jonchoo: PC Gaming

Showing posts with label PC Gaming. Show all posts

Monday, December 14, 2009

Video games gift

We've been asked by some close friends about our opinions on video games as Christmas gifts, mainly to the elderly. To be honest, apart from the Brain Training and Professor Layton series on the DS, I can't think of any video games suitable for elderly. I haven't been following the DS scene for some time to be honest, but a cursory glance on DS charts seems to confirm my suspicious that those two series are the only ones worth getting as gifts for the elderly.

As for getting video games to other target audiences, I have a couple of suggestions. SingStar series is always a great gift idea as only the most thick skin person would deny its entertainment value. It is also perfect for post-Christmas and New Year Eve party where booze is readily available. For your average surly teenager I reckon something like Uncharted 2 or Left 4 Dead 2 would be welcomed - provided he/she hasn't already played it. Something newer like Assassin's Creed 2 is probably a safer bet.

For those who likes to play with their (very) young kids, may I suggest EyePet or Rabbids Go Home. They aren't terribly exciting, but will surely entertain those (very) young kids whilst keeping the adults amused (for a while). And finally if you have none-video gaming loft residing (e.g. Bermondsey) friends, then I am sure Wii Sports Resort, the new Zelda, Mario & Sonic or something silly like those overpriced toy guitar games will be appreciated (even if it is silly).

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Golden Joystick Awards

Obviously not all are true. For example I've never played Portal on the 360 - only on the PC, I've only played MGS4 for like 2 hours (best 2 hours of my life, this year), and Snails Reloaded isn't on the best mobile list (for shame Future, do you even play games???). But I am not going to pass off the opportunity to skew the votes now, am I?

www.goldenjoystick.com

Anyway, which of you nitwits nominated Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles and Sonic & Mario for best handheld game?

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Top five racing games

Yay for another filler post! This time the top five racing games that I've played. No, not the top five ever released, top five that I've never played or even the top five that you liked. It is my top five that I've played and like. A celebratory post of sort, to a genre that introduced me to gaming and continues to excite me.

OutRun 2006 Coast 2 Coast (2006, PS2)
Developed by Sumo Digital
- OutRun series is unlike any other racing games considering it has its own proper definition of fun, fluidity and style. The updated OutRun 2006 Coast 2 Coast plays and still looks stunning despite running on last-gen hardware, and plays much like the original arcade game. Personally, and I am very serious here, I believe that this is the ultimate arcade style racing game. The PSP and PS2 versions can also share save files via USB link.up giving the player the chance to advance the game whether at home or away on one of the 15 Ferraris. As a bonus an arcade port of OutRun 2 SP is also included within the title, making OutRun 2006 an amazing value racing title for those still racing on the PS2, Xbox and PSP consoles.

WipEout Pulse (2007, PSP)
Developed by Sony Liverpool Studio
- Pulse was one of my first purchases when I finally got hold of a PSP. It serves as a reminder that the WipEout franchise is still relevant. The sequel to WipEout Pure, Pulse introduced the Grid system of unlocking stages, the ability to playback custom music as well as the reintroduction to the fantastic and engrossingly addictive Eliminator mode. Online play makes the whole thing even sweeter, however it does lack free downloadable tracks that Pure had. Even better for PS3 owners is that the upcoming PSN exclusive WipEout HD is based on the gameplay perfected in Pure and Pulse.

Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed (2000, PC)
Developed by EA Canada
- Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed on PC was the most beautiful racing game I have ever played on my second Dell Inspiron (with GeForce 2). Everything I knew of playing tons of NFS III: Hot Pursuit and High Stakes was thrown out the window. The physics were awfully realistic and the gameplay designed to mimic the unpredictable handling of difficult to handle rear engine Porches. At that moment, the sole spin-off NFS game was no longer an arcade racer, but a driving simulation. Visually it was a stunning game (back then) with 14 tracks of beautiful European locales such as the Alps and Normandy. This was the last Need for Speed game that was enjoyable and fun, before the series gone all crap.

Colin McRae Rally 2.0 (2001, PC)
Developed by Codemasters
- DiRT may be the latest and greatest Colin McRae Rally game, but 2.0 is best remembered as my first foray into the world of rally driving (semi) simulation. Much like Gran Turismo series, the gameplay is engineered to force the player to learn how to brake. Coming from someone who loved playing SEGA Rally 2 on his Dreamcast, the realistic handling, damage physics and braking took some getting used to. So while I still enjoyed SEGA Rally's arcady racing from time to time, 2.0 was a revelation in that the game was (then) the closest you could get into simulating a proper rally.

Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit (1998, PC)
Developed by EA Canada
- The first Need For Speed game I ever played was NFS II. It was a mixture of bland 3D graphics and good arcady fun. But it was NFS III that really brought the franchise into the limelight. The refocusing of police pursuits in Hot Pursuit gave the series plenty of reason to keep revisiting it. Spike strips and road blocks were introduced requiring the player to approach each racing differently. The graphics were also revamped giving my Direct3D enabled Dell Inspiron 7000 a chance to show off its impressive ATi power. It had none of the modding bullshit and faux-graffiti "kewlness" that blighted the franchise, it was all about racing.

Honourable mentions:

Daytona USA (1992, Arcade)
Developed by SEGA-AM2

F-Zero (1991, SNES)
Developed by Nintendo EAD

Gran Turismo 4 (2005, PS2)
Developed by Polyphony Digital

Grand Prix 4 by Geoff Crammond (2002, PC)
Developed by MicroProse

Mario Kart DS (2005, NDS)
Developed by Nintendo EAD

OutRun (1986, Arcade)
Developed by SEGA-AM2

Friday, December 21, 2007

2007: The Rise of Video Games

With EDGE, AP et. al. publishing their games award, this tiny blogger reminisce on his personal experience with video games in the year 2007, starting with what he thinks should be game of the year. Minimal next-gen games here as he doesn't own a PS3 because it is too expensive and 360 because he fears 3ROD (and the box is ugly). PC games are rare too as the gaming desktop is now badly ageing (single core FTL) barely capable of running many new games - at all. Also because he resides in a PAL region he gets to play 2006 titles can rate them as 2007 titles. A list resides here if you are keen to skip ahead of this sorry excuse of an essay, whose mindless rambling might numb you.

The first couple of 2007 has been what I termed the 'Final Fantasy' months as I slaved through replays of Final Fantasy IV, V and VI in their Gameboy Advance iterations. Then came the time when Square-Enix unleashed the PAL version of Final Fantasy XII on us, which after a second play through I can honestly say without a doubt that this is my favourite Final Fantasy game of all time. It had everything that the six feet under (?) Matsuna could have given us - a sense of grand scale plot, freedom and no teeny whiny melodramatic characters. After this going back to playing Final Fantasy X made it look archaic and highlights the obvious problems with the game for what it was - on-rails RPG, forgettable characters, horrible voice acting, and a cheesy storyline.

After completing Final Fantasy XII I immediately thought that as far as PAL regions are concern, XII has technically sealed my book as game of the year. But then Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria dropped into my lap. I am a huge fan of the first Valkyrie Profile game (which I had the chance to replay on the PSP), but this tri-Ace sequel simply outdoes it. Like Final Fantasy XII, Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria eschews old school gameplay mechanics for a real time battle system. However unlike XII, it isn't revolutionary as these things has been done before in the PS1 title. But rather than reinventing the wheel, tri-Ace simply polish the gameplay to perfection. Silmeria is like Lenneth but in shiny new clothes, new storyline and a much more polished battle system.

On other fronts, The Console That Just Refuses To Die continues to impress throughout the year. We had God of War II, the excellent follow up to one of the most finest action games of all time. Euro gamers were lucky to receive two Shin Megami Tensei games, the closure to the Digital Devil Saga series and action RPG Devil Summoner. Rogue Galaxy, Level-5's spiritual successor to Dark Cloud 2 was pretty good despite the mediocre storyline and generic dungeon designs. And we had two games by the studio that crafted Viewtiful Joe and the producer who created Resident Evil - Okami and God Hand, both of which sold terribly but received wide critical praise.

In a year where hype meant more than anything and games like Halo 3 courting mainstream press attention that they do not deserve; Okami despite the numerous awards and positive buzz by the gaming press, was simply ignored by the mass majority of gamers. It is the sort of game that does not deserved to be ported to the Wii to succeed. Capcom eventually drop the axe on the studio (Clover) behind these classics, diverting their development cash to such mediocre titles like Lost Planet and cancelling projects.

On the portable side I only played one PSP game which was the previously mentioned Valkyrie Profile port. Sadly the port was just as awesome that the PSP Slim & Lite is now on my list of to get console. The DS on the other hand remained my second most played console after the PlayStation 2. Unfortunately it has been an average year for the DS compared to 2006. Hotel Dusk is currently receiving a huge push on UK telly by Fern and Philip, but back in January the arrogant protagonist and linear gameplay proved annoying enough that despite finishing the game the story was so forgettable I swore I was reading one of Dan Brown's book. I even blame it for destroying my import Enamel Navy DS Lite. The situation did not improve as Rare's port of a N64 game Diddy Kong Racing arrived in its DS form. It was pure and utter shit and easily the worst investment a gamer can ever invest in.

The quality of DS games eventually improved. The new Pokemon arrived and succeeds, proving that you do not need to shoehorn 'features' into a game to sell it well. Even a port of a GBA game Gyakuten Saiban 3 arrives intact with no crazy departures from the core gameplay. Coupled with an amazing storyline and a cast of likeable characters, Phoenix Wright's last outing was the best in the trilogy and a prove that if anything the point and touch genre didn't die with when Guybrush Threepwood went AWOL.

That was unlike the new Zelda game that despite being developed by an internal Nintendo EAD studio, disappoints greatly with its lack of puzzles, forced functions and repetitive gameplay, stamped with a huge 'Made for Touch Generations' on Link's forehead. December was a great month for DS games as Final Fantasy XII's sequel Revenant Wings impress with its unique RPG take on the RTS genre. Meanwhile Kuju's Geometry Wars: Galaxies became my second most addictive game on the platform just after Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime (which is criminally still missing from PAL regions).

It would not be a video game year without some controversial shit storm. First was anti gaming rag The Daily Mail (the very same paper that described the Ipswich murder victims as "disgusting, drug-addled street whores" and their deaths as "no great loss") whose sister publication the Mail on Sunday printed a picture of a God of War II launch party where a decapitated goat was on hands to entertain the gaming press. The uproar caused Future Press to recall OPM where the uncensored picture was originally printed. Not all book stores heeded the request as a visit to Borders a week later made me a proud owner of what could eventually be a collector's item - as well as a 'This is Living' t-shirt which immediately found usefulness as a bathroom rag.

But this was nothing compared to the BBC's handling into the Manchester Cathedral versus Sony case in regards to Insomniac's Resistance: Fall of Man PS3 title. I still remember the day the 'news' broke out as it was the leading news on BBC News website for much of the day. To this day the many factually incorrect details regarding the game remains, a disappointment to the credibility of the BBC who are usually well known to be pretty thorough when it comes to accuracy. For example the fact that the architecture design belongs to the public domain was not reported. Then we have the banning of Manhunt 2. Readers will know that I came out against the ban but a part of me right now believes that it was right decision for the BBFC to ban it. You see while I am still against censorship, I find Rockstar's lack of talent in producing good games mind boggling. Instead it courts controversial by making abysmal games that revolves around violence just for the sake of it, and hopes it sells to minors who masturbates to blood. Not cool.

Recently a very minor uproar hit the gaming community when a Gamespot editor was allegedly fired because his review of Kane and Lynch: Dead Men did not conform with a publisher's wishes. The editor in question is Jeff Gerstmann, most famously flogged by Nintendo fanboys for giving The Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess a positive review! The fact that the same video game fans are now supporting him is not without irony. Fact is nothing has been proven that links his 'firing' with Eidos, just dubious claims by various hypocritical gaming blogs, whose lack of editorial transparency and journalistic ethics are probably not that much better than CNet's. Even if such allegations are true there is no doubt that such a practice would continue. There is nothing a duffel bag with goodies worth $800 can't do to sway opinion.

But the year 2007 should be remembered as the acceptance of our beloved hobby by the mainstream, no thanks to Nintendo's Wii and the strong sales of the DS as well as Sony and Microsoft's effort to market their consoles as living room entertainment hubs. The Wii has been a hot commodity this year with everyone from kiddie gamers to OAPs clamouring for one at GAME. Lapsed gamers and people with no previous gaming background are finally buying a gaming console. The bad news here is that success tends to attract the unattractive and it isn't any different to the Wii with plenty of games released on it being *shit*.

The Wii has attracted shovelware like never before with PS2/PSP ports and games with graphics worse than its predecessors the GameCube and sometimes the ten year old N64. There are occasional gems like Super Mario Galaxy, who returns the king of platforming title to Kyoto's most famous plumber; as well as the brilliant but short on-rails shooter Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles. What pisses me off is instead of buying these, these supposed new gamers are instead investing in mediocre titles like Sega's Sonic and Mario at the Olympics, Boogie or High School Musical.

So what will 2008 bring us? Honestly, plenty. On The Console That Just Refuses To Die, KOEI/Atlus will be bringing us dating simulator/RPG Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3, which if the die hards on GAF and Associated Press (!!) is to be believed - is a rock solid RPG. Then Square-Enix will be publishing Vanillaware's Odin Sphere, whose excellent RTS Grim Grimoire PS2 title was a gem find. On the DS we will have such titles as Final Fantasy Tactics A2, Final Fantasy IV, Gyakuten Saiban 4 and hopefully Dragon Quest IV. Not a solid line-up unless Level-5 gets Dragon Quest IX out, in which case it would be the end of the world.

There is only one title on the Wii that so far interest me and that is Suda 51's No More Heroes while the deluge of quick development titles like Wii Fit and Wii Chess (!) should keep the none-gamers happy with their toy. The PS3 seems to be the console that has the most titles that currently ticks my skin but the price is still a barrier of entry into this fine dining club where such fine games like Disgaea 3, Knight White Story, Little Big Planet, Echochrome and Final Fantasy XIII would be served next year. If Sony would just cut the price to below £250 then 2008 may be the year I will be playing Metal Gear Solid 4.

2007: Video Games "The List"

"GOTY"

Final Fantasy XII (review)
Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria (review)
Okami (review)
God of War II
Super Mario Galaxy (review)
Half-Life 2: Portal
Sam & Max: season one
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2 (impressions)
God Hand (review)
The Witcher
Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth (review)
Final Fantasy XII: The Revenant Wings (review)
Gyakuten Saiban 3 (review)
Geometry Wars: Galaxies (review)
Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2
Final Fantasy VI Advance (review)
Pokemon Diamond & Pearl (review)
Rogue Galaxy (review)
Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition (review)
Grim Grimoire (review)
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner (review)
Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles

PlayStation 2: Final Fantasy XII
PSP: Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth (review)
Nintendo Wii: Super Mario Galaxy
Nintendo DS: Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
GameCube: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (released in 2006, but played in 07)
GBA: Final Fantasy VI Advance
PC: Half-Life 2: The Orange Box

Action: God of War II
FPS: Half-Life 2: The Orange Box
Adventure: Gyakuten Saiban 3
JRPG: Final Fantasy XII
Old School RPG: Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2
Western RPG: The Witcher
Tactical RPG: Luminous Arc
RTS: Supreme Commander
Multiplayer: Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
Rhythm: Osu Tatakae Ouendan 2
Platformer: Super Mario Galaxy
Party: SingStar series
Sports: Wii Sports

Still don't get it: Guitar Hero series
Disappointing game of the year: The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Worse game of the year: Diddy Kong Racing
Disappointment of the year: Nintendo Wii

Best game we keep rebuying: Pokemon Diamond & Pearl
Best game no one played: Okami
Best game no one played part two: God Hand
Most addictive game of the year: Geometry Wars: Galaxies
Best game I haven't played (yet): Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
Best ad: 'The Entertainment' for Sony
Best console control scheme: Resident Evil: Wii edition
Worst ad(s): Nintendo's celebrity (i.e. none-gamers) endorsements particularly Ian Wright and Fern & Philip

Heartbreak: Capcom axing Clover Studios
Meltdown: Gamespot/Eidos

Villain of the year: Millions of space aliens
Hero of the year: Phoenix Wright from Gyakuten Saiban

Graphics: Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
Visual style: Everyday Shooter
Architecture style: Final Fantasy XII
Character art design: Kazuma Kaneko for Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs the Soulless
Music: Hitoshi Sakimoto for Final Fantasy XII

More GOTY lists around the web (to be updated daily here until I grow bored):

Richard gives Crackdown and Super Mario Galaxy the thumbs up as well as giving conclusive evidence that the media's adoration for Halo 3 was half-baked.

Associated Press just created some enemies within the Nintendo fanboy community by awarding Ratchet & Clank Future a higher spot to Super Mario Galaxy. Which although I never played I see can where they are getting at. The R&C series always had that one thing that Mario lacked - riot fun. The fact that they even awarded a niche Shin Megami Tensei game into the top 10 gives meant that AP just gained massive kudos point from me when compared to specialised gaming press. And they didn't buy into the hype that was Halo 3. :)

The Guardian Gamesblog awards Warhawk the title of PS3 GOTY, which to be honest sounds about fine. I have witness the multiplayer awesomeness that it does bring to the living room, especially one equipped with a 37" LCD, so I have qualms about it. On the other hand they believe that GTA IV is the most promising game of 2008...

The New York Times gives Super Mario Galaxy a shaft and Ninty fanboys everywhere flips. To be fair the NYT's reasoning is quite reasonable. SMG without the gloss and waggle, is the same game we played ten years ago, like most Nintendo games. There are improvements no doubt, to graphics and gameplay but sometimes people just want something different.

GameSpy believes that God of War II deserves the title of GOTY for the PS2 and so does their readers. Honestly, if you remove all the 2006 late PAL arrivals you will also notice that God of War II would have been top of my GOTY list too. Their overall GOTY will be announced later.

There is no official Slashdot GOTY list but names like Portal (Half-Life 2: Orange Box), Super Mario Galaxy and Mass Effect gets the nod by some of the contributors.

Pocket Gamer lists Lifesigns as one of the worst DS games this year. While I won't argue that it is a magnificent game, the fact that they claimed that it is a rip-off of Trauma Center immediately invalidates the list. Shoddy journalism.

Eurogamer's official top 50 list is available now. Their top 10 list is very predictable. Phantom Hourglass at five. LMAO. Good decision not giving Mario Galaxy and Halo 3 top spot though.

Monday, October 1, 2007

Hellgate London: Tube Tours

Hellgate: London is one of my most anticipated video games ever since I found out how accurate London would be represented in the game, particularly the London Underground. The developers, Flagship Studios (of Diablo fame) has recently released a bunch of videos titled the "Hellgate London: Tube Tours".

First up is Covent Garden station, which is the first 'hub' you will come across in the game. Hubs are like towns in normal RPGs where you can rest, shop and receive quests. As a person who frequently shops at Covent Garden I can attest to the accuracy of polygon'ed Covent Garden tube station and its surrounding areas (e.g. Covent Garden Market, British Museum) is bloody accurate (minus the wondering demons). Other places to visit includes Bloomsbury and hopefully Soho.

The next video introduces us to Charing Cross. Charing Cross is officially known as the centre part of London since the early 19th century. The station here would be the third stop in the game, and like Covent Garden, it acts as a hub that allows the gamer to replenish his or her supplies. However while Covent Garden is well protected, Charing Cross apparently is well within the edge of the danger zone where places like Piccadilly Circus and probably Soho has since fallen to demon control.

A pretty accurate 1992 Central Line stock

So there you go. Other locations confirmed to appear includes the Tower of London and the swaying Millennium Bridge. Graphics aren't that impressive but I could easily overlook it as the visual style is fantastic. At least it gives my two year graphic card a chance. Combined with the talented developers who made Diablo and our favourite London Underground, this should be a game to get next month.

Saturday, July 14, 2007

E307: Did E3 change your mind?

PlayStation 3

I want one now. MGS4, Ratchet & Clank, Echochrome, Heavenly Sword, Little Big Planet, Killzone 2, Socom: Confrontation, White Knight Story and the unannounced Team ICO project says so.

From a gamer's perspective it is mind boggling how much I hated Sony and their PS3 just six months ago, and now am willing to welcome the PS3 into our lives. But with Eurozone getting no price cut I am sorry to say that SCEE won't be getting any sales from me, yet. I also need my jRPG fix and so far there has been no major announcement by Nippon Ichi, Konami and Atlus concerning their PS3 RPG roadmap (to be fair none has announced their next-gen plans yet). But if we get at least two *proper* price cuts then I might bite.

Xbox 360

As a PC gamer I am still not convinced on the 360. There are some jRPGs (e.g. Eternal Sonata) that are getting my attention but until MS can convince me that their newer hardware is not inheriting core design flaws, I won't get one. Mass Effect looks very lovely and may tip me over. But I beg you, fix the hardware first MS! Somebody here wants to play Ninja Gaiden 2 without having to worry about hardware failure.

Wii

We already have one. Now we can't wait to get rid of it to a non-gamer soccer mum during the holiday season for a profit. May still get Super Mario Galaxy, No More Heroes and Trauma Center: New Blood (that is if it ever gets a Europe release) but until some AAA 3rd party titles (not ports) start appearing we will be glad to see appearing on CEX's cabinet. Wii Fit will not be welcomed here no matter how revolutionary the delusional mainstream press think it will be (Wii Sport is fun, but we still think people ought to get fit outdoors).

The mainstream press ought to research more if they think the Wii board is something new and revolutionary, as many non-gamers journalists claimed

We may change our mind if Nintendo can prove that they are committed to online gaming (Mario Kart isn't a proof especially after the long-term on-line disaster that is MK:DS) and original virtual console content.

BTW Nintendo, still waiting for all those launch games to be released here.

Windows PC

Crysis, Assassins Creed and Unreal Tournament 3 still wows me. Enough said.

Nintendo DS

Still worth playing even after all this time. Third party games are improving, and in some cases, bettering first party efforts. With Dragon Quest IX, Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings, Final Fantasy IV and Golden Sun, jRPG line-up for the DS is pretty strong, though it will probably never match the SNES and PS2. However I am still not convinced with Phantom Hourglass. Good reviews doesn't change the fact that I am not looking forward to touchscreen Zelda action.

But as it was two years ago the DS platform is unstoppable.

PlayStation Portable

The redesign doesn't look much though the expanded RAM interests me. Maybe once it dips below £99. Need my MGS:PO and Jeanne d'Arc fix.

SEGA Dreamcast 2

:(

Tuesday, August 3, 2004

Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne mini-review

I truly enjoyed the first Max Payne game. It wasn't long, but with its 'bullet-time' system, it does make for a more unique third person shooter experience. I installed it on the family's Dell and it runs as smooth as the first game did, which is a blessing as upgrading a computer just for one game is a hassle.

Like the original Max Payne game, Max Payne 2 is presented in a film noir style with stylistic cinematography reminiscent of The Matrix. Tying it up are novel style panels used to tell stories rather than FMV sequences. Unlike in the orginal bullet time can 'refill' by itself over time giving players more chance to use them sparingly.

In this game you play as Max Payne, now cleared and working with the NYPD as a homicide detective after he quit his job at the DEA. While on the job he finds out that a woman whom he thought was dead from the first game is in fact still very much alive. Such a meeting only provides as a catalyst to Max in reminding him of the events from the first game when his wife was butchered. The two team up to investigate the criminal underworld that runs New York's crimes as well as the death of Max's family.

Remedy Entertainment has provided some upgrades to the Max Payne engine with much improved physics interaction based on the 'Havoc' engine. Visuals are also improved with Max now sporting a very different but lifelike face. While the gameplay isn't as good as Half-Life, the storyline is pretty good and a fresh change from tough guy versus hundreds of aliens plot that plagues the computer games industry. I truly recommend playing Max Payne and Max Payne 2. While it isn't as ground breaking as the original game but you owe it to yourself to play it.

9/10