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Giants: Citizen Kabuto
Score: 93%
ESRB: Teen
Publisher: Interplay
Developer: Interplay
Media: DVD/1
Players: 1
Genre: Miscellaneous

Graphics & Sound:
Giants: Citizen Kabuto for the PC was by all means a hit, and there is no doubt that it can be the same on the PS2. Graphically, it is ahead of other similar titles on the same system. By far, it boasts some of the largest levels on the PS2 that I have seen. Don't spread it around, but I did use one cheat while playing this game - the one for unlimited jetpack boost. Using the cheat I was able to fly many digital miles above the island in which the game takes place. From my perch in the heavens, I was able to see the entire island without any polygonal pop-up. Very impressive considering that Giants: Citizen Kabuto's islands are about six times the size of The Silent Cartographer in Halo. Being that you can see everything from way up high, one would think that down on the ground everything would look big and blocky. One would be wrong. No matter what your perspective while looking at the game, the game looks good. All of the textures are rich with detail, and there are plenty of graphical perks. The explosions especially look great. One problem I did notice though is that there can be a lot of slowdown. It doesn't happen very often, but in a huge battle with more than 20 enemies, it really kicks in.

One of the most impressive aspects of the sound in Giants: Citizen Kabuto is the voice acting. The entire story is driven by voice acting, and it's some of the best I've heard in a game. The language is for the most part acceptable, and the humor is great. Giants: Citizen Kabuto is, by far, the funniest game ever. Most of the other sound effects are just as good also. The explosions especially sound great.


Gameplay:
Giants: Citizen Kabuto is really four games in one. The game allows you to play as three different races. You spend the first few hours of the game as the Meccs. The Meccs are party loving, gun totin' cyborgs with British accents. I really like playing as the Meccs simply because of the team aspect. Once your entire team is completely re-assembled, your team of five is nearly unstoppable. You only get to control one character at a time, ant the AI could be a little better for the other Meccs, but it is nonetheless fun. The second character you take control of is Delphi, the Sea Reaper. Sea Reapers rely mostly on magic, and using spells can be a welcome change from the guns of the Meccs. Last, (and least) there is Kabuto, the legendary giant. Kabuto the least likable of all the characters simply because he lacks the variety in gameplay, when compared to the others. Other than some power-ups and the ability to hatch offspring, all you get to do is stomp around smashing things. One of the other downfalls of Kabuto is the fact that the fourth gameplay element is missing. That fourth element is the simulation aspect that you get with the Meccs and Delphi. It is your job to lead the indigenous peoples of the planet, the Smarties in the quest to build a village. Sure, all you have to do is gather meat and feed the Smarties to give them energy to build, but it adds a lot to the game. Another thing that would add a lot to the game would be multiplayer, but alas, this is a solo mission only.

Difficulty:
Just like every other game out there, the difficulty levels in Giants: Citizen Kabuto are adjustable. I recommend starting out on the easy setting as you learn the game. In all likelihood, you won't have a hard time on the normal setting after an hour or so, and the hard setting isn't all that impossible. It is a good thing that Giants: Citizen Kabuto is so much fun to play, because it isn't very difficult.

Game Mechanics:
Although you will have to learn a different set of controls for each of the characters, learning all of them is a breeze. While all of them are different, they are all intuitive in the same rite. One of the best features of the game is the ability to save wherever and whenever you wish. On top of that, the save files are small and they work fast.

-Joe Guys, GameVortex Communications
AKA Joe Labani

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