Die Hard: Vendetta

### AMERICA'S UNLUCKIEST COP IS HAVING ANOTHER VERY BAD DAY. John McClane is back... this time in an all-out battle to save his daughter.

Rely on the killer instinct that made McClane a legend. Use your wits - and everything else at your disposal - to blast your way through L.A.'s seedy underbelly. Take out a multitude of bad guys and save the day as the Die Hard saga continues.

GAME FEATURES

• New Storyline: New and original film characters, plus the actual voice of Reginald Vel Johnson, Officer Powell from the Die Hard film.
• Hero Mode: Heightened senses and quickened reflexes let you get a jump on enemies.
• Serious Firepower: Dual Weapons and an awesome arsenal, including night vision goggles, a sniper rifle, Uzis, and more.
• Stealth Gameplay: Use enemy hostages to save civilians and neutralize threats.
• Auto-Targeting and Auto-Jump: Controls specially designed for the Nintendo GameCube(TM).

Source:

Back Cover - GameCube NTSC

IT'S TIME FOR A LITTLE PAYBACK

Take on the role of the heroic cop. John McClane, to protect and rescue innocent Los Angeles citizens - and his daughter, Lucy - as this original, non-stop, action-packed Die Hard storyline unfolds. Use your wits - and everything else at your disposal - to blast your way through L.A.'s seedy underworld.

GAME FEATURES:

• Weaponry - Dual weapons for more fire power and an awesome arsenal including night vision goggles, a sniper rifle, Sub Machine Gun and more.
• Advanced AI - Enemies hide behind corners when reloading and react differently according to where they are hit. Be careful - they will not think twice about killing hostages if you make a wrong move.
• Stealth Gameplay - Take enemies captive to save civilian hostages.
• Hero Mode - Take on multiple bad guys at one time as you fire all 6 shots before your enemies can shoot once.

Source:

Back Cover - GameCube (UK)

The game:

Take on the role of John McClane, as this original Die Hard story line unfolds.

Take on the role of John McClane, probably the unluckiest cop in the motion picture history. McClane is back working the streets of LA but his past just won't leave him alone, and with John where there's trouble, you know that some insurance firms are going to go bankrupt before this all gets resolved. Die Hard: Vendetta is a first person shooter (FPS) where tactics and stealth are as important as having a big gun and being a quick shot. With unprecedence character interaction, superbly rich environments and some amazing in-game cinematics, this game will explode Die Hard into the 21st Century. "Welcome to the party, pal"

**Completely original storyline set five years after Die Hard With A Vengeance!

Speak to any character in the game and get clues to help solve your objectives!

Two different modes of play: STEALTH or ACTION.

Take enemies hostage, use them as cover or force them to disarm.

Amazing cinematic effects include Slow Motion Deaths and Bullet Cam.

Enhanced enemy AI behaviour.

Control McClane with the dual analogue setup.

Multiplayer mode for 2-4 players.

Includes "Making of the Game" footage.

Hints available - 09065 558810. (£1 p/min at all times.) You MUST have the permission of the telephone account holder before making the call.**

Source:

Vivendi Universal Games UK website - Xbox

Pow-pow in La-La Land.

Wisecracking New York cop John McClane (played by Bruce Willis in three Die Hard movies) returns in this first-person shooter that's a Nintendo GameCube exclusive.

Retired to sunny Southern California but most definitely not out to pasture, John takes up arms yet again when daughter Lucy, now all grown up and graduated from police academy, finds herself in scalding-hot water.

Feels Like Old Times

Familiar big-screen characters litter McLane's journey through the mean sun-kissed streets of Los Angeles. Smooth-as-silk villain Hans Gruber went splat in the first Die Hard, so it's hardly surprising that his son is back in town and bent on revenge. Piet Gruber is as dandified as dear old dad, but underneath the designer suits he's one cold-blooded slab of Euro-ickiness. Obnoxious TV reporter Dick Thornberg once more does a splendid job of annoying McLane. The only actor from the movies is Reginald Vel Johnson as doughnut-chomping Sgt. Al Powell.

Moving with McLane

Donovan McNabb in an open field doesn't have half the moves Bits has given McLane, including jumping, crouching, strafing and leaning left or right. All functions are reassigned if you squeeze the Left button.

McLane can tote two guns at once, a visually impressive gimmick that seldom affects gameplay. There are three difficulty levels. Unusual for a first-person shooter, there is no multiplayer mode.

The extremely generous Auto-Aim feature sticks to bad guys like big ears on Mickey, making it easy to take down the baddies even at long range. For a real he-man challenge, switch to manual aim.

A couple of innovations deserve plaudits. Activate Hero mode for a brief adrenaline rush, which allows you to cut through swarms of baddies like a hot knife through butter. Typical of the game's ample humor, your superstar performance is accompanied by the "Hallelujah" chorus from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.

In Stealth mode, you will move slowly, but find it easier to creep up on bad guys. Stealth mode is a must if you have to take a bad guy hostage. This gives you leverage so you can interrogate, force other bad guys to drop their weapons or save a civilian. You can't grab a hostage if you're toting two guns at once.

Mission: Mayhem

Skip the truly dreadful tutorial and go right to the game. Die Hard: Vendetta's L.A. is a bit over-familiar to anyone who grew up watching cop shows, but you'll soon forget that as you venture into the well-designed missions.

Die Hard: Vendetta puts much more emphasis on the script than most other first-person shooters, which, truth to tell, isn't saying much. McClane often talks to himself, a habit that makes him seem more human and cues you as to what to do next. You'll be entertained and glean lots of info by grilling fellow cops, bystanders and bad guys.

A blue-collar guy, McLane often gets along better with hard-working gang-bangers than the snotty civilians he's allegedly protecting. The voice acting is very good and frequently funny, especially the unknown playing McLane, who perfectly captures Willis's barely contained exasperation. Too bad other developers don't invest a little more effort in good dialogue. The only odd note comes from the Anglicisms that creep in, courtesy of UK developer Bits: a record-store clerk tries to push "prog rock" (progressive rock) on McClane and a sign at a bank says "queue," the British word for "line."

However, the cinema sequences go on way too long, especially Thornberg's interminable TV reports. The point is made over and over again that this Mr. T. loves the sound of his whiny voice, but in truth no self-respecting producer would allow this blowhard on the air.

Graphics

The graphics feel rushed, with lots of bland textures and low-polygon character models moving stiffly. The same characters are used again and again, without so much as changing the color of their sunglasses. Once in a while you're treated to a piece of eye candy, like a slo-mo bullet sending out ripples en route to its resting place in a bad guy's spleen. The aspiration of these cheesy effects inevitably outstrips the execution, especially when dreadful clipping allows a bad guy's torso to fall through a wall. The garish effects feel tacked on to insure an M rating. That's in case the lurid, Oliver Stone-ish language didn't do the trick.

For a sharper and clearer image, select the Progressive Scan option when playing on a TV set that supports that feature.

Bottom Line

Actual gameplay trumps the iffy graphics, with well-laid out missions constantly giving you new objectives. Puzzle elements and the constant imperative to avoid civilian casualties put Die Hard: Vendetta a step above the run-'n'-gun FPS crowd. Weapons include revolvers, automatic pistols, submachine guns and sniper rifles, but the real star here is McLane's wisecracks.

Source:

www.nintendo.com

Wise-cracking New York cop John McClane (played by Bruce Willis in three Die Hard movies) returns in this first-person shooter that's a Nintendo GameCube exclusive.

Retired to sunny Southern California but most definitely not out to pasture, John takes up arms yet again when daughter Lucy, now all grown up and graduated from police academy, finds herself in scalding-hot water.

In true Die Hard style stealth will be as important as blasting terrorist scum. For example, you will be able to use enemy hostages to save civilians and neutralize threats.

Die Hard: Vendetta marks a career advance for Sgt. Al Powell, the doughnut-chomping cop of the first two films who has now been promoted to chief. Reginald Vel Johnson, the zestful character talent who made Powell one of the most memorable characters in the series, lends his considerable voice talents to the game.

Source:

www.nintendo.com.au – GameCube

America's favorite cop is having another very bad day. Rely on the killer instincts that made John McClane a legend. Use your wits--and everything else at your disposal--to blast your way through L.A.'s seedy underbelly. Take out a multitude of bad guys and save the day as the Die Hard saga continues.

Source:

"Nintendo Winter 2002" promotional booklet - GameCube