Shooter Video Games

Originally a PSP title, Sony's spy-themed stealth series returns to PS2 with Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow. With a storyline penned by comic book author and novelist Greg Rucka, Logan's Shadow finds lead protagonist Gabe Logan on an international adventure to recover an advanced piece of technology hijacked by an extremist group. Players will explore the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, and other exotic locales as they battle an assortment of terrorists from a third-person perspective. New combat moves let players use enemies as human shields, fire weapons from behind cover, and even engage in underwater battles with spear guns and bolt pistols. Other armaments include grenade launchers, flash bangs, smoke grenades, and sticky mines. The cooperative "buddy" missions introduced in 2006's Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror are back with all-new objectives, and an assortment of interactive mini-games have been added to the play mechanics, allowing Logan to perform such actions as escaping wrist restraints, airlifting debris, and more. The switch to PS2 allows for slight graphical upgrades over the PSP version, a new cover mechanic, and more camera control thanks to the second analog stick. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Jurassic: The Hunted is a fast-paced first-person shooter that sends players back through time, to pit them against the monstrous creatures that ruled the title era. Survival itself is the greatest measure of success, as the player is challenged to outgun and outsmart aggressive oversized enemies such as raptors, Triceratops, and Tyrannosaurus. Various game modes have players scavenging the prehistoric environment for useful weapons and equipment, defending makeshift fortifications under siege, and in all-out boss battles and arena fights against giant, ferocious opponents. A bullet-time styled "adrenaline burst" feature allows players to slow the action down during key sequences, for a one-time chance to take careful aim at a dinosaur enemy's most vulnerable points. The budget-friendly game puts players in the role of expert survivalist Craig Dylan, who has been hired to help protect a team of researchers investigating a temporal distortion on a heretofore-unknown island. When Dylan is mysteriously pulled backward through time to the era of the dinosaurs, he has only his wits and his weapon skills to keep him from becoming some terrible lizard's lunch. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is a third-person shooter adventure, designed for two players, based on Paramount Pictures' summer 2009 film of the same name. The game follows its own original storyline, which begins just after the events of the film. Players lead a two-soldier team of their favorite G.I. Joe characters through a series of discrete but successive missions, advancing the story and moving closer to the game's ultimate confrontation with the elite of the enemy terrorist military organization known as Cobra. The action plays out with both active heroes on a single screen, emphasizing the need for teamwork integral to the G.I. Joe stories. To ensure that Joe fans of all ages and gaming skills can work together to battle through the game's levels, the control scheme is based on a scalable design. It is possible to blast through each mission using only two controls -- move and shoot -- yet additional controls, for moves such as strafing, melee fighting, and charged-up attacks, are available to empower more practiced gamers.

In the summer 2009 imagining of the G.I. Joe legend, fans are introduced to the military's secret team of specialists, and witness the origins of the nefarious enemy organization as well. In addition to gun battles, players face hand-to-hand combat and some car-jacked driving challenges, in missions of infiltration, sabotage, and assault. At certain points, when the situation looks desperate, players' characters in the current mission can call in support from other G.I. Joe operatives, making use of their unique abilities to get past a tough fight or obstacle. By playing through the main campaign, gamers unlock additional characters for use in replays and other modes. Although following directly from the story of the movie, the video game draws on 45 years of fiction and lore created through G.I. Joe comics, cartoons, previous games, and multiple toy lines from manufacturer Hasbro, including the revamped line of G.I. Joe toys developed and released alongside the feature film and game. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Watch out for slime and avoid crossing the streams in this surprise continuation of Sony Pictures' Ghostbusters franchise. Written by stars Harold Ramis and Dan Ackroyd, who scripted both blockbuster films, Ghostbusters: The Video Game features a storyline set two years after the events depicted in Ghostbusters 2. Hailed by New York City residents as heroes, the Ghostbusters are hoping to turn their thriving business into a franchise, much to the chagrin of ex-EPA agent Walter Peck. After the Ghostbusters hire a new crewmember, the city is overwhelmed with a surge of paranormal activity. There's something even stranger in the neighborhood, and you're getting the call.

Since the game is all about hunting down and capturing ghosts, the perspective is set behind your character's shoulder to offer a clear view of the rooms and spectral anomalies ahead. The third-person viewpoint also displays one of the most important tools you'll have in confronting the ghosts: the Proton Pack. You must monitor the Proton Pack's power consumption to avoid overheating the device, and the backpack's flashing display also indicates health and weapon charge. Your character will be in constant radio communication with other members of the Ghostbusters team, including Peter Venkman, Raymond Stantz, Egon Spengler, and Winston Zeddemore, each voiced by the movie's original actors.

While the storyline and core play mechanics are the same across platforms, the Wii and PlayStation 2 games share a simplified, cartoon-like art style and an emphasis on multiplayer action. The first notable difference is cooperative support throughout the campaign via split-screen display, with the Wii version offering four-player action and the PlayStation 2 game offering two. Competitive modes include two playable sides: Ghostbusters or ghosts. As a ghost, you can fly or phase through specific areas in a room. You can also "scare" rivals by sneaking up behind them, leaving your victims more susceptible to attacks. As one of the Ghostbusters, you can use proton packs, ghost traps, and character-specific special techniques. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Gamers who love the competition and frenzied action of paintball, but don't particularly enjoy getting hit in the face with paint pellets, can take the easy way out thanks to NPPL Championship Paintball 2009. There are five game modes, and players can shoot it out in more than 35 tournaments, including woodsball levels, and real locations from the National Professional Paintball League, the Millennium European Paintball Series, and the Xtreme Paintball Sports League. "Career Mode" follows players as they advance from rookie to pro status, upgrading and unlocking markers, barrels, hoppers, and more than 100 pieces of gear along the way, and the Field Creator feature lets players design their own unique battlefields. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

With the World at War, Activision's veteran military first-person shooter series heeds a call to return to its WWII roots. Built on the Call of Duty 4 engine, World at War aims to bring Modern Warfare's sharp graphics, chaotic battlefield environments, and tense shooter action back to the World War II setting in which the series earned its stripes.

As (at least) the fourth original console and home computer Call of Duty title set during World War II, World at War offers an expanded selection of era-authentic infantry and vehicle weapons, as well as the tactics that go with them, such as using flamethrowers to burn away camouflaging cover and expose hidden enemies. The Final Fronts PS2 version of the game features its own storyline and mission progression.

Call of Duty: World at War -- Final Fronts players take the role of a United States Marine in the Pacific, a British Airborne officer on the Rhine, and an 80th Infantry soldier in Bastogne, to face an onslaught of deadly new techniques, including brutal guerrilla warfare, deadly booby traps, and unrelenting Banzai Charge attacks. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Players take the role of the darker, grittier James Bond in Quantum of Solace, the first 007 game from publisher Activision. Following Daniel Craig's portrayal of a violent, driven Bond, the young MI6 agent's methods may be messy, but he is ultimately effective. Gameplay features plenty of gun-fighting and hand-to-hand combat, as well as surveillance and stealth sequences. The game is built on Infinity Ward's Call of Duty 4 game engine, and features similar graphical quality, third-person cut-aways, and enemy AI.

The setting and story of Quantum of Solace are based directly on the movies, both Casino Royale and its sequel, which shares the game's title and autumn 2008 release. Developers re-created locations from both films, based on thousands of photos. All main characters have the likenesses and voices of their cinematic counterparts, including Craig as Bond and Olga Kurylenko as Camille, plus Mathieu Amalric, Judi Dench, Eva Green, and Mads Mikkelsen in their respective roles. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Blue or Gray, Civil War Secret Missions players embark on an unsung career of subterfuge and sabotage, in the role of an 1860s-era commando spy. Presented by History (previously better known as the History Channel), the title follows Activision's earlier Civil War games, continuing in the first-person shooter style of The History Channel: Civil War -- A Nation Divided. Unlike its immediate predecessor, however, Secret Missions favors surgical strikes and guerrilla operations over fast-shooter action and battlefield strategy.

Backed by the broadcasting network, History: Civil War Secret Missions is based on actual recorded events and people from the War Between the States. Players can embark on adventures as members of partisan Confederate cavalry, forward scouts for the U.S. Army, or even handpicked Secret Service operatives, encountering important Civil War figures such as Generals Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, and T.J. "Stonewall" Jackson as they go. Missions include railway raids, supply-line strikes, and other low-profile, highly disruptive paramilitary attacks. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Mercenaries 2: World in Flames continues the open-world warfare that helped distinguish its Xbox and PS2 predecessor. You are cast in the role of a heavily armed mercenary, whose truculent talents go to the highest bidder. The destination this time around is Venezuela, where a military coup has instigated a full-scale battle over the country's precious oil supply. Resources such as tanks, APCs, boats, automobiles, and even mini-nukes can be at your disposal in a moment's notice. You can set buildings, vehicles, and even people on fire while you complete a series of deadly missions at the behest of wealthy clients.

Key features include a cooperative multiplayer campaign, an ability to recruit fellow mercenaries, and an assortment of tools to master. One such gadget, the grappling hook, lets you latch onto helicopters and other aircraft to commandeer them from the air. Once again the action is viewed from a third-person perspective as you choose from three playable characters, each possessing distinct attributes: powerful Christopher Jacobs, agile Jennifer Mui, and unstable Mattias Nilsson. Mercenaries 2: World in Flames is developer Pandemic Studios' first release since being acquired by Electronic Arts in October 2007. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

A refurbished and expanded version of the original PSP launch title, Twisted Metal: Head-On -- Extra Twisted Edition comes to the PS2 with a wealth of extras and new features. With development overseen by Twisted Metal series creator David Jaffe and his Eat, Sleep, Play studio, the Extra Twisted Edition promises better lighting, higher resolution textures, and more detail on each of the game's 18 vehicles. Existing battle arenas in Los Angeles, Paris, Egypt, and Tokyo are joined by a selection of new combat zones for use in story, challenge, and endurance modes. Other exclusive PS2 bonuses include 16 vehicles and four lost levels originally intended for "Twisted Metal: Black 2," a "Sweet Tour" mode where players guide the flame-haired clown Sweet Tooth around a brand new level on foot, and a documentary about the series' history including several deleted endings. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide