Techtite Game Reviews ---

When No One Lives Forever came out on the PC two years back, it was game of the year in many magazines, and Runner-Up in many others (including Techtite.com; we just felt that Deus Ex had that little something extra). So, how does a two-year-old-game fare when ported to the Playstation 2 only recently? As it turns out, pretty good; after all, many modern games look prettier, yet still lack the certain added FUN this game had. There's even four new levels to entice PC owners to re-live a fond memory all over again. For those who never played it; you're in for an enjoyable --yet quite challenging-- thrill ride.

I did indeed review the PC version, so I won't repeat myself in this review. Here's the summary; you get to be a female sort of James Bond, in a 1960's environment that salutes the best of the spy genre. It also has some funny humor a la Austin Powers, without forcing you to endure Mike Meyers' sewer humor; instead, you're offered an amusing heroine to control, in the form of Cate Archer. From her barrette lockpick, to her cigarette lighter blowtorch (for tougher locks), and of course her trademark spy pistol with a silencer; it's all here, and it's as alluring of a world now as it was two years ago...with some added surprises to keep it interesting.

What's been changed? Not much, though most of it is nice tweaks which correct minor flaws of the original game. In the PC version, you're required to choose what items to take on a mission, given a set number of choices; not so here, where such information would require far more than the mere 600K the game requires for game saves on an 8MB memory card. Furthermore, all those additional "secret areas" --only reachable by either cheating or replaying the game after obtaining those gadgets in later missions-- have been edited out, with all secrets findable the first time you play a level. This seems to be much more fair to the gamer, who is now given the option to replay each game level...or not. In addition, some game levels have been edited for fairness, like the Dumas office you must sneak into with a camera right in the lobby; in the Playstation-2 version, that camera has now been moved to the inner hall. Aside from these minor changes, however, everything seems the same...

Unfortunately that includes textures and graphics, though is this truly a bad thing...? I don't know; if compared to a modern, just-released, push the envelope game (like, say, Spider-Man), of course this game's 2-year-old textures won't exactly compete. However, on the other hand, even modern games like Scooby Doo seem to include only enough texture quality to do the job. It's unfair to say this game's textures aren't up to snuff, given the superior voice actors, excellent character mannerisms, and particularly exceptional enemy AI, that will keep you challenged even in the "easy" mode (which is "easy" mostly due to weaker enemy bullets, not dumber opponents). Of course, the fact that it's still an incredibly fun game helps! In short, this may be a 2-year-old game, yet it holds its own.

Of course, everyone wants to know about the additional missions, made special for this version of NOLF. While they are not as disappointing as the quickie bonus missions added to the "Game of the Year Edition" Monolith released on the PC last year, they might seem a bit too "tiny" for most fans. They each involve Cate Archer's "early years," prior to her joining UNITY, when she was a common thief. However, if you wish to merely rent the game, play the missions, and return the game later, pack a big lunch; these missions are in fact scattered throughout the game itself. Remember all those times when Cate was knocked out by a villain (on the hijacked plane, for example, or on the sinking cargo ship)? Well, now those lead to "flashback" sequences, when apparently Cates life is literally flashing before her eyes.

So, what do these missions involve? Mission 1 is when she was a mere pickpocket, with you needing to dodge all street police while sneaking around and taking purses and briefcases right out from the town folk's noses. Mission 2 is a cool one, where Cate must avoid the nighttime janitor as she picks into two pricey safes in the local pub. Mission 3 is my favorite --an excellent homage to the fun of the Thief game series-- where Cate must replace a priceless gem with a fake one, all while enlisting the help of a rumored poltergeist roaming the ancient castle's hallways. Mission 4 is apparently offered as a reward for finding all secret items throughout the game (yes, you can replay these levels and reach this bonus later), though I'll leave that as a surprise...

In short, this is a nice addition to the Playstation-2 library of "ported from the PC" game titles. It may be 2 years old, though look at it this way: The Matrix is a film three years old by now, yet with more intrigue than even the most high-tech special FX frenzy of today. Similarly, although without the flash of modern games with better textures and game maps, can you really pass up a game which won so many awards in 2000? If you never played it, I strongly suggest you do...

	Final Rating : Deep Impact. Two years later this is still one of the best gaming experiences I ever had.
For more on this site's ratings system, click here.

Got a review you'd like to share? Techtite will post 2 of the best "guest" reviews received for any product, online, for all the world to see!

All text, Title graphics, and pix not of reviewed products, are created by Techtite, copyright 1999-2001; all rights reserved. Pictures of product(s) are used only for the purpose of review (and to make shopping for product easier); they by no means represent any affiliation with Techtite and the distributors of that product. For further "legalese" & disclaimers, click here...

Techtite's Playstation-2 Reviews!

No One Lives Forever!

A Techtite Review