It's for everyone. -John Cocking Pros: Cartoon zombies Gentle learning curve Goofy good looks Cons: Killing zombies can get monotonous Addictive.

Perhaps Persona 2's most interesting gameplay element is the rumor system, which allows you to gossip about other characters in the game. A properly spread rumor can trigger in-game events and create whole new story arcs. This adds considerable replay value and most RPGers should appreciate this to no end. -Todd Mowatt Pros: Great dialogue Eerie music sets appropriate tone for the game Rumor system lets you affect the game's story Cons: Talking to enemies gets very repetitive Too-simple combat scheme Poor pacing in the game's middle.

-Joe Hon Pros: Highly stylized graphics Rich battle system Intriguing plot Cons: Shallow, linear gameplay.

Technically speaking, the game's graphics and sound are good, but not spectacular. The full-motion cutscenes are superbly done. Parasite Eve is a good game-there's just not enough of it. While it doesn't feel crammed together, the story seems to resolve quickly. Brilliant while it lasted, Parasite Eve left me wanting more. -John Cocking Pros: Mutating dogs Involving storyline Elegant game mechanics Cons: Too short, and it's confusing.

With all the different names for the original 1991 release of the first title in this compilation (Final Fantasy IV in Japan, Final Fantasy II in the U. S. ), role-players new to the game may get confused. Make no mistake, though: Final Fantasy Chronicles marks the first time this pivotal installment of the cherished game series has ever been available on the PlayStation. In Final Fantasy IV, players take on the role of Cecil, a loyal captain who questions the orders of his king, and for it is sent to slay a mysterious beast in a nearby valley. In Chrono Trigger, Chrono must follow princess Marle's teleportation through time and locate her before an intergalactic parasite arrives to destroy the world. The original game, also on the PlayStation for the first time, was one of the first nonlinear role-playing games. The decisions that players make during the game will point them toward one of more than a dozen possible endings. These new versions retain the authentic Japanese SNES stories and characters while updating their graphics and adding new full-motion video sequences and other features.

While necessary for advancing in levels, the battles occur with such frequency that they can grow annoying, making for a tedious game experience. The epic storyline spans four discs-over 40 hours of gameplay-and is based around a mercenary cadet who finds himself caught up with an underground rebel faction. He winds up in a plot to assassinate the sorceress who has just seized power from the president. You could complain of limited replay value, but this gripe is of no consequence: the game is such a satisfying experience, it doesn't require replay. Final Fantasy VIII is easily worth both the hype and the wait. You can't buy a much better game. -John Cocking Pros: A story to beat all stories Characters worth caring about Hey-it's from SquareSoft Stunning animations Cons: Too many random battles Combat is, as always, turn-based and offers minimal excitement Weak souls might give up after two or three discs of play.

Her entry into the Tower is where this RPG begins. SquareSoft has kept some of the excellent elements of the weapons systems from the first Parasite Eve title, but went for an entirely new battle system. Combat is delivered in real time and allows players to run, hide, and open fire. Aya can tap into her parasitic powers and can unleash elemental, magic-based attacks on the many foes she encounters. Ammunition is plentiful in the game and there are plenty of entertaining weapons to choose from. Auto targeting and involving puzzles are back, though the arrow-pointing interface for solving these puzzles is really hard to operate. The cinematic mix of story and action is very well done, and the numerous cutscenes do an excellent job of moving the pace along in a believable way. Even though the original Parasite Eve had its problems, SquareSoft has pieced together an excellent sequel that will satisfy fans of the first game and he Three years ago, gamers were introduced to Aya as she resigned from the New York Police Department and enlisted as a NMC (neo-mitochondrion creature) hunter for the shadowy government organization M. I. S. T. , a secret agency of monster slayers somewhere between Ghostbusters and Men in Black. Wherever there was a neo-mitochondrion outbreak, Aya and her team were on the scene to put the boots to the mutants. From the outset, it's evident that SquareSoft revamped the entire game to give gamers a better looking, sounding, and (most importantly) playing experience. The game starts with Aya training in the agency's shooting gallery in Los Angeles. Just as she begins to get in a groove, she is asked to look into some strange happenings at the Akropolis Tower. When she arrives on the scene, an explosive, full-motion video flashes across the screen and showcases the death and carnage as Aya surveys the scene. Her entry into the Tower is where this RPG begins. SquareSoft has kept some of the excellent elements of the weapons systems from the first Parasite Eve title, but went for an entirely new battle system. Combat is delivered in real time and allows players to run, hide, and open fire. Aya can tap into her parasitic powers and can unleash elemental, magic-based attacks on the many foes she encounters. Ammunition is plentiful in the game and there are plenty of entertaining weapons to choose from. Auto targeting and involving puzzles are back, though the arrow-pointing interface for solving these puzzles is really hard to operate. The cinematic mix of story and action is very well done, and the numerous cutscenes do an excellent job of moving the pace along in a believable way. Even though the original Parasite Eve had its problems, SquareSoft has pieced together an excellent sequel that will satisfy fans of the first game and help create many new ones. -Todd Mowatt Pros: New, real-time battle system is an improvement over first Parasite Eve Great weapons and plentiful ammunition Great mix of story and action Cons: Clunky interface for solving puzzles.

If you are already a fan, pick it up to relive the magic once again. Showcasing two installments of SquareSoft's wildly popular role-playing game (RPG) series, Final Fantasy Anthology features the U. S. debut of Final Fantasy V, and reintroduces one of the best RPGs of all time, Final Fantasy VI, originally released as Final Fantasy III on the Super Nintendo gaming system. Both games are straight Super Nintendo conversions, so their 2-D graphics and 16-bit sounds are admittedly subpar by PlayStation standards. However, SquareSoft has added brand-new, beautifully animated movies for both titles, and has given Final Fantasy VI the star treatment it deserves by adding a bonus mode where gamers can access loads of supplementary material, such as artwork and data files on the game's monsters and items. While Final Fantasy V is one of weaker entries in the series, Final Fantasy VI alone is totally worth the price of Final Fantasy Anthology. Endearingly melodramatic characters, a genuinely epic story line, and rock-solid gameplay make Final Fantasy VI just as absorbing today as it was when it was Final Fantasy III. -Joe Hon Pros: Brand-new animated movies Reissues Final Fantasy VI, one of the best RPGs ever Lots of supplementary material for Final Fantasy VI Cons: Dated graphics and sounds may bother some gamers The previously unreleased Final Fantasy V may as well have stayed unreleased.

The copious story begins with Dart, a vengeful young man with spiky hair and red armor who embarks on a desperate rescue mission to break his childhood sweetheart out of a castle prison. The two join forces with a knight who is trying to end a war that's destroying the region. Dart soon learns that he is a Dragoon-a human who's privy to the spiritual power of dragons. Like all RPG heroes, Dart is up against impossible odds, but his newfound Dragoon magic and battle skills go a long way toward making the bet even money. And that's just the beginning. Grab a spare memory card and a comfy chair and be prepared to spend at least 20 hours getting through the first disk (there are three others just like it in the double-wide case). It's hard to sustain a player through this kind of time span, but The Legend of Dragoon takes chances and wins. For example, its battle system is turn based, so you can actually use some strategy, but it also features special "additions," or fighting combos that unfold if you match the X button to that addition's timing. When handling three players' additions, each with unique sequences, it can be quite challenging. You can increase the potency of the elemental magic up to 160 percent by quickly tapping X during your cast. Also, the perspectives often change between battles-players will direct the action from behind the heroes, behind the villains, looking down from above, and off to the side. There are a couple downsides to the game. First, the stylized transitions into and out of battle mode, while initially cool, quickly become exhausting-especially when running the gauntlet through lesser foes in the wilderness or lower ramparts of a castle. The game's story is built such that you're watching the sometimes goofy dialog as a spectator rather than participating in it. There are a few occasions when the game will prompt you to choose from two different responses, but often either response will bring about the same conclusion. That tightly controlled narrative, however, often works in the player's favor by keeping the game flowing instead of the wandering common in other RPGs, where players waste time looking to each townsperson for direction. Overall, the game's wonderfully illustrated sets, light exploration and problem solving, and a handful of jaw-dropping full-motion video scenes make The Legend of Dragoon fun to play and hard to put down. -Porter Hall Pros: Hours upon hours of story and gameplay Turn-based battle made more exciting by combo-attack-style "additions" Many different monsters, spells, weapons, and items Cons: Very linear gameplay offers no chance to affect outcome Stylish pre- and postbattle sequences quickly grow tiresome.

My only qualm with Chrono Cross is that, despite the complexities of the battle system, veterans will have an easy time with early battles. Still, there's much to like about this SquareSoft epic. -Robb Guido Pros: Lavish, vibrantly colored graphics Unique battle system involving elements and casting away role-playing clichés like experience and magic points Cons: Easy battles due to powerful offensive and cure elements For hours, players will be saying, "Get to the time travel stuff".