PSP World

Pursuit Force 2 Review for PlayStation Portable

The original Pursuit Force was something of a surprise when it was released a couple of years ago, not only because it wasn't a simple Playstation port, but also because it was good. The mixture of high end production values mixed with rewarding, if perhaps a little too tough, gameplay demonstrated just what the PSP was capable of. Unfortunately, apart from a handful of titles, Sony's handheld still hasn't truly delivered on its initial promise with too many ports and weakening third party support in the device. Extreme Justice couldn't have arrived at a better time then, promising all the action and excitement of the original with less of the frustratingly difficult missions.

If you've played the original Pursuit force you'll recall that the whole thing was split into several sections revolving around the various gangs and it was difficult. So difficult, in fact, that even hardcore gamers had considerable problems unlocking the later missions. With that in mind Extreme Justice not only features difficulty settings, but you also play through a single storyline with each mission completed unlocking the next. The gameplay though is very similar and following the theory of 'if it ain't broke' this second outing features the same eclectic mix of action, which made the first outing such a hit.

As before, each section also has objectives that must be fulfilled so simply racing after fours cars isn't enough as you also have to dispose of its occupants. How you do this is up to you and while some will favor simply shooting the car until it blows up, others will prefer to jump though the air, take out its occupants and then drive to the next target. There are also a number of 'on the rails' sections, which generally involve you (in a helicopter) either escorting a member of your team or taking out the enemy. These are great fun although you have an insanely short amount of time to actually complete them. The sniping sections are also very rewarding, challenging you to protect a team member’s escape route while almost everyone appears to be out to take them down.

In an attempt to lengthen the whole thing (and not by simply making it impossible) the developers have also added some extra modes, Challenges, Multiplayer and a Bounty Mode where you can replay the missions in order to earn credits. These can then be traded in for extras and it helps to pad the whole thing out and means you'll be playing Extreme Justice far beyond the main adventure.

Visually it's difficult to say if there have been any huge improvements with the graphics and overall presentation. That's not a problem as the original looked so good in the first place and, as a result, Extreme Justice is one of the few games to demonstrate just what the PSP is capable of. The animation’s also spot on with your main character demonstrating the type of acrobatics that would no doubt be the envy or your average law enforcement officer. Elsewhere the presentation and user interface is spectacular allowing you to navigate the menus and options with ease. The audio is pretty good too, with convincing sound effects and the music heightening the tension just when it's required. The voice-overs are a different matter and while they are expertly performed, the scripting is less than entertaining, especially when your boss compares you to his Grandmother every time you fail to complete a mission.

While you’d hope the original game criticisms would be fully addressed in a sequel it seldom happens, but here Big Big studios have done an admirable job of turning a promising game project into a great one. Most of this is due to the tweaked control system and difficulty settings, which open the game up to a much broader audience. In addition to this there's the extended play thanks to the Multiplayer and Bounty Mode. There's still no on-line play but this is a small oversight for such a wonderful product and, who knows, it may just pop up in the third outing... if it ever happens.