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Crimson Tears Review - PS2

No doubt about it, the anime influence has well and truly reached Australia. Anime, for those who don't yet know, refers to Japanese animation - cartoons such as Pokemon and the more mature Cowboy Bebop, for example. Developer Dream Factory has just bought their obviously anime-oriented game Crimson Tears to the PlayStation 2 with the help of publisher Capcom, placing it on store shelves among the many other games out there influenced by the captivating art style.

Crimson Tears revolves around a convoluted and technologically detailed storyline set in Tokyo in the near future - the year 2049 to be precise. Weapons manufacturer "A.R.M.A." has, for some reason, been developing dimensional labryinths known as Dungeons in conjunction with their usual trade of powerful and destructive weapons. An accident at the facilities of the weapons giant has caused distortions in Earth's spatial dimensions. With things gradually spiraling out of control, "A.R.M.A." decides to send in their most powerful humanoid weapons, known as Mutanoids, to correct their blunders. These three human-like robots form the game's three playable characters: Tokio, your typical buff gunslinger; and Amber and Kadie, two similar blade and bomb specialists dressed in equal amounts of skimpy clothing complete with overly bouncy breasts. The story is opened and progressed with the utilisation of amazingly dramatic full-motion videos that look so good that you'd be forgiven for thinking that they've been drawn for use in an anime cartoon series.

Gameplay

The game consists of a well-rounded mix of real-time action and simplistic Role-Playing Game elements. A garage in central Tokyo acts as your hub - here, characters are stored and switched between; items can be stored; you can enter the game's dungeons or levels, known as Dimension Zones; and you can save your game, upgrade your combo attacks and watch previously seen full-motion videos via the basement's computer.

Exiting the garage, not through the teleporter into the dungeons but outside into the town, is as simple as approaching the large and rusted garage door. The town is unfortunately poorly designed, feeling empty, quiet and motionless even for a piece of society going through physically destructive and turbulent situations. Only a handful of people wander - or should I say stand in - the few streets, and many areas are closed off abruptly and in a less than subtle fashion by piles of debris. The town comes complete with many functions, however. Many of the citizens that you'll come across sell items and weapons, which are essential purchases whenever you've gained some gold from defeated enemies' carcasses. Occasionally you'll be offered the chance to take part in a sub-quest, usually involving the retrieval of a rare item from one of the game's ten or so dungeons. While its not entirely enjoyable playing through an entire dungeon all over again for the sake of an item, the sub-quests often reap useful and powerful rewards.

The game's dungeons are entered in sequence; you must complete one before the next ... (continued next page)