Silent Scope

Even though the idea of releasing a gun game without a gun on the market seems silly, I can't deny that there is some good clean fun to be had in Silent Scope.

Originally released in the arcade as a sniper rifle simulator. In the arcade you actually had to look through scope and what you saw in the scope was the game itself. However, as we all know what works in the arcade doesn't always translate so well when ported to the home system.

Without a scope Konami had to do some serious altering to Silent Scope. Now you see the "scoped" view over the wide-angle shots of the environment. This "scoped" circle takes up about 20% of the screen and can disappear making it easier to find who you are sniping.

Without a gun Konami had to make the Dreamcast control feel like a sniper rifle. If you've played House of the Dead 2 with a control you basically know what's going on here. Never has a control been a good substitute for a gun. And in this case, where precision is a necessity, it's even worse.

There is a story mode that is highly enjoyable ... the first time through. It features terrorists on buildings, on the highway, in the air, and even in a football stadium. And just when you thought that sniping in a football stadium was silly enough, you're out side with night vision goggles. There are some other interesting effects, some of which the game actually warn you about.

There's also a neat time trial, and an extra level to find ... but there is really very little replay in a game like this. It's difficult to control, and it's not a lot of fun after you've beaten it. It's alright for a rental, but I'd steer clear of owning it.