Gaming Target - PlayStation 2: Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions

Written by Chris Reiter on June 24, 2002

First Impressions: 50% insanity, 50% gorgeous=100% Wreckless!

Right after this past holiday's season was done and over with, video game companies attempted to stock up the store shelves with one last batch of hopeful killer app titles -- and most anticipated ones for that matter -- for all three next generation consoles. Namely, Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions, an Xbox title that received mixed reviews, was praised for its marvelous visual abilities. After its release, Activision then announced a port of the car crazy title. And this fall, that announcement will become an official reality when the Wreckless port crashes onto the PlayStation 2.

Wreckless is not necessarily a racing game as it might look on paper. Rather, it's a comical driving title that has a cinematic storyline underneath its warped demeanor. Down in Hong Kong, the Yakuza gang is causing ruckus through the large city's streets. Your role will be to stop them in two different pathways merged into one. You'll take the helm as both a duo cop that were interrupted during their lunch break by the Yakuza's fanatics, whom now seek revenge, and a couple of stooges who just happened to find themselves misplaced in the crime underworld. Both of the stories will intertwine with each other, and overall will set out to make the game a little more interesting.

But what's a car game without the cars? Not much of anything. Luckily, Wreckless is jam packed with an ordeal of regular cars, and ranges up to the most extreme types. From a three wheeled police mobile, to a pink buggy, and even an immense monster truck, you'll pilot and smash through levels in a large assortment of wacky vehicles. The gameplay will focus on a set of varied missions. One mission in particular has you protect an armored truck from the Yakuza gang. Another will have you collecting bombs dropped off around the streets from a helicopter before time runs out and they set to explode. Of course, there'll also be a number of crash related missions, where you'll actually get to drive into buildings, and out of them soaring through the air with chunks of brick flailing all around you.

Speaking of which, every level you play through will have objects that are all almost destructible. Cars, light poles, newspaper stands, statues, and many more will dent, break, bend, and even explode into pieces from your reckless manner. With it, your car will show its broken age more and more as you twist the levels upside down. Your car doors will fly off, spare tires will roll out of the rear, the windows will crack, the car body will dent in, and even the bumpers will detach. Needless to say, everything that could possibly happen to your car and the environments it destroys will almost entirely be possible.

As an entry into the world of video games, Wreckless on the Xbox purely outdid itself. Developer Stealth Studios is going to try to recreate that effect a second time for the PlayStation 2 version. Little details, like individual parts of the car can be seen in motion. The vehicle will mirror off any images on its shiny layering. Hong Kong environments, bustling with real traffic, real city objects, and real people will all scatter away from you as you soar through them. Also, impressive and detailed shadow and lighting effects will come into play to react with the cars and the levels they interact in. It's enough to say that this is going to be one crazy, but beautiful title to look forward to.