Athens 2004 Preview

The wind is gusting, first to the left and then to the right. All you have as a barometer is the little flag in front of you. Seventy meters away stands the target. It is the final match in the Olympics archery contest.

The targeting drifts wide, allowing for the wind, and then the arrow is released. The high whistle is followed by the thud of impact.

“10” proclaims the announcer, sending the crowd into a roar of approval, standing and cheering.

Athens 2004 is the PlayStation 2 release from Eurocom and SCEA. The title is slated for a July release, but GameZone.com was fortunate enough to get their hands on a preview version of the game. Not everything is in place, and this came without a manual – leading to a rather robust learning curve.

But this is a title that will certainly have sports gamers excited when it is all put together.

There are three modes of play in this title, and in addition to the 25 events featured, players can create their own unique competitions (not available on this preview, though the slots were there for it). The three modes of play include practice, arcade and competition. The events take place in six categories – track and field, swimming, gymnastics, shooting (archery and skeet), weightlifting and equestrian.

There are 64 countries represented across five continents and with 800 different athlete avatars.

From the archery venue to the track events such as the 100 meters, hurdles, or field events in the long jump and pole vault, this is definitely a game with a solid array of events and challenges.

The music is well done and the sounds are excellent, and really do a superb job of capturing the sounds of the sport.

But with a game like this, so much is riding on the physical representation. In that regard, Athens 2004 takes home the gold medal. The avatars move very well, and the competition is very well rendered. If the game does have any problems, they lay in the reflexive nature of some of the events. Your hands will get a workout in some of the events, while you will have to pay attention and learn in others. This is a title that offers a little bit of something for everyone.

While the game preview came without a manual, the game does have in-game instructions, though these can be a little awkward to understand initially. For example: in the 100 meters, you get set for the start by holding down the L1 button, the use the X and O to run. L1 completes the lunge for the tape. Those familiar with this style of game will immediately understand that you end up doing a thumb dance between those keys, going as fast as you can to generate the speed. Easier said than done though. And if you think that running is tough, try swimming when you have to worry about getting air while competing.

All in all, this is a terrific experience and the developer has done a wonderful job of bringing the excitement of the competition to the game. While the game feels a bit arcadish at times, there is little doubt that this is a winner and worthy of standing on the podium to receive that medal of victory.