Dead to Rights II has been packed with potential since its announcement, but has disappeared from the radar in recent months. The reason is the game now has an April 2005 release date. It's a very shrewd decision by Namco, since DTR II was likely to get lost in the holiday season shuffle. Come April, most gamers may have worked their way through Halo 2, San Andreas, and the rest of the blockbusters of 2004.

While its predecessor showed Jack Slate's exploits after leaving the police force, DTR II flashed back to his cop days. A younger Jack (he looks kind of like an evil Tony Hawk) is investigating the judge-napping of a prominent figure in Grant City. A web of corruption unfolds before his eyes, and he becomes trapped in sticky situation after sticky situation.

Jack Is Jacked

Though Jack has shed a few years in this prequel, he's actually picked up some sweet new moves. Perhaps the most stunning of these are the advancements to his slow-motion dive technique. Using a new 360-degree mechanic, Jack can target enemies virtually anywhere while soaring through the air. It's stunning to watch him crisscross his crosshairs before he comes back to Earth.


Speaking of leaving his feet, Jack is a much more mobile man. In the first game he was essentially grounded. Now he can climb to elevated heights and smoothly roll over most obstacles like countertops and tables. This eliminates the fact that everyday objects are used as walls against you, thus making the experience more realistic.

The fighting engine has been vastly improved for Dead to Rights II. In the first game it lagged behind the gunplay in terms of fun factor and smoothness. This time Jack's as adept unarmed as he is with a rifle in his hands. Of course, if you're ever jonesin' for a firearm, feel free to use one of the new, lethal disarms to "borrow" one from your enemy.

Give the Dog a Bone

Jack rarely goes anywhere without his trusty canine companion, Shadow. Namco says its focus testing revealed that people wanted to see more of the lovable mongrel, so that's what it's fixing to give. Instead of being a cutscene-triggering smart bomb like he was in the first Dead to Rights, Shadow has a little more depth and substance to him now. His abilities are directly tied into your stamina bar, and what he does to enemies depends on its level. If the bar is full, he'll take them out and retrieve their weapon. If the bar is low, he'll merely create a diversion so you can jack them from behind.