Product Number 03

Capcom makes Nintendo gamers very happy indeed...

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The game has been designed under the watchful eye of Shinji Makami, of Resident Evil fame. As in Resident Evil the player cannot move and fire at the same time. I'm sure some of you are probably reeling at that thought, but while controlling Vanessa is quite different from most third person games the controls are well suited to the game. The system has been designed to keep Vanessa facing forwards towards the action. The thumb stick controls your direction and run, there is no walking in this game, and you use the shoulder buttons to dodge sideways. Simply tap once to do a little pirouette and a second time to cartwheel further out the way. You can also crouch down to seek cover. The whole idea is to dodge out from behind cover and blast away the enemy, waiting until the very last second to cartwheel back into cover again. It's about timing, skill and learning to read the enemy patterns. It's pretty easy to pick up and judging the movements, from jumping to dodging become second nature very quickly. What you also have to appreciate is that the controls haven't ended up this way by default. The controls have been designed and then refined to match the mechanics of the game, and it's when you've played it for a while you realise this.

The levels themselves have also been superbly constructed to support the game play. You'll encounter corridors with small alcoves that you can hide in, or rooms with ledges to duck behind. Things aren't always made easy though, in some areas there are barriers that can only take a certain amount of damage before they collapse. At other times the areas are wide and open, giving you more freedom to run around but at the same time making you more exposed. In most instances though success depends on you simply reacting quicker than the enemy.

A nice contrast exists between Vanessa and her foe. Obviously Vanessa is the only human figure in the game and she has some excellent and graceful animations to show that off. When she is not dancing around the screen she'll be tapping her feet, or shaking her ass, or clicking her fingers to the music. Then of course there are her special attacks that really are brilliantly over the top; they put most fighting games to shame. The robots on the other hand have sharper, more abrupt movements, almost insect like. You will come across little spidery robots that scuttle toward you, and flying sentries that zip back and forth. One of the boss battles is in fact a fight with a massive robotic spider. Again these are all nicely animated and the care and attention that has gone into them is evident. The animations not only look good, but they give the player important clues as to the action that is about to be performed. For example one robot tends to rush forward and two guns open up and swivel toward you, and you learn that you can either dodge out the way or duck under it. Another robot has a small laser that it fires beneath a large semi-circular housing, after dodging a few shots you witness that housing opening up for the secondary attack which is a very deadly plasma cannon. Similarly these are backed up with graphical effects, such as the glow of a charging laser, and an audio clue, such as you hearing the robot charge up the laser before firing.

The soundtrack dominates the rest of the audio in the game. Normally I'm not a huge fan of music in a game that is pre-dominantly techno in nature, preferring instead the more orchestral scores. What's on offer here though is a nice blend of musical styles. At times the music will have quite a heavy beat but for every theme like that you will also have a softer track to give the game atmosphere. I found the music to be very enjoyable to listen to, but most of all it's ideally suited to the pacing and nature of the game.