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Posted by @ 2:03 PM, EST
Core posted first impressions of Square’s RPG-fighter, The Bouncer:

The Bouncer’s graphics are certainly some of the best we’ve seen on the PS2 to date, but this may only serve to brand the game a "tech demo" in the eyes of some. However, at first look this game seems like a fun, if not terribly deep, fighter, and may make you wax nostalgic for the days of quarter-vortexes like Double Dragon and Bad Dudes.

Several levels in the game require Parker to use his head instead of his trigger finger and actually have him go under cover as an Ultor executive. As an executive you'll have to interact with other Ultor employees, but you'll have to maintain your deceptive shroud. In these levels you'll be stripped of everything but your silenced pistol, and you'll have to decide whom to kill and where. This is important because if a corpse is discovered or if you're seen with a weapon, you'll have plenty of trouble to deal with. "You'll be able to shoot people in the stealth levels," said Lawrance, "but you'll have to do it quickly, when no one is around, and not let your victims raise the alarm." Additionally, after you kill someone you'll have to figure out what to do with the body. "This is where being able to pick up and move bodies is a factor," Lawrance elaborated. "You'll not only have to figure out whom to kill, but also how to cover it up. There will be a lot of exploring and observing."

The main reason to own this game is for its multiplayer capabilities. While the feature set is pretty much the same as the single player mode, the game's fun factor just goes through the roof when you're blowing up tanks controlled by your friends instead of the computer. The action is always fast and furious and with the wide variety of maps, tanks, multiplayer game objectives and the ability to team up with friends or just have a free-for-all, the game's multiplayer play value is almost without limit.