with the release of the Sega Saturn, a bundle of three games was included. The other two were good titles: Daytona USA and Virtua Fighter 2, but the real joy of the pack was Virtua Cop. Amazingly fun, with stellar replay value, and a memory to look back upon, Virtua Cop 2 is still an amazing game. Sure, compared to photorealistic games that may have come out recently (this review was posted in October 2003), the smooth but simple textures aren't too impressive. But a simple look from an unbiased view shows otherwise. the muscles on the arms are nicely detailed, the cars have some dents on them, explosions are well done, and generally pass the feeling along beautifully. But the focus is far from the graphics. The gameplay is STILL dazzling. Few things are better than the rush of four guys jumping out from behind some boxes, and fact that only the reflex of your hand, instead of the reflex of moving the mouse or joystick on a controller, stops those attackers from hurting you. Sure, there is no rag-doll physics, but the death animations are amazing; especially great is the fact that, if the gun is shot out of the hands, the attacker's hand is thrown back, leaving a window to attack the stomach. a successful hit there causes him to clutch his stomach, and leaves him open for the third shot, which sends him flipping backwards. Ragdoll physics could never do THAT, because all it does is make the body fall. It does not factor in this idea of cinematic death, but ultrarealistic death. Even the training is done well. Instead of just "hit the target, calibrate gun, start game," there are competitions with a partner or AI, the latter of which has increasing difficulty due to a smarter AI. This adds considerable replay value like Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance's VR missions. On that note, the replay value is immense. This game is much older than Half-life, yet I play this game MUCH more than i do Half-life. The most fundamental reason is this: It is such a rush, and the screen doesn't need to be moved when shooting someone. instead, it is a more immersive idea, because the gun isn't strapped to your forehead, forcing you to rotate when the gun does. Of particular interest are the bosses. The three levels are different areas, but they are also varying difficulties. For instance, the raid on the enemy HQ has many more soldiers than the simpler bust at in the "easy" level. but at the end of each level is a boss, who is exceptionally memorable. If the three levels are done in order, though, an extra, fourth boss can be brought down. This sequence is just as fun as the other three, but adds that little kick loved so much. Overall, this is the true light-gun game. The newer innovations cannot stand up to the quality sewn together gorgeously in Virtua Cop.
Virtua Cop is pure fun from its beginning to its end. The game is a port from the arcade and it was very well transported to the Sega Saturn. The game is divided into 3 levels with different difficulty: easy, normal a... Read Full Review
Shortly after the Saturn's release in the US; it tried to boost sales by including 3 of Sega's more recent arcade hits, one of which ended up being the original Virtua Cop. It was a great idea by Sega, give you not one b... Read Full Review
