The Fifth Element (1998)
I was a huge fan of the movie, The Fifth Element. Still among my favorite sci-fi 90s movies. The movie centers on two particular characters. A former soldier named Korben Dallas. He was a taxi driver before meeting Leeloo. She was a human recreated from an ancient alien DNA.
The plot centered on the characters figuring out how to stop this force or it's all over. The game itself has two main game play styles. Which helped it stand out from many other licensed games of it's era. Sadly neither was done well at all. Kourben is more of a third person shooter style.
Leelo is more of a beat 'em up style. Enemies or machines that fires has ridiculous accuracy. Neither properly took the time to finalize their game play sections. I will give some credit, Dallas looks surprisingly accurate to Willis' character in the movie. The audio for the most part just isn't great.
The best aspects of the audio pulled from scenes of the movie. Now this wasn't common for PS1 games to do. This was more of something Sega CD would do. The difficulty is notably unbalanced. Even if you defeated most enemies. It's still easy to get confused where to go or what to do.
The worst part is it wasn't designed to be like metroidvania games either. It barely follows the movie. In fact, if you attempt to match up sections of the game to scenes of the movie. You will be left rather confused I'm not kidding. It just doesn't make any real sense!!!
This PS1 game is what was expected of movie games during that era. Of course, there were some decent licensed video games. Even if I limit it to movie games. I played a demo of Toy Story 2 that's way more enjoyable. I also played a demo of Apocalypse, another Willis licensed video game.
Which also was notably better in comparison. My favorite aspect of all as stupid it is. Ruby presented in the briefing for every level. As soon as you're about to start any level. Ruby will do the famous screaming like a girl from the movie. This always sticked with me for a long time.
Draw distance is a real problem for Korben's sections. You often gotta make jumps like a platformer. You can easily tell it wasn't designed to work like that. This also affects enemies firing at you from a long distance. Which is just as annoying of a problem.
Obviously they rushed this game out. Just think if they had slightly more time. How much of a difference that could've made here. It probably still wouldn't be great but at least not as terrible. I still felt this is slightly better than Independence Day game. Which I also had growing up as well.
Die Hard Trilogy 2 (2000)
Here it is among the weirdest video game sequels licensed or not I ever played!!! It's labeled as a sequel despite little to no real connection. Maybe I'm getting a little ahead of myself here. To better understand how terrible this Die Hard game is. You already know I have to compare it to the original Die Hard Trilogy.
Originally, Die Hard Trilogy was a game compilation of three games. It's not often even now I play any collection games that's all entirely new games. Each game based on a particular Die Hard movie. This was a couple years before Live Free or Die Hard came out.
Die Hard 1 is similar to the famous not great NES game based on the same movie. You play as John taking out the terrorists while rescuing people. Occasionally you disarm bombs that usually shows up at the end of levels. I should point out Probe Entertainment developed the game.
Honestly, it was a fun game on a great movie. I loved before every level loads up. You actually see which section of the building you're about to play. Die Hard 2 is more of a rail shooter style. Actually one of the best from the 90s I played. This also the Die Hard game you input a code.
Everyone has the company's president head it's a thing!!! It can get intense with strict get ready to fire. But you also gotta avoid hitting civilians at times. Some could criticize this has little to do with the movie. But the final Die Hard game is virtually that at it's core.
Die Hard with a Vengeance is a driving game. You gotta stop bombs from going off. One of the most intense timers in gaming history. When you are low on time, you see a close up of a clock counting down with music. Personally I never was crazy about this Die Hard game.
Yet it's still better than Die Hard Trilogy 2. The big question is how do you follow up such an licensed movie game? Their answer is one campaign that swaps between the three game play styles!!! None of it is particular done well either. I even argue ways 007: Tomorrow Never Dies.
Which isn't great either has some stuff over this!!! It's a sequel if you could call it one that has John in Las Vegas. I rather had John at a casino winning big. Then terrorists comes out messing up the place for a movie. Way more exciting than this Die Hard game!!!
In the original Die Hard Trilogy, the most we see of John is in the first Die Hard game. It doesn't quite have parts of Willis' appearance. They sure nailed what he wore in the original Die Hard movie though. This is because Willis with a lawyer doesn't want any character he played in movies presented in video games to be too much like him.
If they so happen to be too similar, Willis could sue em over likeness. I could understand not wanting guns in a movie game. Despite guns was largely used in the film in question. But this is kinda ridiculous Willis was like that to game companies. Surprisingly John looks slightly more like the character.
Although that's really not saying much. There's a couple games I played that swaps out game play styles that's way better. A great example being the first Sonic Adventure. Six playable characters with their own game play styles. All their stories connects to the final story being Super Sonic's.
By this point I should point out, a different team developed this. Suddenly why it bombed pun very intended!!! It's hard to say which was the best game play style. I just know from experience it's not the driving sections. Somehow those are barely playable.
Rail shooter sections a major step down from the original Die Hard Trilogy. Third person shooter style just doesn't work at all. It's hard to say which is actually worst between this and The Fifth Element. Which also represented a few game play styles. I think it had to be this because it just isn't Die Hard at all!!!
In The Fifth Element's case, you actually see they tried to recreate aspects of the movie. Not only that, there wasn't any room at the time for a sequel to Die Hard with a Vengeance. Which finished off things from the original Die Hard movie. Die Hard Trilogy 2 should had a different title.
I don't think it would help as much. At the same time, people who played the original Die Hard Trilogy. If they're about to play this instantly thrown off as well as disappointed. Virtually nothing about this Die Hard game makes sense. Keep in mind, the movies were still quite popular at the time this came out.
I don't wanna say the later movie sequels was the results of this. In a way I actually could say that. In that regard, somehow even worst than A Good Day to Die Hard. Which was a bad Die Hard movie that killed the franchise. Die Hard Trilogy 2 isn't a game compilation.
There also no point to rush it out since we were a couple years away from a new Die Hard movie. Obviously, Fox Interactive was greedy enough to do this. I can't call it a sequel since it doesn't bother tie in with. Any of the games from the original Die Hard Trilogy.
There's a more recent Die Hard commercial. The closest we gotten to a sixth Die Hard thing. So what it was a commercial with Willis playing the character one last time. Before he had to retired due to his illness. This commercial was more Die Hard than this game!!!
I always considered this among the most disappointing PS1 games I ever played!!! I know some people like the soundtrack to this. But there's barely anything to remember otherwise. Die Hard Trilogy 2 is a game that shouldn't exist. It had no reason to exist other than greed over the movie franchise.
Conclusion
Honestly, I can't recommend either of these Bruce Willis PS1 games. I felt Willis looks notably better in The Fifth Element. Neither nails a few game play styles well leaving up to rather repetitive game play. Worst of all, both gave Willis a terrible name. If you are an PS1 collector avoid both these licensed games at all costs!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment