Virtua Cop 2

The Good
The Virtua Cop series, did not invent the arcade or “on-the-rails” shooter. It did however redefine the genre. And most of the newer entries in to this genre from, The House Of The Dead, to Area 51, and everything in between can be traced back to Virtua Cop. (It’s like the Doom of arcade shooters.-MM-)

The second of the three games in the series. Picking up one year after Michael “Rage” Hardy, and James “Smarty” Cools broke up the “Evl” crime syndicate. The VCPD are joined by Janet Marshall whom is set on avenging her fallen mentor. Furthermore it seems that the Virtua City Bank, may have been involved in the syndicate’s scheme. Looks like it’s time to clean up Virtua City…once more.

“Have you ever fired two guns while jumping through the air?”-Hot Fuzz-

That said plot is the least important element of this sort of game, it’s all about the action and Virtua Cop 2 packs the heat. It’s like an action movie only better. From high speed pursuits, to breaking up heists. The thrills don’t stop until you win the game or die trying, it’s just pure arcade action.

The game even plays well with a controller, but of course playing with a light gun is far more fun.(Screw those games with plastic guitars, I want to play with a plastic gun…wait, what?-MM-) And you can even use two at once for some double barreled action. Or invite a friend to join in the madness.

The graphics are very good considering that in the 32-bit days arcade ports often suffered from a console inferiority complex. The sound and music also made the trip in one piece.

Virtua Cop 2 brings the same simple and fun gameplay of it’s predecessor, and yet still manages to bring new ideas to the table. The best addition would have to be the branching paths.

In each stage, the game presents the player with the choice of where to head next, the multi route approach is a nice touch and adds more variety to the game.

Other cool new features include unlockable cheats, bigger areas, and badder bosses to conquer.

The Bad
My biggest complaint with Virtua Cop 2 has to be it difficulty. It is very easy to finish. Unless you have really bad coordination, and being a gamer that is unlikely.

Even on the higher settings, I did not find it too hard. At least it’s not as unbalanced as the settings in the first game. The second level in the first game in particular.

The Bottom Line
At the end of the day, Virtua Cop 2 is simply the best of the best. Even now some 10 years after it’s initial release, very few games have come close to and even fewer have surpassed the perfection of Virtua Cop 2. But that’s just one humble review’s opinion.

The Good
Virtua Cop 2 is a winner. The levels are well balanced, the length and diversity of environment pitched just right and the replay value is huge due to the intuitive point scoring system which keeps you coming back to top that last score. The basic gameplay remains intact which is good and some of the graphics have been cleaned up a little.

The Bad
This version of Virtua Cop 2 however, is a flawed one. Basically it's a conversion of the PC conversion of the Saturn conversion of the arcade. This means that the problems in the earlier conversions are still evident here. The new revamped models actually look worse than the arcade originals. The worst thing of all is the frame rate. The game runs at 30 fps which is inexcusable especially considering that more advanced gun games like Confidential Mission run at a solid 60 fps. It doesn't sound like much but the lower frame rate really hurts the frenetic feel of this game. It should also be mentioned that like all light gun games, playing without a light gun is an excercise in futility and is not recommended.

The Bottom Line
Virtua Cop 2 is one of the best gun games ever made but this Dreamcast port is a very average version of it. It would have been far better if Sega released a Virtua Cop pack containing arcade perfect ports of Virtua Cop 1 and 2 seeing as they are aging a bit now and the asking price is a little steep for one flawed title.

The Good
Personally, I liked the movement, the way that the camera moved every time you shot a bad guy. And the sound effects were ok. And the fact that it was Sega.

The Bad
It was too boring and too easy.

The Bottom Line
A decent game, but only buy it if you see it for $10 or less.

The Good
Developers have a very interesting complex when it comes to producing light gun shooters. They are obsessed with including things like a story and intricate plot lines and cinematic quality soundtracks.

Time Crisis 4 was laughable because it took itself too seriously and the more recent House of the Dead games are trying to build on a story that wasn't even there to begin with.

Virtua Cop and Virtua Cop 2 stand as a testament to light gun shooter perfection. You're just a cop, who shoots things and things explode and the credits roll.

Virtua Cop 2 takes place across three different crimes committed by an evil consortium of criminals trying to destroy the city. They get up to all sorts of nefarious shenanigans from robbing a jewelry store to taking a ship's crew hostage.

So, naturally, the police get involved. That's it, that's the story. You shoot bad guys, shoot out car tires, shoot exploding things. It's like all of the best moments from an action movie sewn together with the option to occasionally take alternate routes to extend the replay value of the game.

The game isn't particularly long, but it doesn't need to be. You're there to just shoot guys. Had a hard day? Go and shoot some criminals. Wife giving you a hard time? Go and shoot some criminals. You don't want dialogue and exposition and unskippable cutscenes, you just want to be a badass with a gun and a license to kill. The funny thing is though, you are encouraged not to kill anyone. If you shoot a criminal's gun out of their hand you incapacitate them and get what is called a "justice shot." Of course you are also rewarded for spinning them in the air with multiple body shots. So, make of that what you will.

That is where Virtua Cop 2 nails it. It doesn't matter that the game looks fantastic, with incredibly smooth character models, super crisp textures and great, dithered explosions. Virtua Cop 2 plays perfectly. That is all that matters.

With a controller the game plays fine. The crosshair is a little sluggish at first but can be tweaked to your liking. You can speed the crosshair up and reloading is achieved by a simple movement of your thumb. I can see some people actually preferring using a controller to using a light gun.

Replay value is through the roof with this game. In addition to being able to play with classic Virtua Cop threat markers and scoring you can also change things like your firearm and also try playing on harder difficulties. Maybe you'd like to play the game completely mirrored? The option is there, why not use it?

The Bad
Virtua Cop 2 is short. Very short. It's a 20 minute game from start to finish. If you judge games on how long it takes to initially finish them then you're not going to be impressed.

Depending on your skill level Virtua Cop 2 is either going to be very easy or very hard. The earlier parts of the game are a cake walk in the tea park however later in the game you get virtually no warning before you're fired upon. The game rewards memorizing patterns, bear that in mind.

Musically this is a very weak game. The sound in general is quite terrible. I hate to say it but the sound samples are scratchy, badly compressed and the music is more miss than it is hit.

The Bottom Line
Virtua Cop 2 is undoubtedly the single greatest light gun shooter in existence. Sega knew how to make them back then, forgoing a pointless story for some non stop action and excitement. What you might perceive as shallowness is actually a value that has all been lost in recent years. Virtua Cop 2 is intended to be fun, for short periods, over and over again.

It has depth for those that wish to seek it, it's got replay value and it's got charm. Virtua Cop 2 belongs in your library, pick it up when you can.

The Good
I like Virtua Cop 2. Really do. It has a simple concept (not exactly the same as in, for example, Mad Dog McCree but similar none-the-less), reasonable graphics and sound (which aren't the point in a game of this type), good controls and excellent gameplay.

This game is a happy shoot-fest and runs happily on a Pentium with a reasonable 3D accelerator and looks nice. Unusually clever enemy design (they don't just hop into your crosshair, you actually have to aim for them) along with just plain fun gameplay make this a really fun game.

The Bad
Horrible software engine, and the game is just too damn easy.

The Bottom Line
A good shooter in all respects, too bad it's just so easy.