Mind powers save the day

Sure, we all can’t wait to play “Halo 2” and “Star Wars Battlefront.” But those don’t land until the fall.

There must have been something new at May’s Electronic Entertainment Expo that’s out for us now, right? How about a psychic adventure, and one with futuristic robot battles? That’ll do. Let’s play.

Imagine it, do it

When you start to play “Psi Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy,” you immediately notice how horrible the controls are. While the camera stays behind the main character, Nick Scryer, the cross hairs stay directly in the center of the screen. So even if he turns his back to the enemy, Nick magically still shoots directly at him. Not a good start.

Then whoop-de-do, you say, Nick’s got some guns and Nick can punch and Nick’s a hard-boiled action hero out to infiltrate the evil “movement.” Yawn. Haven’t I already played this game, you ask?

Suddenly Nick remembers he has telekinetic powers and can pick up objects and throw them around. Interesting. He can also pick up the gun-toting bad guys and chuck them across the room, into a wall. Hmmmm.

Soon Nick remembers he can see through walls and around corners, that he can suck people’s life force using his mind-drain powers, that he can control the bad guy’s thoughts and make him jump off the roof to his death, that he can shoot fire out of his hands.

Now “Psi Ops” rocks.

Soon enough, you even forget you’re holding a large gun. Most of the fun of “Psi Ops” is coming up with creative ways to whack those who stand in your way. And even though the controls are still sloppy at best, the mind powers more than make up for it.

As a new psychic power is “reawakened,” the action flashes back to a tutorial level where the control and proper application of said powers are taught. This gives players the chance to get comfortable using a power before a new one is reawakened at a later stage in the game, rather than bombarding gamers with everything at once.

As it would ammunition, using psi powers drains your “psi meter.” Nick replenishes his “mind drain” with the little vials that litter the combat zone. Sucking the life out of the evil minion with a blast of electricity helps too. As an added bonus, using mind drain on a living bad guy causes his head to explode like a zit when you’re done. Gross but fun.

Technically the graphics are cool, but the level maps are a little small. However, the game boasts an amazing physics engine that supplies Nick with all sorts of boxes, bodies and other assorted objects to move around with his mind, overcoming the awkward controls.

“Psi Ops” is like grape-flavored cough syrup: Once you get past that horrible taste, you feel oh so good.

Too many words

There’s an old adage that anyone who’s ever taken a screenwriting class knows: Show, don’t tell.

The makers of “Front Mission 4” obviously have never heard this.

In this futuristic turn-based battle game, players control giant two-story mechanical battle droids called “Wanzers” as they investigate a mysterious assault on an ally’s base and determine how it relates to another team in South America.

The plot unfolds with minimal cut screens and maximum dialogue, most of which you have to read before getting into the battles, which can get alarmingly tiresome. It’s like a complex comic book without any of the illustrations.

Once the battles finally begin, conditions improve greatly.

Because this is turn based, strategy plays a key factor. On some maps, certain Wanzers are better suited for different types of battle. Positioning your giant mech to get the most out of it keeps your brain active, as does trying to think one step ahead of the baddies.

Gamers move the Wanzer on the battlefield and then, depending on what kinds of weapons and abilities it contains, choose how to attack. Next, the enemies get their turn to try to do the same.

The action here is closer to a chess game — kind of like that freaky one played on the Millennium Falcon in the original “Star Wars” — only instead of a king getting captured, something big and mechanical blows up.

*

Games

Psi Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy

Good: There’s nothing better than throwing your enemies around.

Bad: Three words: controls, controls, controls.

Details: PlayStation 2 and Xbox platforms; $49.99

Rating: M (Blood and gore, intense violence, strong language)

Front Mission 4

Good: The battles are great fun once they start.

Bad: Far too much reading for those with short attention spans.

Details: PlayStation 2 platform; $49.99

Rating: T (Mild language, violence)