Joystiq

Sony was proud to re-introduce Pursuit Force at CES this year. The demo, which featured several Easy levels and a Medium difficulty level, showcased some of the fine-tuning that has taken place in order to prep the title for North American consumption. BigBig's super cop action hybrid turned head's at E3 last year, but when it was finally released in late 2005 for European audiences, the game received mixed reviews.

Critics complained that Pursuit Force suffered from maddening difficulty spikes and inconsistent vehicle handling. Sony knew they would have to clean things up if there was any hope for Pursuit Force to live up to expectations and become an innovative killer app.

From our hands-on time with the demo, it looks as if the developers have succeeded. Vehicles have been better balanced and handling tightened-up--you can actually make sharp turns now. Pursuit Force is still a difficult game, largely because the combination of play mechanics is unfamiliar to most gamers.  However, playing through the Easy levels, we found that the title has become more accessible. But the game will still be up against the repetition factor, which most casual gamers will likely succumb to. How many chase & escort missions can we really stand? Regardless, Pursuit Force has that arcade flash that lends itself to short bouts on the PSP.