Gaming Target - PlayStation 2: Smuggler's Run 2: Hostile Territory

Written by Kyle Williams on May 22, 2001

First Impressions: Rockstar Games once again prompts you to bend the law.

This October, Rockstar Games will bring us the sequel to one of the best launch titles for the Playstation 2. The original Smuggler's Run broke away from the traditional track based racing idea and allowed players to roam free along the Canadian and Mexican borders of the United States. Picking up and delivering contraband while avoiding the authorities and rival gangs was the name of the game.

This time around the block the vehicles and cargo are military in nature. With this, expect to navigate minefields and avoid the fire from military skirmishes while trying to deliver your cargo. The military theme is also going to allow for a more varied selection of level locales (think Vietnam and Afghanistan), vehicle types, and mission styles. The cargo you carry is also going to become livelier, as certain payloads will break or detonate if they are not cared for properly.

If you thought that the original game was detailed, wait until you see Hostile Territory. Vehicle models are more detailed than before and can now be damaged by collisions, explosions, and crossfire. Take a close look at the four-wheeler model and notice the drive chain running to the rear axle. This is the kind of detail that you will find throughout the game, most of which you probably will not notice the first time you see it. It is detail of this level that is bringing video games closer and closer to being "real."

Through the course of the game, weather and time of day are also going to play a role in how you approach a level. Imagine trying to climb a hill in rainy weather, losing your traction and sliding back down the way you came. This is the type of effect we can expect to come into play for this sequel. It does not hurt that all of this meticulous attention to detail is being pulled together by a solid 60 frames-per-second framerate.