of exhilaration.
Today, I found that Trafford Centre had finally taken delivery of the VC3 machine. Initial impressions from elsewhere had been positive but I was hesitant as to whether Virtua Cop still had a place in modern gaming.
My fears proved unfounded.
Whilst the very early attack waves have rather slow pacing, with enemies appearing sequentially, each waiting for their turn, it doesn?t take long for the game to kick into top gear. Even in stage 1 it is not uncommon for 3 or 4 enemies to appear at once diving in from all directions and each wave of bad guys show up in quick succession offering no respite for the new player. In fact, avoiding shooting the civilians is inherently more trickier thanks to the faster pace. The game demands so much from your reactions that it becomes natural to fire at every movement the split second it occurs, yet this over-zealousness can prove disastourous. Yet when it goes right the results are impressive to watch. Make no mistake VC3 is not a slow game.
Yet one of its greatest features is actually SLOWING the game down. Now, Bullet Time has been done to death over the last couple of years, yet Sega have implemented it so well it feels like it should have been in Virtua Cop from day one. Dubbed EMS mode, the feature is implemented by pressing down on a TC style foot pedal and for a limited time the game world slows to a crawl allowing you greater accuracy and more time to deal each wave. Yet like any good game system, it?s knowing when to use it that will mark the difference between a good player and a great one. Kick in the EMS when shots have already been fired and you can actually see the bullets flying towards you and in a brilliant touch you?re able to shoot enemies? bullets out of the air. How I panicked when after failing to shoot out the electronic lock to block in a wave of 6 or 7 heavy weapon troops and kicked in the EMS mode. I was faced with a screen of 20 bullets yet was able to take them all out and the enemy wave with precise use of the pedal. Truly a great gaming moment.
Likewise, when faced with a mini-boss in the middle of stage one he cloaks with a MGS style stealth device. Whilst you are normally unable to track his movements, use of the EMS makes his shimmering outline apparent which is a great touch and one that I hope will become a greater requirement later in the game.
Even technically the game doesn?t disappoint. It looks amazing, throwing so many special effects around with such ease and never a hint of slowdown. The results are even more impressive thanks to the quality of equipment used in the cabinet. The high quality display makes a mockery of the blurry and poorly defined TC3 monitor. Whilst TC3 is probably comparable on a technical level with VC3?s graphics, the monitor doesn?t make this apparent.
Is Virtua Cop 3 the best light gun game yet? Yes, I would say it is marginally better than its closest rival Time Crisis. Whilst TC3 is probably still a fast, more hectic game, I came away from VC3 knowing I?d played something better. Whilst TC3 is simply TC taken to it?s natural limits, the inclusion of EMS mode does make VC3 feel like a new experience and certainly there is much greater scope there to become a great player.
Top work Sega!
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