Action games are incredibly popular on most consoles, but how many of them have a genuine Hollywood action star doing what he does best as the main character? I’m not talking about those movie tie-in games that are ubiquitous with every summer blockbuster; I mean a truly unique storyline with newly introduced characters and journeys spanning multiple continents. Well, Sony’s latest title brings one of Hong Kong’s greatest martial arts stars, Jet Li, to PS2s with a cinematic adventure, Rise To Honor. Jet plays Kit Yun, a young bodyguard for the influential Boss Chiang, a well-known Hong Kong crime lord. Quickly proving his worth to the mobster, Kit establishes himself as Chiang’s most trusted henchman. Unfortunately, Chiang falls victim to a sniper in front of Kit one night after being attacked in a restaurant. With his dying breath, he entrusts Kit with an envelope and instructions to contact his daughter Michelle. However, undertaking this task embroils Kit in a massive gang war. See, Chiang’s second in command also wants the letter, just as Chiang’s rival bosses do. It’s up to Kit to survive the massive gang war on two continents, deliver the letter to Michelle, and fulfill his employer’s final wish. Players navigate Jet, or should I say Kit, through numerous phalanxes of thugs, guards and hired men, often with only his feet and fists to protect him. This isn’t too much of a concern, since Jet’s considerable martial arts skills are often more than enough to dispatch any number of opponents. Aside from the quick combos and damaging strikes that he can unleash, Jet’s incredible agility allows him to bounce and spring off walls for powerful jump kicks and tumbles. This evasiveness also makes it difficult for enemies to land attacks successfully, easily allowing Jet to counter strikes with a swift kick or punch. Of course, weapons that are lying around can be picked up and wielded in both hands with amazing efficiency. This includes firearms, where Jet can clear a room guns blazing a la The Matrix. Perhaps the most creative part to Rise To Honor isn’t the star power found within the game or even the plot for the game as much as the combat system. Players don’t use the buttons on the gamepad; instead, just about every control is mapped to the two analog sticks. The left analog stick controls Kit’s movement through the environment, while the right analog stick allows players to attack in any direction that a threat comes from by slapping the stick in its direction. For example, enemies that surround Kit on his left and right side can be assaulted swiftly by moving the stick back and forth. Doing so builds up Kit’s adrenaline meter, which can be used to gain an advantage against the oncoming foes or triggered to engage more explosive moves. We’ve kept our eyes on Rise To Honor for a while now, ever since E3 and a few other screenings of the title, and the animation for the game keeps getting better and better every time we see it. Considering that Jet Li himself provided tons of motion captured strikes that were choreographed by legendary fight director Cory Yuen, Rise To Honor has some of the most fluid combat you may have seen in an action title. What’s more, Jet lent his voice to his character in both Cantonese and English, providing a Kiss of the Dragon-like flavor to many of the sound bytes found within the game. If Jet’s star power for his movies translates over to that for his gaming adventures, this could be a runaway blockbuster when Rise to Honor battles its way onto shelves next month. Check back soon for a full review! Questions or comments about the upcoming release of Rise to Honor for the PlayStation 2? Talk to us! [ E-Mail Jeff 'Linkphreak' Haynes ] [ Comment in our Forums ]

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