Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions
March 1, 2002
It’s been hyped by several gaming publications as “the next big thing” for the Xbox, and now, Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions has finally hit the shelves. So has the game lived up to expectations? The answer may surprise you…
First things first, Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions is definitely a beautiful game. The lighting effects and reflections in the game are second to none. You can actually see the city lights reflecting off your car, the pavement is textured extremely well, and the particle effects are outstanding. When you stop and look at the game, it actually looks like you’re watching a car tear down the streets of a real city. However, graphics don’t count for much anymore, as nearly every new game that’s hitting the market looks incredible. Granted, some look better than others, but for the most part, we’re seldom let down in the aesthetics department.
Today, it’s gameplay that should ultimately make or break a title, and unfortunately, Wreckless falls a bit flat here. When you begin playing you have two scenarios to choose from; you can play as two female cops who are out to stop the Yakuza, or you can play as two spies who pick up the Yakuza’s slack. For instance, in the first mission as the female characters, you must save an armored vehicle from the Yakuza. As the spies, you’re the one trying to destroy the vehicle and make off with the cash. No matter which duo you choose, there’ll be plenty of carnage left in your wake.
The game lets you play on either the normal difficulty level, or else the hard mode. In addition to that, you can also choose light traffic or heavy traffic. Obviously, if you’re looking to cause as much chaos as possible, you’ll want to have the heavy traffic option selected. As you progress through the missions more cars will become available for you to use. This is one of the game’s finer points; it can be a lot of fun to redo some of the missions with a different vehicle. However, the game can be extremely frustrating at times as your car puts on an unexpected boost of speed at exactly the wrong moment and sends you careening into the wall just ahead. Also, if your car lands upside down, you can do nothing to help. You must sit and wait for the game to reset the vehicle a little ways back. This can cause one’s temper to rise fairly quickly as you watch your precious time run down, and your car is stuck upside down as the enemy speeds away.
Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions is best described as the proverbial “ultimate rental title.” You will have some fun with it, but you probably don’t want to shell out fifty big ones to play it. Besides, the game is very short and can easily be played through in a weekend. Give it a whirl, and see what you think. Don’t expect too much, and you may not be disappointed.
CVG Report CardWreckless: The Yakuza Missions
Rating: C
Platform: Xbox
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