I never understood why Will Smith took so much flack for damaging everything around him while trying to catch the bad guy in Bad Boys II. You’d think the police force would be happy enough with just catching their guy. If you’re like me, then you’ll obviously see the complete satisfaction in playing Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice for your PlayStation Portable.

That’s the exact role you’ll take on as the Commander in this latest installment of the Pursuit Force franchise. As the Commander, you’ll lead your team into various challenges and scenarios in order to make the world a better place. Sounds nostalgic, doesn’t it? The great part is your betterment of the world will also include hijacking civilian vehicles or simply tossing them aside while commandeering their car in order to chase down the convicts to be.

The opening sequence of the single-player story takes place on the biggest day of your life. It’s the wedding between the Commander and his lovely lady. Only problem is, some convicts have escaped and want nothing more than to throw your beautiful day into tragic disarray. They end up accomplishing just that and soon enough you’re jumping into your convertible police vehicle preparing to chase those baddies down and serve them up some extreme justice.

Once that first introductory mission is all said and done, you’ll be greeted by another pleasant cell-shaded cut-scene that will introduce you to one of the new organizations within the game the Viper Squad. These guys come off as arrogant nobodies right from the get go, unfortunately, they’re also a group of rogue police officers led by a corrupt commander to boot. You’ll have to eventually surrender your first arrest to these guys and watch them take all of the glory in the news while you sit idly by watching. Your pursuit for justice begins here and soon enough you’ll be after a handful of different gangs preparing to serve up your own extreme case of justice.

The gameplay is very similar to the first installment. Don’t expect any unusual surprises. The mechanics and control layout are virtually identical to one another however this doesn’t mean the game doesn’t offer up a lot of new and improved variations.

One of the first things you’ll notice while playing is that it is no longer a hassle or a guessing game in order to jump from vehicle to vehicle. Unlike the first title, the icon will appear and you’ll be able to jump in sync. No longer will you get close and see the icon just not show up causing you to lose critical time in a timed mission. You’ll even have the ability to fire at an enemy while in mid-air in order to pick more of them off before landing. This is a solid addition as it gives you a better edge over your enemy.

Something else that we found great was the diversity within the gameplay itself. No two vehicles drive the same. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. You’ll notice that a mini-van drives a lot slower than your high-end vehicles. They all also control differently as well. While the convertible may be easier to take corners with, your hovercraft won’t be, nor will your speed boat in the open water. You’ll often find yourself swaying from side to side, as you turn, almost coming up horizontally. This will take some getting used to, but once you have it down, you’ll be able to use it to your advantage. Nothing is more rewarding than swinging your hovercraft 180 degrees while shooting enemies behind you only to whiplash yourself back and continue on escorting a ship to its destination.

You’ll also have no trouble aiming on this game as the lock-on system is very well implemented. This means you’ll just have to choose your best gun and fire. This obviously plays a huge helping hand in fast-paced chase scenarios where you don’t have the time to worry about aiming while flying through the air.

Also, don’t think you’ll be given a small supply of weaponry to take advantage of the lock-on system, that isn’t the case one bit. BigBig Studios has given you over 25 types ... (continued on next page)