A New Wave of Terror
- NA release: 25th April 2006
- EU release: 16th June 2006
- JP release: 29th June 2006
- Developer: Cavia, Inc.
- Publisher: Koei
- NGC Magazine Score: N/A
- Version Played: PlayStation 2
The last bonus game I will be covering, and this one is a sequel to a N64 game that pretty much launched the cover based shooter genre. It had a cheesy but enjoyable plot, with a singular story where you made it through a large complex. It got a remake on PlayStation 2, but I was curious as to where the sequel landed, and how much it has evolved since the first, especially with Gears of War coming out a few months later.
It turns out it hasn’t evolved much in terms of cover mechanics, which are immensely clunky, with slow aiming. You can’t aim upwards over cover, and it’s pretty crazy that the first but of cover you’re given in the first level is completely useless, as there’s stuff in the way of the only part you can lean out from. Enemies do just stand still, so the slowness of the aiming isn’t a huge factor, but the shooting mechanics were just far more enjoyable in the first game.
As for everything else, it’s so different that it shouldn’t have used the WinBack name. The plot has nothing to do with the first, there are no returning character and, other than the game having a cover system, the gameplay has no similarity. Even the story in this game feels disconnected with itself, with each level just been a boring excuse for running through a couple of small rooms (no large base to fight your way through).
The unique thing about Project Poseidon is that you play each level as two characters, one after the other. This splits the already short levels in half. The big gimmick is that there’s a few sections where character A can assist character B – taking out some enemies, locking a door to prevent enemies. This makes a minuscule difference to character B, who either has to deal with a couple more enemies or hide behind cover for a few more seconds. The idea is not used to its potential at all.
It’s just not a well put together game, with awkward gunplay and repetitive feeling levels. Even the character’s faces are awkward, with a static smile going on at all times, even when under fire. This is so far behind what cover based shooters were like in 2006.
Poor
For those who fondly remember the original, Project Poseidon will be like washing your mouth with acid should you decide to play it. The game fails to generate any interesting gameplay with its shallow team dynamic and adds little else to keep players interested. At its core, Winback 2 is a simplistic third person action game with rudimentary duck and cover elements.
Charles Onyett, IGN
Did the GameCube Miss out?
No, this offered nothing. The remake of the original would have been nice.
Remake or remaster?
Not for this.
Official Ways to get the game
There’s no official way to buy Winback 2: Project Poseidon
GameCube Games by Date
2002: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
2003: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
2004: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
2005: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
2006: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
