Virtua Cop

Review

by Jonathan Sutyak

Shooting the bad guys is always fun, and that is exactly what Virtua Cop is all about. Just shoot, reload, shoot, reload, shoot, reload, shoot, reload, etc. It's that simple.

Although a light gun is faster enabling the game to be easier, using the standard controller is not too difficult. Move the cursor around the screen as you target the enemies. When the bad guys appear at each side of the screen you have to be very quick to be able to hit one guy and then slide the cursor to the other side before he can shoot you. Of course, the Sega Stunner Gun does make the game feel more realistic and adds a lot to the enjoyment of the game.

The graphics are cool as you interact with the backgrounds. Blast cars, taking out their windows and eventually causing them to explode. Shooting out the drivers of the constuction equipment as they come at you is great. Realism comes into play too as the enemies clutch themselves while they fall to the ground depending on where you hit them. Not much blood is included, but that's okay because it really isn't needed. There is hardly enough time to enjoy the graphics though as they scroll quickly.

Louder and more realistic sounding gunfire is a must, though you may not even notice the sound. Things are happening so fast you hardly have time to think. The enemy bosses feature voices but they don't speak exceptionally clear.

Replay value is mixed for this game -- its great to play but more levels are needed and would have pushed the game up to a higher rating. Virtua Cop only has three levels but playing the same ones over and over can still be enjoyable. Players can choose to play the levels in any order as well, certainly a welcome feature. Get a friend with a second gun and have a blast blowing everyone and everything away.