LET THE SEARCH BEGIN

Hidden Gem Hunting will accompany me as I search charity shops, car-boot sales & discount stores for cheap video games. I will report my findings back here, once a week. Please bear in mind that these are my first impressions on these games, and are definitely subject to change once I have played them. If it turns out that a hidden gem or a heap of shit is among these, you’ll see a review pop up in the near future and I’ll link it here.

Spawn: Armageddon (PS2) £1.50

Ever since seeing the Spawn movie a few years ago, the aforementioned Anti-Hero has rapidly grown on me. When I found out that he had his own game it was only a matter of time until I picked up a copy. Spawn is a superhero brawler with elements of hack n’ slash, platforming and third person shooter games. The cities are barren and infested with gremlins and fallen angels, who can either take a shotgun blast to the chin or act as target practice for your necroplasm hell powers. My first impression of Spawn is that it won’t be quite good enough to be a gem, but might sparkle in the right light.

State of Emergency (PS2) £0.50

I have high hopes for this game as it was published by Rockstar and distributed by Take-Two. State of Emergency is set in an oppressed city and your character is part of the resistance. You commit acts of terrorism and incite riots as a way to score points and progress through the game. It looks like a hell of a lot of fun, and has multiplayer elements too, hopefully pleading a case for riotous hilarity in it’s co-operative game mode. First Impressions for this game have me baffled, as I am near certain I will have fun but doubt that the game has much, if any depth.

Barbarian (PS2) £1.50

Barbarian looks like a rather innovative, story driven beat ’em up. The game features 15 different playable characters that you must face during Quest Mode to unlock. It doesn’t appear to look too challenging but definitely looks interesting.  What sets this apart from most other games in the genre is the ability to use weapons in battle. Soul Calibur is the only series I know which manages to execute a stylish blend of beat ’em up and hack n’ slash, and I hope this game can pull it off just as well, if not better. I doubt this will be a gem, but the premise seems like I’ll get at least a couple of hours of fun out of it.

The Getaway (PS2) £0.75

The Getaway is effectively a Grand Theft Auto style London-based game with a hell of a lot of story to tell. I’ve heard that the story in this game and it’s successor (Black Monday) are comparable to Guy Ritchie films such as Snatch and Revolver. The gameplay is a mix of shooting, driving and immersive cut-scenes and apparently they are all done extremely well. This is a game I’m really looking forward to playing and my top pick this week for being the hidden gem of the bunch.

Chaos Legion (PS2) £1.50

In early 2003, Capcom fans were busy delving into Devil May Cry 2 and reveling in the fact that they had a new franchise to fawn over. Two months later, Chaos Legion slipped under everyone’s noses. The game lets you command hordes of demon spawn in an effort to hinder the plans of his former friend intent on releasing the demon Azrail and ending the world. It’s a third person hack n’ slash with upgradable demon spawn and a high barrier to entry as I’ve heard it’s quite difficult. I can see myself getting quickly frustrated with this game, but I imagine I’ll love it all the same.

Total Spent: £5.75

Pick of the Week: The Getaway (PS2)

Sleeper: Chaos Legion (PS2)

Most likely to suck: Barbarian

So overall I spent £5.75 and got five possible hidden gems, keep an eye out for reviews of these games to see if they were worth a second look, or worth retracting the first look everyone gave them. Check back next week for five more possibilities.

Sam Marshall

Sam Marshall delves deeper into the darkest depths than any man who dared to tread before him. Some people enjoy a little mind-crushing torture. He is one of them.