SOS: THE FINAL ESCAPE IN SOUTH AFRICA

SOS: The Final Escape Platform: PlayStation2 Condition: New Other versions of this game available from us: Platform: Pre-Owned/Used: Very Good Condition copies available Product Information Players have complete freedom to explore the 3D quake-ridden island at their own peril! The hero must uncover the truth behind the devastation by assisting fellow castaways that are found on the island! Problem solving includes the ability of the hero to piece together separate items in order to build tools to help in his escape! The player may use objects like bikes, boats, compasses and more to aid in escaping the island! No other video game has ever approached this level of simulation in depicting the "real" effects of a major city being torn apart by the forces of nature! Special Feature: S-FORCE 3D Sound Library is included to make each earthquake feel as real as possible! Product Description Review SOS: The Final Escape puts you in control of a journalist on his first day working on a newly built man-made island. Predictably enough, things go wrong early on in this RPG platformer: earthquakes are destroying the city and the island is slowly sinking. The bridge leading to the island collapses leaving you precariously balanced on top of a twisted pile of concrete and steel. Jumping and climbing your way off leads to the dubious safety of the city. Periodically, tremors endeavour to knock you off your feet (combated by use of the brace button) and cause buildings to collapse, conveniently forming platforms to be used to traverse the shattered landscape. As you progress, shopping malls, skyscrapers and baseball stadiums come crashing down around you resulting in either careful exploration or mad dashes for safety. The pace and gameplay varies later as armed mercenaries hunt you down to ensure your silence. SOS 's graphics are functional and feature bland textures. The characters come across as robotic, the dialogue and voice acting are stilted. What the game does have is a bountiful amount of atmosphere. The feeling that you never quite know what's going to happen next is a welcome and increasingly rare commodity. The ability to shout, in the attempt to attract survivors, highlights the eerie silence and the varied locales keeps it engaging. Trademark Japanese oddness comes in the form of some wonderful yet irrelevant set pieces, collectables and multiple endings. Overall, SOS is a flawed work, but it contains some fresh, inspirational ideas that make it worth experiencing. -- Jonathan Winter