
Kiss: Psycho Circus was the first game to be developed by Third Law Interactive, themselves having recently formed in December 1998 after a widely publicized mass walkout from Ion Storm.

The game's story revolves around a Kiss tribute band, who suddenly receive superhuman powers. But cynics (i.e., anyone who isn't a hardcore fan) will probably view it as pandering.The game is based on Todd McFarlane's Kiss: Psycho Circus series of comic books, themselves inspired by the rock band Kiss. Certainly, they're crafty enough to toss out a few anthems to please fans ("I Pledge Allegiance to the State of Rock & Roll," "You Wanted the Best"), and that may be enough to appease fans longing for an album by a reunited Kiss, especially since Frehley is a better, more charismatic guitarist than anyone else that has floated through the band. And since they're professionals, they can turn out some catchy hooks when called upon, but Psycho Circus ultimately feels worn out, more of a huge advertisement for an impending tour than a full-fledged record. As the band pushes 50, Kiss no longer sound young, hungry, or sleazy - they sound like professional dirty old men. That way, the albums really sound as sleazy as the men who make them.

The problem is, it's the kind of music that sounds more convincing when it's performed by a young, hungry band that makes records on the cheap.


Throughout the years, the only real change has been in the guitarists and drummers the band's sleazy, big, dumb pop-metal has remained the same. Anyone expecting a stylistic breakthrough from a reunited (allegedly revitalized) Kiss would be unfamiliar with the band's history. Since the 1996 reunion tour was a blockbuster success, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons decided to keep Peter Criss and Ace Frehley around for a little while longer - long enough to record a full-fledged reunion album, Psycho Circus.
