Mention the
Half - life (mods aplenty)
Bookworm Deluxe,
Majestic Chess, Serious Sam
Rise of Nations
/ Giants / FF7? / Smart Games, crimson skies, typing of the dead,
smart games 3, battlefield / battlefront
Fate
Well, it's not so much a Diablo clone as a... no wait, it really
is. Usually the game industry uses the word clone to describe
a game that is somewhat similar to any game in the same genre.
At best a 'cousin' of the other game. This game is actually as
close to being a clone as any game ever was. It really is Diablo
2, at least in essence. It adds a little to the game, while removing
the vastness. In many ways it is better, or at least it removed
some of the more annoying traits of the game, while adding some
improvements taken from games like Dungeon Siege. A true bargain
for $20, since it is fun and quite replayable.
Max
Payne
After all
the screen shots and reviews describing how cool this game is,
I was still impressed when I finally got around to playing it
over three years late. Yes, the bullet-time mode is what deserves
most of the accolades to me, but there is still a lot more compliments
to give to the game.
It has a consistent
look and feel that works great. While a little cheesy, the dialogue
and look really do capture the noir style of a 30's New York detective
story (although the game takes place in current New York). There
are some computer game specific tricks that really shine, but
not without taking away the time/place they are going for (unlike
the demon robots in Return to Castle Wolfenstein for example).
Painkillers scattered around the level replace floating health
power-ups. There are even two levels where you are in a drug induced
nightmare, and the slight fisheye and distorted landscapes work
perfectly. The graphic novel type of storyline cut scenes are
a nice touch, and keep down the file size and load times.
The third
party view does allow you to 'cheat' by looking around corners,
although the viewpoint is necessary to really show off the game's
greatest feature, bullet time. Yes, it captured the Matrix look
perfectly, and it makes the game a little easier for a few seconds.
But it doesn't make it impossible to die, or impossible to play
the game without. (Well, other than a few places I suppose.) I've
always liked sniping games, and if you hold your breath during
bullet time, then you'll probably stop your heart whenever you
get a kill shot with the sniper rifle and the camera changes mode
to follow the bullet down to its target.
And there
is one level where you are running through a building exploding
into flames behind, and all around, you that is magnificent. The
enemies are all human goons, but there is a distinct variety to
the way that they look. The game is exceptionally linear, but
a must play for anyone who enjoys first or third person shooters.
Undying
Is it possible
to not expect a game written and designed by Clive Barker to be
one of the scariest ever created? Nope, and it is. Most impressively,
what makes this scary isn't outrageous images that are designed
to disgust (Doom 3), or randomly having things jump out at you
(Alien vs Predator). Instead what makes Undying scary are the
mood, the setting, and the behaviors of the creatures you must
face.
The game definitely
takes you to places you wouldn't expect. While you start in a
traditional gothic haunted house, you soon end up in what I'd
best describe as an island containing the cousin of Stonehenge,
and later pirate caves, a creepy lighthouse, and eventually another
dimension where the laws of physics are not the same as our own.
The villains
consist of monsters that vary between being dangerous, creepy,
and original. The scariest aren't the most deadly, and the most
ferocious aren't necessarily the later monsters. All the monsters
are a little unique, and that is saying something with any first
person shooter! The interface allows you to use weapons with the
left click, and cast spells with the right. Most enemies are vulnerable
to one or the other. The balance is a little off if you know how
to use your spells wisely, but this game really isn't about the
shoot outs. And I don't want to forget the semi-boss monsters
that are all warped family members turned horribly evil. What
makes them particularly interesting is how you keep seeing them
long before your eventual battle, usually killing something in
the difference, taunting you, or hurting you from afar.
But as far
as horror goes, using the Scrye for the first time, now that is
something that you won't forget! Few games have given me a way
to kill people as interesting as when casting a resurrection spell
on a living human enemy and watch him plead and struggle with
you as he impales himself with his own dagger.
And the sound
needs to be mentioned as well. It is the best sounding game of
any game released before it.
Simpson's
Hit & Run
Although it
eventually feels redundant, this is easily the best Simpson's
game ever made. There are so many recognizable locations, outfits,
vehicles, and in-jokes sprinkled throughout the game, that it
is an homage to the shows consistent clever references. Basically
it is Grand Theft Auto 3 done in Springfield, and that isn't necessarily
a bad thing. I'm surprised it works so well, although controls
on a PC keyboard are lacking when compared to those on the console,
unfortunately.
Alice
This feels
like a video game designed in equal parts by Tim Burton, Terry
Gilliam, and Salvadore Dali. Basically a third person shooter,
but with such an unusual collection of weapons and characters
that it feels fresh. What really made this game shine, however,
is the incredibly surreal landscapes and levels, which amazingly
used a traditional engine in ways I wouldn't have dreamed possible.
And the voice acting is top notch, especially by the Cheshire
Cat. (Voiced by Roger
Jackson)
No
One Lives Forever:
This is such a wonderful 1st person shooter that I really regret
the fact that I waited so long to play it. So many things set
it apart from the genre. It takes place in the 60's London made
famous by the early Bond films. It features a female star who
has to deal with that fact throughout the game. There are all
the standard weapons, but there are some really unique ones as
well, like sunglasses with different views to detect mines or
lasers, a rocket briefcase, a pistol that shoots grenades, knock
out gas concealed in a perfume bottle, and more. And the standard
ones are certainly not lacking since there is a crossbow, various
silenced and non-silenced pistols, numerous assault rifles, and
a rare grenade launcher. Of note is the fact that there are various
types of bullets that do different things. Some affect flesh,
some burn, some are poisonous, etc.. One or two of any type should
fell an opponent, but you'll really notice the differences when
hit by them.
And each mission
has some unique features as well. One mission is like a shooting
gallery usually only found in another type of game. Another mission
has you running around trying to clear people off of a street.
Some are simple fights without any firearms. Most have variable
ways to solve them.
There is actually
an interesting and rather appropriate storyline taking place too.
As you go from one highly familiar Bond location to another, I
find myself marveling at the cleverness of it all. One level had
me swimming in a sinking sub looking for plans and dodging sharks.
Another had me riding a snowmobile to find a hidden gondola ride
up to an Alpine fortress. An escape on a motorcycle is clearly
from "The Great Escape". I even end up in space, where
I experience laser guns, zero-G, and a really cool meteor shower.
But the most inventive, hands down, had me falling out of an airplane
without a parachute and trying to chase down an enemy so that
I could 'borrow' his parachute. I had heard this scene was brilliant,
and when I got to it mid-game, I was still amazed at how well
it worked.
The sneaking
in the game isn't required in all but a few of the missions, but
it can make your job easier picking off the opponents one by one
when out of view of their comrades. Also of note is the fact that
you cannot shoot cameras, or else someone will know that something
is amiss. This was a unique and nice touch to me.
But what separates
this game the most to me is quite simply the humor. This is a
really funny game! You'll overhear some really hysterical conversations
between guards, find humorous memories from films, and find delight
in the eventual conclusion (if you sit through all the credits!).
Shogun
I found this
to be an extremely successful war game that I waited far too long
to play. I consider the game to be an amazing success because
it features easy controls, crisp graphics, a well thought out
(and historically accurate) campaign screen, exciting cut scenes,
and then on top of all this, a fantastic real time strategy battle
game that is the true heart of this game.
Dungeon
Siege
This game
feels like it took Diablo 2, and improved it in every way. Visually
it is stunning, and consistently showed me new and beautiful landscapes,
creatures, and spell effects. The character and party characteristics
were well thought out, but not too complicated to make this a
game based only on numbers. What the game really deserves to be
complimented on however is the way that they decided to focus
on making it fun. They removed a lot of detail that slowed down
game play (like the need to repair damaged items) and found ways
to allow you to automate necessary functions, like having healers
automatically heal when the health of a party member starts to
get too low. You can assign hotkeys to formations, most actions,
and all items on the ground can be picked up with one button.
Ranged and close weapons can be switched just as easily. The pack
mule as a separate character to carry all of your treasure is
genius.
I also want
to give it credit for being a game where you don't choose a class,
so much as have your class decided for you depending on how you
play the game. It worked in this game, and I can imagine a dozen
ways where it could have failed.
I must admit
though, that at the end, like with Diablo 2, I felt a little had,
like I played the game longer and farther than I should have.
It just felt like the game tricked me into feeling more varied
than it really was. But I sure did like it while I was playing
it.
Half-Life
What more
can I say about a game that many consider to be the greatest game
ever. Forget that it is still being played more than six years
after its release in various online versions. Forget about how
the mod community has put out several variations of the game that
are at least as good as many of the retail first person shooters.
Civilization
2
I'm not certain
if there has ever been a more perfect computer strategy game then
Sid Meier's greatest. I've spent more hours playing this game
then probably any other. Advanced sound and graphics would do
little to improve this game. Even at the time, it looked and felt
a little dated, but in no way did that keep me from getting completely
drawn into the complexity of trying to manage multiple fronts
against multiple enemies with a variety of troops, all while trying
to maintain the technology, happiness, and wealth of my own civilization.
I first found myself in the temporal quicksand known as "just
one more turn" with the first Civilization, but felt it here
even more strongly. This is the perfect kind of sequel, one that
takes everything that was good from the first game, and makes
it even better! Civilization 2 is the rare example of the best
game ever made, remade into an even greater game.
Civilization
3
Although more
advanced and more detailed in every way from Civilization 2, it
was not as much of an improvement from Civilization 2 as that
game was to the original Civilization. As a game it does not disappoint,
but there are some gameplay changes that add a level of frustration
to the game that I never got used to. Corruption is so severe,
with almost any government choice, that expanding outward much
further than your initial corner of the map is almost impossible.
A war based conquest, complete with razing instead of capturing
enemy cities, is almost a requirement. Still I have played the
game for hundreds of hours and am very impressed with the variety
of races, units, resources, and special items. With a random start,
each game does feel and play different, and not many games can
boast that.
Hitman
Hitman was
really a surprise out of nowhere for me. I wouldn't have thought
someone could do a game this good, but as I played it through
I was consistently surprised at each new accomplishment it made.
Firstly, it felt like a good hitman training simulation, including
a variety of weapons, targets, and scenarios. And most of those
scenarios took place in a variety of locations that would put
a James Bond movie to shame. Secondly, the game looked and sounded
great. Thirdly the physics engine was top notch. Fourthly, the
AI managed to respond well, whether it was not quite believing
your disguise, hearing gunshots in the distance, or wondering
why you are dumping a half-clothed corpse into a dumpster. And
fifthly, it was just fun, which isn't as easy as it sounds with
a game that has to include sniping alongside strangulation. The
sequels don't appear to be as good, which is a shame considering
how much I enjoyed playing this one through.
Unlike Thief
or Deus Ex, in Hitman when hiding a body, you actually have to
drag the body along the ground. The physics are great, although
it is often hard to position the body just right so that it will
fall down the sewer hole you are aiming for. It is also slow going
dragging the bodies, so there are some tense moments when a cop
or innocent sees you, and you have to quickly take them out before
they can call for assistance, and dispose of their bodies before
anyone else sees you, repeating the pattern ad infinitum.
One of the
scariest moments I ever had in the game was when I had shot a
number of people at close range, but was disguised as one of them,
so when a bunch of other guards came to investigate, I just stood
near the bodies. Suddenly ll the guards slowly looked up at me
as if realizing that I didn't belong and opened fire.
I should also
mention that the cutscenes are fantastic, purposefully looking
like surveillance videos. And I think each level is based upon
a movie assassination of some sort, but just enough so that it
feels familiar instead of copying it.
Thief
1 & 2
After having
so many 1st person shooters with endless killing, who would have
thought it was more fun to sneak up, knock people out, and hide
the bodies so others don't find them? It's too easy to get used
to Quake or Unreal where you just shoot at anything that moves.
This game brought back my fond childhood memories of hiding and
spying on people, or jumping out and surprising them. On top of
that, it has a great story, exists in a unique and interesting
fantasy world, has a surprising variety for this sort of game,
and has excellent sound and physics.
Midtown
Madness 2
This game
is just fun. Yes, it's more of an arcade game than a racing simulator.
Yes, it is at least five years old. But it still may be the most
enjoyable racing game I've played on the PC. The force feedback
works perfectly. The exaggerated physics feels right in the context
of the game. If you don't enjoy playing a racing game where one
little crash makes the race unfinishable, then this is the game
for you. It is pretty much a demolition derby along the city streets.
Aliens
Vs Predators
A game I played
long after it came out, but was a really pleasant surprise. It
defied the odds and became the rare game that actually managed
to capture the look and feel of the movies it was based on, and
then actually expand successfully on those ideas. Each race also
feels like a different type of first person shooter. The Alien
is a run and charge shooter like the original Quake deathmatch,
the predator feels like a stealthy Thief or Hitman type of game,
and the Marine is the technology based varied weapon solo character
against dozens of drones type of game.
A weaker game
would have had each race feel the same except for different graphics
with the weapons. Not here. The Alien is so fast that it feels
like he's gliding as he runs on walls as easily as the floor.
The Predator is very quiet when he moves, can fall and jump further
than a marine, and his invisibility is just enough to keep distant
enemies from seeing him. The Marine feels just like you or I might
loaded down with heavy equipment, and possessing far too little
natural strength against either of his opponents. And that damn
motion tracker is both a blessing and a curse, making the game
so much scarier, even though it is helping you out.
What
lies below here is what I wrote up until early 1998. It remains
unmodified, other than the removal of a few games that I would
be embarrassed to admit I liked even then.
Here
is a list of cool games I'm currently playing or am a big fan
of (These were written/last updated around early 1998, right before
Quake 2 was released):
I
have played a lot of Quake
over the net. I would like to play it locally with friends via
modem and LAN, but alas no one seems willing to play me anymore.
On the net, I was once great, but without putting in the kind
of hours the majority of my competition seems to play, I can't
consider myself in the Elite League anymore. Sometimes you'll
see me playing as 'Grimjack' or 'Punisher'. Quake succeeds in
part from having one of the best 'feeling' immersive engines made
to date. Also, ID surprisingly didn't take a look at some of what
makes Duke Nukem so fun like the humorous level effects or the
more varied inventory. Actually I was surprised to see that Quake
doesn't have the same complicated inventory system that would
allow you to save items to use later. What Quake does excel at
is its customizability with its Quake C language. Their last major
hit, Doom, broke ground by allowing users to make new maps, some
of which surpassed IDs, which allowed the game's popularity to
continue long after completing it. Quake breaks ground by allowing
users to edit almost everything in the game, virtually making
a brand new game. New monsters, levels, effects and physics have
all been modified to turn the game into something as varied as
a racing game, a flying game, and one of my favorites, a magical
based role-playing game.
Now
that I've played the shareware of Quake
II, I am somewhat impressed, but also a little
concerned. It seems to make large steps in level detail, monster
A.I., a flying monster (not hovering, but flying!), outdoor environments,
powerups that can be saved and used as needed, crouching, and
moveable level items; but it still has some major problems with
what I feel to be its greatest problems. The default maps are
still mostly a dull grey and brown, and to add to this, just barely
lit enough to see at all. I don't want to pass judgment on the
monsters and weapons, but for the beta test, what's there doesn't
seem particularly improved upon. Time will tell.
Shadow Warrior
is truly at, or above the level of Duke Nukem and better than
Blood or Redneck Rampage. The weapons are well balanced and work
great single or multiplayer. I think there are more weapons here
than in the larger Quake-C mods! My favorite is the Guardian Head,
which has three modes of firing depending on which portion of
the brain you stick your finger in! The levels are obviously designed
to be played single or multiplayer, but I miss some of the really
clever single player only levels that were made for Duke. The
monsters are easily the best of any of the Build Engine games,
although many of them are just slight variations of other monsters
in the game. One other really nice touch is the use of vehicles.
I can't wait to play the waterboat level multiplayer!