Jet Li comes to life in new video game
By Stephen Ryan
CNN Headline News
(CNN) -- There's no doubt "Rise To Honor" is on the Sony Playstation 2 hot list right now.
"Rise To Honor" is so popular it's one of the Playstation 2's Top-10 sellers. In February, it was No. 4.
This game is your chance to be in the movies -- or at least perform moves like you are anyway. Renowned martial artist and silver screen star, Jet Li, stars in the role of bodyguard Kit Yun. His dying boss charges him to carry out missions deep in the Hong Kong underground.
"Rise To Honor" is much like a DVD. It is divided into more than 40 chapters that span 11 stages packed full of martial arts fighting.
Ease is the name of the game for "Rise To Honor." You don't really even use the buttons on the right side of the Playstation 2 controller.
Kit Yun is controlled solely by the two joysticks in the center of the unit. One controls his direction, and the other his fight moves. Mix the two together and Kit Yun throws out one of several head-spinning combos.
Thierry "Scooter" Nguyen, associate editor for The Official U.S. Playstation Magazine, says, the game's "playing ease may be one of the aspects that attracts gamers. You just pick up the controller and start playing."
Unlike scores of other games that star celebrities, Kit Yun actually looks like Jet Li. Sony used electronic "body motion capture technology" to record his fighting moves.
Nguyen says the game offers Jet Li a lot more freedom than a movie set would. Jet Li could joke around and goof off because all that mattered was getting a kick right.
Although there are some shootout scenes in "Rise to Honor," the game is mostly full-bore martial arts fighting.
"Some people may find that a little repetitive,' Nguyen says. "'Rise To Honor' has the occasional boss to beat, but its main focus when moving to the next mission is changing scenes like a movie."
"Rise To Honor" packs a serious punch when it comes to your gaming pleasure. With exceptional graphics, ease of control, true-to-life fighting moves from Jet Li -- you just can't go wrong with this game.