2008 Woodie Awards
Reviews of Recent Video Game Releases: Pulse, Jak & SSX
Christopher Erat
Issue date: 11/7/05 Section: Entertainment
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STUBBS THE ZOMBIE IN REBEL WITHOUT A PULSE (Xbox, Aspyr/Wideload Games)
There's something wonderful about playing a game that does everything differently while doing so little wrong. Rebel Without a Pulse is just such a game - a challenging action/strategy zombie game, based on the Halo engine, set in a futuristic 1950s town and starring you as the zombie.
Pulse works for the same reason Halo worked: It's a well-made game that gives you lots to do without making things unnecessarily complicated. As the traveling-salesman-turned-dead-guy Stubbs, you can punch, kick and eat your opposition. But you also can use somebody's arm as a weapon against him. Or you can possess him and turn him against his fellow man. Stun a crowd with gas, use your own guts as a grenade or your head as an exploding bowling ball. Humans killed directly by Stubbs drop dead and rise as zombies, who provide cover and aid when fighting solo won't do. A few levels, including a wild one early on, feature vehicles clearly designed in the Halo mold. All of these simple elements combine to boast limitless possibility when employed in Pulse's large-scale battles.
Pulse isn't terribly impressive visually - the engine's dated, after all - but it redeems itself with a terrifically funny story and an awesome soundtrack of updated 1950s hits. Everything ends far too soon, which is unfortunate, but it's easily the kind of game you can replay a couple months later, so don't let that scare you off.
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JAK X COMBAT RACING (Playstation 2, Sony/Naughty Dog)
In three years, the Jak trilogy not-so-quietly transformed from semi-cute platformer into brooding (but not humorless) adventure game. A fourth game in four years would be a bit much, seeing as it's a trilogy and all. So Naughty Dog has dropped its universe into a different genre altogether: combat racing. On many levels, Jak X is a natural fit. The series has always placed some emphasis on racing, so it's not as unnatural as, say, Mario on a go-kart. And while the race and demolition derby levels in "Jak X" are essentially Jak-ified clones of Wipeout and Twisted Metal, respectively, the surprisingly weak presence of those series on the PS2 makes this a welcome addition to the library.
There's something wonderful about playing a game that does everything differently while doing so little wrong. Rebel Without a Pulse is just such a game - a challenging action/strategy zombie game, based on the Halo engine, set in a futuristic 1950s town and starring you as the zombie.
Pulse works for the same reason Halo worked: It's a well-made game that gives you lots to do without making things unnecessarily complicated. As the traveling-salesman-turned-dead-guy Stubbs, you can punch, kick and eat your opposition. But you also can use somebody's arm as a weapon against him. Or you can possess him and turn him against his fellow man. Stun a crowd with gas, use your own guts as a grenade or your head as an exploding bowling ball. Humans killed directly by Stubbs drop dead and rise as zombies, who provide cover and aid when fighting solo won't do. A few levels, including a wild one early on, feature vehicles clearly designed in the Halo mold. All of these simple elements combine to boast limitless possibility when employed in Pulse's large-scale battles.
Pulse isn't terribly impressive visually - the engine's dated, after all - but it redeems itself with a terrifically funny story and an awesome soundtrack of updated 1950s hits. Everything ends far too soon, which is unfortunate, but it's easily the kind of game you can replay a couple months later, so don't let that scare you off.
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JAK X COMBAT RACING (Playstation 2, Sony/Naughty Dog)
In three years, the Jak trilogy not-so-quietly transformed from semi-cute platformer into brooding (but not humorless) adventure game. A fourth game in four years would be a bit much, seeing as it's a trilogy and all. So Naughty Dog has dropped its universe into a different genre altogether: combat racing. On many levels, Jak X is a natural fit. The series has always placed some emphasis on racing, so it's not as unnatural as, say, Mario on a go-kart. And while the race and demolition derby levels in "Jak X" are essentially Jak-ified clones of Wipeout and Twisted Metal, respectively, the surprisingly weak presence of those series on the PS2 makes this a welcome addition to the library.