| The first anime film to be simultaneously released in Japan, Britain, and the United States, Ghost in the Shell did rather better on DVD and video sales than it did at the box office. It told the story of a female cyborg cop hunting a dangerous computer hacker called the Puppet Master, and was rendered in arguably the most sensational riot of superb animation, sound and (subtle) CGI ever seen in an anime film.A spin-off TV series, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, follows the continuing adventures of the cybernetic-bodied Major Motoko Kusanagi and her muscled partner Batou, operatives in the police Section 9.Now Atari are bringing an adventure based on the TV series to PS2. Kusanagi and Batou are assigned with bringing a terrorist group bent on arms-trading to justice. As the investigation unfolds, they are brought face to face with the horrific underworld culture of ghost hacking and cybernetic modification.Three players are selectable in this third-person action shooter: Kusanagi, Batou and a Tachikoma'a highly versatile and intelligent, spider-like robot with many weapons and camouflage capabilities. As well as a panoply of martial art abilities, there are 15 weapons available for use, including sniper rifles, machine guns and missile launchers. Gameplay also involves hacking into computers, machinery, and even the very minds of your enemies, all over twelve stages and three difficulty settings. There's also a multiplayer mode for up to four players, with team and free-for-all game modes available. The game includes 20 minutes of 3D rendered cut-scenes, and the visuals alone are likely to tempt players who enjoyed both the original feature film and the TV series on Cartoon Network. |
