One on the PlayStation
Previous days' entries can be read HERE
ONE (I’m going to write it in capitals for clarity) is a game I was told about when discussing hidden gems for the PlayStation some time last year. Having checked at the local retro game shop and found they didn't have it (RIP Ninja Game Den), I took to eBay.
Try to imagine how hard it is to search for a game called 'ONE' on a machine everyone refers to as the PlayStation One... was it easy? No. Was it worth it...?
In ONE you play an experimental soldier called John Cain. You have been blah blah blah... I don't care, you won't care, the game doesn't even really seem to care. The intro features one line of monologue; "I made a mistake." before a futuristic jet-helicopter thing fires a missile through Mr Cain's window disturbing him from an afternoon nap on the floor. At this point you take over.
Instantly you’ll be aware that there are some early 3D era issues in this game. Namely that there's mild platforming elements, and too often it's very difficult to judge your jump. So far, so 1997.
However.
It is with not a single iota of hyperbole that I say this is easily one of the best action games on the PlayStation.
From that moment at the start, until the point I had to stop playing to write this, the game is a non-stop onslaught of gunfire, enemies, and explosions.
There are games around today, big, popular, successful games, that feature weapons that break or lose effectiveness the more you use them.
ONE doesn’t have this. ONE has a system, called ‘Rage’, through which your weapon increases power and rate of fire the more you use - either on people or objects - which of those two systems sounds the most fun to you?
The game is viewed with a ‘dynamic’ camera - which basically means the game chooses the viewpoint and perspective. There are some points in the games where I cursed this, loudly, but all was forgiven come the stage 2 boss fight. During this particular set piece the action is viewed from the perspective of the boss, that’s certainly a new one on me, and it’s not only a very cool effect but is also key to figuring out how to beat the boss. The game is full of neat touches like this that keep the action varied, interesting, and fun.
Alongside the lack of camera control there are other details that expose ONE’s transitional place in the timeline of video game history. Thankfully there is memory card support but tellingly there’s a password save too. The game uses long outdated (and sorely missed) ‘Lives’ and ‘Continues’, and then there’s the aforementioned platforming elements that are probably completely unnecessary, but there’s likely a couple of reasons the game has them.
Firstly, at this time in gaming, the SNES and Mega Drive era (when platforming was very much king) was still fresh in developers' memories.
Secondly, the designers of this game say their main inspiration for ONE was the likes of Contra and Gunstar Heroes; their aim was to bring that style of gameplay into the ‘3D’ era - and it’s no small praise to say that they pretty much achieve that goal.
ONE is explosive in every sense of the word. It kicks off at break-neck speed and doesn’t let up for a second; it’s hectic, noisy, full of neat tricks and surprises, and it’s one of those rare games where the imperfections are not only forgivable, but somehow endearing.
ONE (I’m going to write it in capitals for clarity) is a game I was told about when discussing hidden gems for the PlayStation some time last year. Having checked at the local retro game shop and found they didn't have it (RIP Ninja Game Den), I took to eBay.
Try to imagine how hard it is to search for a game called 'ONE' on a machine everyone refers to as the PlayStation One... was it easy? No. Was it worth it...?
In ONE you play an experimental soldier called John Cain. You have been blah blah blah... I don't care, you won't care, the game doesn't even really seem to care. The intro features one line of monologue; "I made a mistake." before a futuristic jet-helicopter thing fires a missile through Mr Cain's window disturbing him from an afternoon nap on the floor. At this point you take over.
Instantly you’ll be aware that there are some early 3D era issues in this game. Namely that there's mild platforming elements, and too often it's very difficult to judge your jump. So far, so 1997.
However.
It is with not a single iota of hyperbole that I say this is easily one of the best action games on the PlayStation.
From that moment at the start, until the point I had to stop playing to write this, the game is a non-stop onslaught of gunfire, enemies, and explosions.
There are games around today, big, popular, successful games, that feature weapons that break or lose effectiveness the more you use them.
ONE doesn’t have this. ONE has a system, called ‘Rage’, through which your weapon increases power and rate of fire the more you use - either on people or objects - which of those two systems sounds the most fun to you?
The game is viewed with a ‘dynamic’ camera - which basically means the game chooses the viewpoint and perspective. There are some points in the games where I cursed this, loudly, but all was forgiven come the stage 2 boss fight. During this particular set piece the action is viewed from the perspective of the boss, that’s certainly a new one on me, and it’s not only a very cool effect but is also key to figuring out how to beat the boss. The game is full of neat touches like this that keep the action varied, interesting, and fun.
Alongside the lack of camera control there are other details that expose ONE’s transitional place in the timeline of video game history. Thankfully there is memory card support but tellingly there’s a password save too. The game uses long outdated (and sorely missed) ‘Lives’ and ‘Continues’, and then there’s the aforementioned platforming elements that are probably completely unnecessary, but there’s likely a couple of reasons the game has them.
Firstly, at this time in gaming, the SNES and Mega Drive era (when platforming was very much king) was still fresh in developers' memories.
Secondly, the designers of this game say their main inspiration for ONE was the likes of Contra and Gunstar Heroes; their aim was to bring that style of gameplay into the ‘3D’ era - and it’s no small praise to say that they pretty much achieve that goal.
ONE is explosive in every sense of the word. It kicks off at break-neck speed and doesn’t let up for a second; it’s hectic, noisy, full of neat tricks and surprises, and it’s one of those rare games where the imperfections are not only forgivable, but somehow endearing.
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