Virtual On has been a long running series of mech games that finally made its way to the PS2.  The game has been available in the arcades as well as previous Sega systems, the Saturn and Dreamcast.  Virtual On: Marz is essential a sequel to previous Virtual On games.  The basic concept of the game is you’re in control of a huge robotic mech, called a VR unit (Virtuaroid).  You’ll have to fight against other VR units in order to survive and complete the game.

There are two gameplay modes available in Virtual On: Marz, Dramatic Mode and Versus mode.  Dramatic Mode is the story mode of the game, while Versus mode allows you to play against another player.  The Versus mode also allows you to compete against the computer with another player controlled VR unit in a split screen mode.  Sadly, there is no online mode for the game.  There is also a VR Collection section available in the game to view all of the different VR models you can collect during the game.

The story line of the Dramatic Mode revolves around the growing threat of criminal activity on the planet of Mars.  A special unit called MARZ was developed to investigate and remove the criminal activity on Mars with the VR units.  But this is only part of the story.  Since this is a sequel to previous Virtual On games, the entire concept is based around the VR units being designed as entertainment for humans.  Normal warfare had been abandoned and in its place corporations developed a new war, the Limited War.  The Limited War took place essentially as a spectator sport with the VR units engaging in battle, with humans being the spectators for the War.  Mars was turned into the battleground for the Limited War.  So with the outbreak of criminal activity on Mars, someone has to find out what’s really going on.  That someone is, of course, you!

While the story might sound interesting, the way the game actually plays out isn’t.  The game is played out in stages, with you having the responsibility of taking out the enemy VR units.  Usually the stages have a set number of enemy VR units you have to take out, with a time limit as well.  For example, in the first mission you might have to take out 6 VR units in 300 seconds.  Then in the second mission you have to take out 5 VR units in 250 seconds.  Before each stage the story unfolds with a brief cut-scene that has your commander explaining to you what needs to be done in the next mission.  You never see your commander, you only hear him.  He will often explain what might have happened in the previous mission as well.  The story line can be very confusing and probably won’t make much sense at all.  Get ready to press the buttons on the controller to skip past the cut-scenes after a few rounds. 

The actual battles are played out in different locations on the planet Mars and other sites. The stages are rather limited in detail, which will probably disappoint most gamers.  Your mechs are detailed but the stages seem very barren and deserted.  Most of the stages seemed to be based on a box (or square) layout.  Even the stages that are outside still seem boxy.  Since your goal for completing a mission is usually to take out as many VR units as possible, there is limited interaction with the stages.  You don’t have destructible environments in the stages, or even damage that shows up on your VR unit.  When you destroy another VR unit, it blows up and disappears.  You will get an occasional bonus item, such as a Repair Disc.  The Repair Discs allow you to replenish your health during a battle. 

For Virtual On veterans, Virtual On: Marz is probably an essential title to your collection.  For fans new to the series, they will probably be left wondering what the fuss is all about.  The lack of additional modes of gameplay is particularly a big problem with the game.  The story mode doesn’t impress and multiplayer is strictly limited to 2 players.  If you’re looking for an arcade type mech game, then give it a try.  But for gamers looking for deep mech simulation game need not apply.

Gameplay 6.0 

What could be the biggest issue with the game are the controls.  The arcade version of Virtual On was controlled with two joysticks, called a twin stick.  It was essential to learn how to control your VR unit by getting used to the controls.  Previous home versions of the game had to have a new control scheme designed because the controllers for the Dreamcast & Saturn lacked a duel joystick layout.  Now for the hardcore gamer here, I must mention that you could purchase a Twin Stick controller for the Saturn or Dreamcast.  As a matter of fact I own one of the Twin Stick controllers for the Saturn.  The beauty of the PS2 controller is the two analog sticks for the controller.  Getting used to the controls is another story all at once.  I went straight to the options setting and change the controller settings to Twin Stick mode.  With the Twin Stick setting the mech is controlled by using the two analog sticks on the PS2 controller.  I wouldn’t recommend this setting for players new to the series, or even players who haven’t played a Virtual On game in a while. 

Moving straight ahead really isn’t that much of a problem, but maneuvering to hit the enemy or turning around seems to be a big issue.  At first it can be seriously frustrating that you have to stop your VR unit before you can turn it around.  As a matter of fact it’s very frustrating!  Having to stop your VR unit, wait for it to turn around, try to locate the enemy again only to have it jump behind you already isn’t fun.  Fortunately there are several different controller settings you can select from when playing the game.  I would recommend sticking with the “Auto” setting since it seems more responsive then a Twin Stick setting.  With the “Auto” setting you can switch targets and maneuver your VR unit considerably easier and save you many headaches.  The controls also leave you with a sense of not knowing what type of attack your VR unit will unleash next.  Once you think you’ve gotten the controls down, all of sudden your VR unit will unleash an opposite attack then what you anticipated. 

Graphics 6.5 

The graphics for the different VR units are extremely detailed, with vibrant colors and smooth animation.  However the stages graphics are missing detail almost entirely.  Here you are controlling a rather unique looking robot but yet you’re fighting on a stage that looks like a flat cardboard box.  All of the stages are remarkably flat, even the stages that are supposed to be set in elevated or outdoor areas.  None of the VR units show any damage when you attack them and neither do any of the stages.  Either the developer forgot to unplug their Dreamcast system when coming up with the graphics or they couldn’t figure out how the push the PS2.  With a mech/robot game you probably expect crazy looking robots and detailed stages.  With this game you only get 1 out of 2.  There is an option to change the color setting of the VR units before each battle.  However each VR unit is limited to a certain color scheme.

Sound 6.0 

Probably the first thing you will notice about the sound effects & music is the voice acting.  It’s hard to pinpoint where the voice acting went wrong but it just didn't fit the game.  Before you start the announcer (which is your commanding officer) will announce the stage.  After you win a battle, the announcer will make another announcement in an effort to further the story line.  Be ready to reach for the volume controls to turn the sound down just because of the voice acting.  The music will probably remind veteran gamers of old, cheesy, dated gaming music from the late 80’s & early 90’s.  The music sounds like it was created on a keyboard and lacks the full, rich sound of recent gaming soundtracks.

Difficulty: Medium 

The game on the normal setting isn’t that challenging but will provide most gamers with enough of a challenge.  Since you can always start the stage over again, you’ll probably be able to finish most of the stages without a problem.  One good idea to make sure you stand a chance as you move farther along in the game is to create multiple save files on the memory card.  Since you can use a Repair Disk to restore your health, you might want to keep a good supply of Repair Disk for the later stages.  There are three other difficulty settings available as well, Hard, Very Hard and Ultimate.

Concept 6.3 

The idea of a Virtual On game for the PS2 was always an exciting dream for me.  I could just imagine the graphics they could get with the VR units, and how smooth the game would play with the PS2 controller.  Well that actual game didn’t turn out as well as the dream.  It surprised me just how simple the game plays out, especially for a PS2 game.  It stays true to Virtual On arcade roots by offering short, time based missions.  The majority of the stages have you taking out a certain number of enemies within a set time limit.  That’s it!  The story isn’t that engaging or involving and it doesn’t help in anyway to draw the player into the game.  The only real reward you have for playing through the entire story board mode is unlocking all of the VR units in the game.  Of course the only way to do this is by finishing the game on all of the different difficulty settings.  You can view all of the VR units you’ve unlocked in a VR Collection section.  The multiplayer mode is limited to two on two battles, with you and another player against the computer.  More VR units fighting together at the same time would have been nice.  Online multiplayer would have been even better and would have been a nice bonus.

Multiplayer 6.0 

As I mentioned early, multiplayer is limited to just two players.  There is no online mode, four-player mode, just two players.  You can either play against a friend or the both of you can team up against the computer.   The multiplayer potential seems wasted with this game.  It probably would have been a blast if 8 players could have went at it online in this game.  But unfortunately that didn’t happen.

Overall 6.2 

I hate to say it but I was really disappointed with this game.  I enjoy big, huge freaking mechs blowing things up just like the next guy.  Well with Virtual On: Marz there wasn’t much to enjoy.  While the graphics for the VR units were detailed, the stage graphics didn’t help the overall presentation of the game.  The graphics didn’t push the PS2 hardware and reminded me of a Dreamcast game instead of a PS2 game.  The story mode will have you confused and might even bring on a headache.  The voice acting and dated music didn’t help the game either.  The controls were another big obstacle that could be a light at the end of the tunnel for some.  Once you get used to the controls you might be able to find some enjoyment out of the game.  I would recommend this only for the hardcore Virtual On freaks.