Space Griffon VF-9

Apparently there's still a need for first-person mech shooters. I didn't think there was. Space Griffon looks, sounds and plays practically identical to Kileak and Robotica. Its angle is that of an RPG, as opposed to just a standard shooter, so expect something a little different than those other yawners in question. From what I saw, all you do in Space Griffon is walk about different levels shooting mechanical monsters, jacking into enemy computers and inserting color cards into their respective slots. Sounds a lot like Doom, doesn't it?

The graphics are fairly bland, yet crisp, and the scrolling is very average. It does however, hold interest longer than both of the aforementioned titles, so maybe it will appeal to some people out there. I guess we'll just have to wait and see....

Earth's premier moon station has fallen silent, and your squad of mech-suited soldiers is sent to find out why. Respectable graphics and sounds fashion convincing sci-fi environments, and your cool mech suit fights viciously. Space Griffon's addictive, intriguing combination of mech combat and strategic exploration isn't for everyone, though.

RPG fans, rejoice! This futuristic role-player is set in a Robotec-like setting, where all of the major characters are fitted with huge suits of power armor! Your particular suit, the VF-9 Griffon, is the most powerful of all! Very cool first-person perspectives will put the PlayStation's limits to the test!

FIRST IMPRESSION

Whoa, pretty cool! An RPG for the PlayStation! With huge mechs! Awesome!

BEST FEATURE

The first-person perspective makes this action-packed RPG kinda unique. It hasn't been done much before, but that's because we were dealing with 16-Bit carts. We could probably expect to see more like this in the future, especially for killer platforms like the PlayStation.

WHAT'S MISSING

Well, to be honest, the voiceovers really sucked. They could have been much better. And the cinemas were lacking something ... umm, say. ANIMATION! C'mon guys! It's a PlayStation! At least make the lips in sync with the voices! Please?

WILL YOU LIKE IT?

If you can live through the crummy voice-overs and so-so animations, sure! Space Griffon has some killer graphics, as well as an interesting story line. Any role-playing fan should try this one.