Hey folks,
Got a bit of spare-time so thought I'd query everyone on their favourite games of all times. I'd like you to mention the game, then give reasons as to why you think this game is so great, what makes it good et cetera et cetera. Don't just list the games you like!
Full Version: A review of your favourite game
ARCANUM: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
GENRE: RPG
Hmmm... my favourite game? I don't think it is actually Arcanum, but I am going to review it anyway because I have found it to be rather underrated in the gaming world. There are probably other games I like better, but still Arcanum is definitely among the games I like most.
First of all, I'd like to mention that Arcanum's strength does not lie in its graphics.
Not in the least. After all, it was made, if I remember correctly, in 2001, and even then there were games that were better than Arcanum as concerns graphics. So
if how a game looks is really important to you you might want to look for other
games instead of this... as for me, good graphics don't matter to me as long as
the game is good... I still play Colonization on my pc
Arcanum's sound is not bad, although the main theme is somewhat repetitive.
But that's not a problem to me, as I turn the music off when I play. The actor's
voices, however, are excellent. Among the cast, you may notice Barry Dennen,
who is also known for his role of Pontius Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar: the movie (1973).
Arcanum's strength mostly lies in its engrossing plot and atmosphere, and in the
freedom it gives to its player. A different kind of freedom than Morrowind, but
still highly enjoyable: quests can be completed in a number of different ways,
according to your character's sex, race, alignment and so on.
The nature of your character also influences which quests will be given to you, so
the game has a great replayability. Male elves will get different quests from
female half-orcs, and characters with a high charisma and intelligence will get
more quests.
The setting is also intriguing: you play the role of a character in a world where
magic and technology live together; a sort of fantasy version of 19th century
England. I loved it.
What may annoy most gamers, though, is the cumbersome interface, the bugs
of the game, and its difficulty. Arcanum could have been easier, yes. But I
haven't found it nearly as difficult as some people said. The point is, you have to
play a role in the game; if you want to be a strong melee fighter, you will succeed.
If you want to be a wizard, you will succeed. If you want to be a technologist, you
will succeed. But if you want to master melee, magic and technology you will
doubtlessly fail, especially because magic and technology are in conflict in
Arcanum.
All in all, I suggest you try the game, in spite of its flaws; if you are willing to
overlook them, and if you don't give up at the first difficulties, you will have a
very rewarding gaming experience.
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/arcanumofst...amo/review.html
Here is a link to another review written by someone more qualified than I, if you
feel an inclination to know more about Arcanum
GENRE: RPG
Hmmm... my favourite game? I don't think it is actually Arcanum, but I am going to review it anyway because I have found it to be rather underrated in the gaming world. There are probably other games I like better, but still Arcanum is definitely among the games I like most.
First of all, I'd like to mention that Arcanum's strength does not lie in its graphics.
Not in the least. After all, it was made, if I remember correctly, in 2001, and even then there were games that were better than Arcanum as concerns graphics. So
if how a game looks is really important to you you might want to look for other
games instead of this... as for me, good graphics don't matter to me as long as
the game is good... I still play Colonization on my pc
Arcanum's sound is not bad, although the main theme is somewhat repetitive.
But that's not a problem to me, as I turn the music off when I play. The actor's
voices, however, are excellent. Among the cast, you may notice Barry Dennen,
who is also known for his role of Pontius Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar: the movie (1973).
Arcanum's strength mostly lies in its engrossing plot and atmosphere, and in the
freedom it gives to its player. A different kind of freedom than Morrowind, but
still highly enjoyable: quests can be completed in a number of different ways,
according to your character's sex, race, alignment and so on.
The nature of your character also influences which quests will be given to you, so
the game has a great replayability. Male elves will get different quests from
female half-orcs, and characters with a high charisma and intelligence will get
more quests.
The setting is also intriguing: you play the role of a character in a world where
magic and technology live together; a sort of fantasy version of 19th century
England. I loved it.
What may annoy most gamers, though, is the cumbersome interface, the bugs
of the game, and its difficulty. Arcanum could have been easier, yes. But I
haven't found it nearly as difficult as some people said. The point is, you have to
play a role in the game; if you want to be a strong melee fighter, you will succeed.
If you want to be a wizard, you will succeed. If you want to be a technologist, you
will succeed. But if you want to master melee, magic and technology you will
doubtlessly fail, especially because magic and technology are in conflict in
Arcanum.
All in all, I suggest you try the game, in spite of its flaws; if you are willing to
overlook them, and if you don't give up at the first difficulties, you will have a
very rewarding gaming experience.
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/arcanumofst...amo/review.html
Here is a link to another review written by someone more qualified than I, if you
feel an inclination to know more about Arcanum
For me, the greatest games of all time have been the X-COM series. X-COM: UFO Enemy Unknown, X-COM: Terror from the Deep and X-COM: Apocalypse. Noteably I'll be reviewing X-COM: Apocalypse because it is the latest (1997) game in the X-COM series.
X-COM: Apocalypse sees the player put into a desperate situation on Earth. The year is 2084 and Earth has only one major city left: Mega Primus, population 2,000,000. Due to the past wars waged against the alien threat (from Enemy Unknown and Terror from the Deep) the world has become polluted beyond repair, its population dwindling. Despite this, two alien threats had already been halted and removed, but now there's a new one...
Recently strange rips have been appearing randomly in the sky above Mega Primus. To the population's horror, the rips are being used by a new alien threat to transport their UFOs to Earth's dimension and attack the city of Mega Primus. Time for the old heroes to once again take up the call of duty and re-establish X-COM to its former might. But this is a new threat, a biological threat, from another dimension.
X-COM is essentially the new army. When the alien's first invaded in Enemy Unknown the army was practically iradicated, unable to cause a dent in UFO or alien armour. A new army was then created, top secret, funded by all the countries of the world - how X-COM performed affected the money which they received from the different countries.
In Apocalypse, X-COM is funded by the senate of Mega Primus. But money doesn't just come from the senate. The player can sell and trade alien weaponary, or even conventional weaponary to the different organisations located around Mega Primus in order to make a few extra bucks (this is the core of one's economy later on in the game).
The player takes on the role of "commander" of X-COM...you basically get a say in everything that gets done. Its not a fighting game, its not a base-building game, its not a money game..its an everything game.
The depth of the game is immense, as commander you choose which men to hire, which to fire, which bases you want your men in. Likewise you control the scientists, physists and engineers you hire - each one has their own skill rating which will decrease the time it takes to research or create new alien artifacts picked up on the battlefield.
Likewise, where your bases are located in Mega Primus and the located of each block inside the building is solely yours to choose - and bases will have different functions depending on what blocks you place in them (for instance, you may have one base full of workshops to create new weaponary, to then sell on the market for a quick buck - or another base for research and development, and several bases where your aircraft can attack from).
When a UFO is spotted coming through a gate, you must scramble your aircraft to intercept - the effectiveness of your aircraft depends on the class of the UFO and the weaponary it is carrying (once again, you're in control of every aspect of your aircraft, from engines to missiles). But the player must be careful not to let a stray shot fly into another organisations buildings - Mega Primus runs on a tight organisation structure, and annoying the wrong people means you'll make enemies. Although a bribe here and there was never a problem.
If you don't down the UFO, it will no doubt move through the city, dropping off aliens in other organisation's buildings. It is your job to send in your X-COM units to clear the buildings of any alien presence..if you don't, the organisation will quickly get taken over by the alien insurgents.
If you are lucky to down the UFO, you send in your X-COM units to clear out the area. Once cleared, a myriad of new artifacts and weaponary can be found, which need to be researched by your scientists back at base before they can be used.
Combat is quite tactical, and you'll find yourself reloading the game from saves quite often (you become very attached to your units and won't let them die!). The player has the choice of "real-time" combat or "turn-based" combat. Real-time is always the way, much more fun and much less time consuming.
You take on a "from above" isometric view of the battlefield, moving your squad across the area, whether it be baron land around a UFO or inside slum buildings on the outside of the city. Nearly all obstacles can be blown away, making it great fun to remove an entire wall from a building and watch as the building crumbles to the ground on aliens below.
The amount of missions and kills a unit gets affects the rank of the unit (from rookie to commander) and also effects the units stats. This is a major RPG element of the game and makes it all the more fun and personal, seeing one of your units attain 100% improvements on his stats also brings a tear of pride to one's eyes!
X-COM: Apocalypse is one of those "time-warp" games where you will literally lose track of time. The multiple different elements of the game make this game one of the most addictive and down-right exciting games I have played to date.
X-COM: Apocalypse sees the player put into a desperate situation on Earth. The year is 2084 and Earth has only one major city left: Mega Primus, population 2,000,000. Due to the past wars waged against the alien threat (from Enemy Unknown and Terror from the Deep) the world has become polluted beyond repair, its population dwindling. Despite this, two alien threats had already been halted and removed, but now there's a new one...
Recently strange rips have been appearing randomly in the sky above Mega Primus. To the population's horror, the rips are being used by a new alien threat to transport their UFOs to Earth's dimension and attack the city of Mega Primus. Time for the old heroes to once again take up the call of duty and re-establish X-COM to its former might. But this is a new threat, a biological threat, from another dimension.
X-COM is essentially the new army. When the alien's first invaded in Enemy Unknown the army was practically iradicated, unable to cause a dent in UFO or alien armour. A new army was then created, top secret, funded by all the countries of the world - how X-COM performed affected the money which they received from the different countries.
In Apocalypse, X-COM is funded by the senate of Mega Primus. But money doesn't just come from the senate. The player can sell and trade alien weaponary, or even conventional weaponary to the different organisations located around Mega Primus in order to make a few extra bucks (this is the core of one's economy later on in the game).
The player takes on the role of "commander" of X-COM...you basically get a say in everything that gets done. Its not a fighting game, its not a base-building game, its not a money game..its an everything game.
The depth of the game is immense, as commander you choose which men to hire, which to fire, which bases you want your men in. Likewise you control the scientists, physists and engineers you hire - each one has their own skill rating which will decrease the time it takes to research or create new alien artifacts picked up on the battlefield.
Likewise, where your bases are located in Mega Primus and the located of each block inside the building is solely yours to choose - and bases will have different functions depending on what blocks you place in them (for instance, you may have one base full of workshops to create new weaponary, to then sell on the market for a quick buck - or another base for research and development, and several bases where your aircraft can attack from).
When a UFO is spotted coming through a gate, you must scramble your aircraft to intercept - the effectiveness of your aircraft depends on the class of the UFO and the weaponary it is carrying (once again, you're in control of every aspect of your aircraft, from engines to missiles). But the player must be careful not to let a stray shot fly into another organisations buildings - Mega Primus runs on a tight organisation structure, and annoying the wrong people means you'll make enemies. Although a bribe here and there was never a problem.
If you don't down the UFO, it will no doubt move through the city, dropping off aliens in other organisation's buildings. It is your job to send in your X-COM units to clear the buildings of any alien presence..if you don't, the organisation will quickly get taken over by the alien insurgents.
If you are lucky to down the UFO, you send in your X-COM units to clear out the area. Once cleared, a myriad of new artifacts and weaponary can be found, which need to be researched by your scientists back at base before they can be used.
Combat is quite tactical, and you'll find yourself reloading the game from saves quite often (you become very attached to your units and won't let them die!). The player has the choice of "real-time" combat or "turn-based" combat. Real-time is always the way, much more fun and much less time consuming.
You take on a "from above" isometric view of the battlefield, moving your squad across the area, whether it be baron land around a UFO or inside slum buildings on the outside of the city. Nearly all obstacles can be blown away, making it great fun to remove an entire wall from a building and watch as the building crumbles to the ground on aliens below.
The amount of missions and kills a unit gets affects the rank of the unit (from rookie to commander) and also effects the units stats. This is a major RPG element of the game and makes it all the more fun and personal, seeing one of your units attain 100% improvements on his stats also brings a tear of pride to one's eyes!
X-COM: Apocalypse is one of those "time-warp" games where you will literally lose track of time. The multiple different elements of the game make this game one of the most addictive and down-right exciting games I have played to date.
Favourite game of all time? My, I don't have one of those... I guess I'll just state my favorite game of all time and attribute your gross misspelling to your being very... very... tired. I hope that this decision won't require the calling-in of a defense attorney or the uttering of any off-color remarks...
...Of all time? That's been decided far too many times already, though not on this forum, and people's opinions on this subject usually fall into the grooves set forth by those discussions *cough* Half-Life, DooM, Barbie Detective *cough* -- almost always, however, three things can be said about someone's opinion regarding what the greatest game of all time is:
...The greatest game of this instant, however? Unreal Tournament 2004. Since I have not played its predecessors, I cannot comment on the progress of the series, but I have seen some differing standpoints on this. PC Gamer, a magazine which, in this month's offering, has an article about their recent playtest of Half-Life 2 (ahem... Darky... our wager?), simply states that a good amount of content is recycled from UT '03. A tweak guide (which shall remain nameless because this forum is a n00btard hot zone not seen since the likes of Gen[M]ay and the infection must not spread) on UT '04 has a different view -- the author believes that UT '03 sufferend a decline in popularity due to the introduction of many Quake-like aspects to the game. He states that UT '04 is Unreal Tournament going back to basics.
Regardless of this game's evolutionary or revolutionary state, it is simply amazing from my standpoint. There are many options avaliable for the type of game that is to be played, and even more options for how the game is to be played. For simple deathmatches, there are many weapons, each one with a clear purpose and combat style -- not just an increase in damage or scarcity of ammunition. There are also a wide variety of tactics to be mastered with each weapon and a good amount of ways to dodge blasts. Onslaught, the other major offering (there are also the traditional CTF, Team Deathmatch, and Last Man Standing modes, along with the less-traditional Double Domination, Bombing Run, Invasion, Mutant, and Assault), has a variety of vehicles that allow the player to attack from both land and air using anything from small and maneuverable aircraft to the Levithan, the mother of all tanks combined with a Katyusha Launcher on steroids.
The game also has a wide variety of maps for each gametype, from small one-on-one arenas to vast outdoor areas. The detail put into these areas, and all other content, is simply awe-inspiring -- even if they take up six CDs or two DVDs. An editor is also included, and modifications are being produced at this moment (including a Christian-oriented map- and skin-pack that includes scenarios based on biblical events -- shoot the Jews with your Rocket Launcher before they come to crucify you -- and detailed player skins, including Jesus with Battle Armor, who gives the award "GODLIKE!" a whole new meaning).
On top of this, UT '04 can also run on a variety of OSes because of its OpenGL support and is a very good value at the moment.
...Of all time? That's been decided far too many times already, though not on this forum, and people's opinions on this subject usually fall into the grooves set forth by those discussions *cough* Half-Life, DooM, Barbie Detective *cough* -- almost always, however, three things can be said about someone's opinion regarding what the greatest game of all time is:
- This opinion is immutable.
- This opinion must be spread as quickly as possible.
- It features a game that is well-known and well-aged and thus has had countless reviews on it; also collorary to this, many people also have their own immutable and contagious opinions on it, even if they don't regard it as the greatest game of all time.
- It changes every week.
...The greatest game of this instant, however? Unreal Tournament 2004. Since I have not played its predecessors, I cannot comment on the progress of the series, but I have seen some differing standpoints on this. PC Gamer, a magazine which, in this month's offering, has an article about their recent playtest of Half-Life 2 (ahem... Darky... our wager?), simply states that a good amount of content is recycled from UT '03. A tweak guide (which shall remain nameless because this forum is a n00btard hot zone not seen since the likes of Gen[M]ay and the infection must not spread) on UT '04 has a different view -- the author believes that UT '03 sufferend a decline in popularity due to the introduction of many Quake-like aspects to the game. He states that UT '04 is Unreal Tournament going back to basics.
Regardless of this game's evolutionary or revolutionary state, it is simply amazing from my standpoint. There are many options avaliable for the type of game that is to be played, and even more options for how the game is to be played. For simple deathmatches, there are many weapons, each one with a clear purpose and combat style -- not just an increase in damage or scarcity of ammunition. There are also a wide variety of tactics to be mastered with each weapon and a good amount of ways to dodge blasts. Onslaught, the other major offering (there are also the traditional CTF, Team Deathmatch, and Last Man Standing modes, along with the less-traditional Double Domination, Bombing Run, Invasion, Mutant, and Assault), has a variety of vehicles that allow the player to attack from both land and air using anything from small and maneuverable aircraft to the Levithan, the mother of all tanks combined with a Katyusha Launcher on steroids.
The game also has a wide variety of maps for each gametype, from small one-on-one arenas to vast outdoor areas. The detail put into these areas, and all other content, is simply awe-inspiring -- even if they take up six CDs or two DVDs. An editor is also included, and modifications are being produced at this moment (including a Christian-oriented map- and skin-pack that includes scenarios based on biblical events -- shoot the Jews with your Rocket Launcher before they come to crucify you -- and detailed player skins, including Jesus with Battle Armor, who gives the award "GODLIKE!" a whole new meaning).
On top of this, UT '04 can also run on a variety of OSes because of its OpenGL support and is a very good value at the moment.
| QUOTE |
| Favourite game of all time? My, I don't have one of those... I guess I'll just state my favorite game of all time and attribute your gross misspelling to your being very... very... tired |
Last time I checked, I spoke English, you spoke imitation; so pipe down half-pint
| QUOTE |
| PC Gamer, a magazine which, in this month's offering, has an article about their recent playtest of Half-Life 2 (ahem... Darky... our wager?) |
If you want a play test of HL2 and Valve's lies, I believe several sites (especially BitTorrent) have 1.4GB versions of the leaked source. Maybe you'd like to see the lies for yourself?
| QUOTE |
| Regardless of this game's evolutionary or revolutionary state, it it shipped with six CDs or two DVDs. Thus, UT '04 >> all other games. |
Enter The Matrix shipped on 6CDs...how embarrassing. Does that mean Enter The Matrix >> All other games? LoL...not a chance
Yeah, that was both a joke and a placeholder for a large edit.
...And Darky... My, oh my... That's strike one for you!
EDIT: Ouch. I just realized this is a Morrowind forum. Let the cries of "Death to the Infidels!" commence...
...And Darky... My, oh my... That's strike one for you!
EDIT: Ouch. I just realized this is a Morrowind forum. Let the cries of "Death to the Infidels!" commence...
Wow, there is no way i can write as much as you guys did about my favourite game, for the simple fact, its all multiplayer (with single player training missions)
Game: Tribes 2
Genre: FPS
Tribes 2 is my favourite game for several reasons:
Game: Tribes 2
Genre: FPS
Tribes 2 is my favourite game for several reasons:
- Its a FPS
- Its ALL Multiplayer
- Its futuristic
- Its unlike all other FPS games due to 3 deminsions.. (X,Y,Z)
Game: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: RPG
Call me sentimental, but this game truly has a special place in my gaming heart. This is the game that turned me on to computer/console gaming, and was, at first, the sole reason I got a Playstation. This is the first and only game to touch me on anything close to an emotional level. The final cut scene of Disc 1, where Sephiroth kills Aeris right in front of Cloud drives me to tears every time I see it.
Graphics: 8/10
The graphics were very good at the time; as good or better than most other games at the time. It also had the first instance (that I had seen, although there were others before it) of Computer Generated Full Motion Video (CG/FMV). In battle graphics were very good, but field graphics were a little lacking.
Sound: 9/10
The music track was memorable and is the staple of many an RPG fan’s MP3 or CD collection. Nobuo Uematsu’s well written, and more importantly, well timed orchestrations added greatly to the experience of playing the game. Some of the sound effects were overly simplified or monotonous, but generally good.
There is my little review for one of the better games made yet.
Genre: RPG
Call me sentimental, but this game truly has a special place in my gaming heart. This is the game that turned me on to computer/console gaming, and was, at first, the sole reason I got a Playstation. This is the first and only game to touch me on anything close to an emotional level. The final cut scene of Disc 1, where Sephiroth kills Aeris right in front of Cloud drives me to tears every time I see it.
Graphics: 8/10
The graphics were very good at the time; as good or better than most other games at the time. It also had the first instance (that I had seen, although there were others before it) of Computer Generated Full Motion Video (CG/FMV). In battle graphics were very good, but field graphics were a little lacking.
Sound: 9/10
The music track was memorable and is the staple of many an RPG fan’s MP3 or CD collection. Nobuo Uematsu’s well written, and more importantly, well timed orchestrations added greatly to the experience of playing the game. Some of the sound effects were overly simplified or monotonous, but generally good.
There is my little review for one of the better games made yet.
favourite game?
I would have to say silent hill (all three)
why? because as one reviewer wrote " it plays minor key symponies with your sanity". It has been one of the most desturbing gaming experences I have ever had! I have played all three and althou I have not beaten them ( I dont play games to beat them but to play them, it seems more fun that way) but in the cource of playing them I have noticed one thing that alot of games out there seem to lack. A real plot! SH2 would have made for a naile-bitter of a book, and SH1 most of the time had me useing all of the control buttens at once to stay alert! With SH3 I have just gotten it but I played it one night for two hours and althou I was only on the 2nd board I was truly scared ( maybe it was because i was in a dark room, at midnight, and tired) I was acually shakeing in fear! And loveing it!!!
I would have to say silent hill (all three)
why? because as one reviewer wrote " it plays minor key symponies with your sanity". It has been one of the most desturbing gaming experences I have ever had! I have played all three and althou I have not beaten them ( I dont play games to beat them but to play them, it seems more fun that way) but in the cource of playing them I have noticed one thing that alot of games out there seem to lack. A real plot! SH2 would have made for a naile-bitter of a book, and SH1 most of the time had me useing all of the control buttens at once to stay alert! With SH3 I have just gotten it but I played it one night for two hours and althou I was only on the 2nd board I was truly scared ( maybe it was because i was in a dark room, at midnight, and tired) I was acually shakeing in fear! And loveing it!!!
Favorite game eh?...hmm...ahh...i would have to go with Planescape : Torment.
its a game where your not dead, but not alive either, in a way, you could say undead, but that doesnt work considering theres no real death untill something is done.
You take the role of the nameless one, a man who died and woke up with a floating skull named morte next to him, he does not know how he died, who he is, or why he came back; he wakes up in a place known as the Mortuary, a place where mindless zombie workers and a group of people called "Dustmen" control the place, the game is like a cross with baldurs gate and fallout, its unfortunate that the screen resolution is dodgy (640x480) if you actually play the game, youll never notice that minor flaw.
The game lets you determine your beliefs as you begin playing, by talking to someone and offending them can make you a evil person, whereas doing chores here and then can boost it a bit, depending on your actions, the whole game can turn your way or upsidown, like morrowind in a sence, only you dont get 50 guards chasing you in slow motion.
to a conclusion, its a game you either like or hate, the decisions and things you can do might make you think of a baldurs gate clone, but remember, theres no crappy storyline, its a mature storyline and if your under the age of 13 you would not understand it at all, this is a game intended for an older audience, this doesnt stop younger people from playing it, and i give it a 9/10, why?...nothings perfect.
now if you excuse me, in 3 hours im going to go buy Painkiller
its a game where your not dead, but not alive either, in a way, you could say undead, but that doesnt work considering theres no real death untill something is done.
You take the role of the nameless one, a man who died and woke up with a floating skull named morte next to him, he does not know how he died, who he is, or why he came back; he wakes up in a place known as the Mortuary, a place where mindless zombie workers and a group of people called "Dustmen" control the place, the game is like a cross with baldurs gate and fallout, its unfortunate that the screen resolution is dodgy (640x480) if you actually play the game, youll never notice that minor flaw.
The game lets you determine your beliefs as you begin playing, by talking to someone and offending them can make you a evil person, whereas doing chores here and then can boost it a bit, depending on your actions, the whole game can turn your way or upsidown, like morrowind in a sence, only you dont get 50 guards chasing you in slow motion.
to a conclusion, its a game you either like or hate, the decisions and things you can do might make you think of a baldurs gate clone, but remember, theres no crappy storyline, its a mature storyline and if your under the age of 13 you would not understand it at all, this is a game intended for an older audience, this doesnt stop younger people from playing it, and i give it a 9/10, why?...nothings perfect.
now if you excuse me, in 3 hours im going to go buy Painkiller
Greatest game? How about Heroes of Might and Magic series
those were great strategy/rpg's
they boast decent graphics (the first one) to very good (the fourth one)
Turn based strategy so you can think about what you are going to do for your next move.(this is great for people who work in an office and are allowed to play games while they are not busy.)
Multiplayer up to 8 players Hot seat or network/internet.
updates often.
it's actually something that you can gain strategy skills from
That's about it.
those were great strategy/rpg's
they boast decent graphics (the first one) to very good (the fourth one)
Turn based strategy so you can think about what you are going to do for your next move.(this is great for people who work in an office and are allowed to play games while they are not busy.)
Multiplayer up to 8 players Hot seat or network/internet.
updates often.
it's actually something that you can gain strategy skills from
That's about it.
I'll have to go with MB on this one- Unreal Tournament 2004 is truly a great game. I commend it for:
-Vehicles (especially the Raptor)
-Fairly decent graphics
-Some creative new weapons
-The "Assault" and "Onslaught" modes...doesn't get much better than that!
-Great new maps
-The bug for flying the Leviathan around (love that!)
I'd give it 7 out of 10.
I have played all the predecessors to the current UT, and I can say this was a definite leap for the better.
-Vehicles (especially the Raptor)
-Fairly decent graphics
-Some creative new weapons
-The "Assault" and "Onslaught" modes...doesn't get much better than that!
-Great new maps
-The bug for flying the Leviathan around (love that!)
I'd give it 7 out of 10.
I have played all the predecessors to the current UT, and I can say this was a definite leap for the better.
Call me traditional, but Half-Life
Gameplay 10/10: I still remember the first time I saw one of the scientists with a latchling on his head, and slowly turning corners, hoping I didn't run ito anything. Running blindly with no ammo, no health, and a dead HEV suit. It created a different kind of fear than Silent Hill or Resident Evil, and the same amped-up fun as UT:GOTY
All that mixed in with random signs painted on walls telling you to surrender, or the walkie-talkie sounds from the military, made for one helluva game.
Graphics: 7/10: Well, they're pretty much the same as Morrowind
Audio 8/10: The lack of music is genious, mounting the tension with nothing to hear, staring at your screen making sure that you can see.And the sounds that do come are well prouced. And who doesn't love the sound of ten military dudes being blown up?
(Ah, be quiet Marxist. It's fun!)
EDIT: Also, once you buy this game, you get DoD, CS, and TFC. All great games.
Gameplay 10/10: I still remember the first time I saw one of the scientists with a latchling on his head, and slowly turning corners, hoping I didn't run ito anything. Running blindly with no ammo, no health, and a dead HEV suit. It created a different kind of fear than Silent Hill or Resident Evil, and the same amped-up fun as UT:GOTY
All that mixed in with random signs painted on walls telling you to surrender, or the walkie-talkie sounds from the military, made for one helluva game.
Graphics: 7/10: Well, they're pretty much the same as Morrowind
Audio 8/10: The lack of music is genious, mounting the tension with nothing to hear, staring at your screen making sure that you can see.And the sounds that do come are well prouced. And who doesn't love the sound of ten military dudes being blown up?
(Ah, be quiet Marxist. It's fun!)
EDIT: Also, once you buy this game, you get DoD, CS, and TFC. All great games.
Since I love so many different games, I will give a review of my personal favorite in each genre.
Albion: Journey of a Lifetime
Catagory: RPG/Adventure
Developer/Publisher: Blue Byte
Year of release: 1996
I first got a demo of this game included when I bought Settlers 2, and it instantly got me hooked. The game is a mix of RPG and adventure, you can control upto 6 characters, each with their own set of different skills and stats. During the game you get experience for solving quests and killing monsters, and of course you gain levels every once in a while, which give you stillpoints. These points can be spent at a trainer, who for some gold, will improve your fighting or other skills. Characters with magic get access to new spells from teachers at their school or from scrolls. Combat is turn based, and performed at a special screen, the participants decide their actions (fighting, shooting, moving or spellcasting) at the start of the round, and they are worked out in initiative order.
Perspective is dependant on the location you are in, most 'dungeons' and cities are 3D, while interiors, and world movement is in 2D. Combat is done in a mix between the two, showing the participants in 2D while planning actions, and 3D when the turn sequence is activated.
Of course the games has various quests and puzzles, and while some are the standard find-the-key-to-get-through-door ones, they have much variety and almost never frustrating. Most of the time the main quests will trigger various sub-quests which are completely unexpected.
The story and events in Albion is extremely well done, with unexpected plot twists the game is unpredictable and exciting. Certain major events can end in several ways (often giving you different rewards, or none at all). Even though the game is relatively linear, it never gets boring. The NPCs always have things to tell, and you can question them on their background or the society, the conversation system is pretty much like morrowind, but IMO in Albion they have much more interesting things to tell.
The storyline itself is one of the most interesting I've seen in a game. The game starts on the starship Toronto, a corporate mining ship in service of the Euro-Japanese company DDT. This ship will travel to it's predefined target, the desertplanet they named 'nugget', which has been classified as very rich in resources. Once there it will and on the planet and begin stripmining it, and use the resources to build more spaceships, and send the remaining materials back to earth for the company. The player assumes the roles of Tom Driscoll, a pilot, and Rainer, one of two government officials monitoring the process (well the second one died under mysterious circumstances en route to nugget). As the Toronto approaches the planet, both will carry out inspections in a shuttle. While they get closer, they get strange readings from the planet, which possibly indicate oxygen, which should not be there as the planet was classified as barren. Then suddenly there is an explosion and the shuttle crashlands on the surface. As Tom and Rainer get out, they find they are in a forested area, and the planet is actually full of life. They are found and helped by the catlike people of the Iskai, who want the shuttle remains for the precious metal, which is a surprise to Tom, since the planet was supposed to be rich in ores. They stuggle to find the Toronto's search parties, but it appears none are sent out. To their surprise, they find out there are also human Celts on the planet, who share the history of the people from earth, but were rescued from the Romans by a mysterious diety, Animebona. Apparantly the brother of this deity, Animenkna, is the deity that created the Roman civilization out of jealousy towards the Celts so they would be destroyed, and this deity has continued to influence the humans of earth, while Animebona fled to Albion, as the Celts call their world. Then they hear terrible news, the Toronto has landed in the desert, and is beginning to set up it's facilities to begin mining. Albion appears to be safe no longer from the destructive influence of Animenkna. They find out the crew of the Toronto is being deliberately decieved by the captain and ship AI, who are well aware of the life on the planet, but will exterminate it anyway, because DTT invested so much in the mission and failure is not acceptable. Tom and his companions desperately try to find a force strong enough to stop or, if necessairy, destroy the Toronto.
Here are some screenshots:
The game is available for free download here:
http://www.the-underdogs.org/game.php?id=35
Ratings:
Gameplay: 8
Story: 10
Sound(effects): 5
Sound(music): 9
Graphics(then): 8
Graphics(now): 4
Pros:
Absolutely great storyline
Environment has great atmosphere
Interesting spells and equipment
Always exciting
Cons:
Cannot create your own characters
Won't start without a good DOS configuration, and you're not likely to get sound at all unless you have old DOS drivers
240x360 resolution (screenshots are actual size)
=====================================================
=====================================================
Hi-Octane
Catagory: Sci-Fi Racing/Action
Developer: Bullfrog
Publisher: EA
Year of release: 1995
I've never liked racing games. Until my eye caught this little gem. This game is said to be created by some bored programmers using the Magic Carpet engine, and it turned out to be good enough to be published.
The player can choose from 6 hovervehicles which can also be painted with various colorschemes. Of course each car has it's own stats. Not only speed and mass, but also more important things, such as firepower and armor! Yes, that's true, if you cannot win the race by speed, you can always blast your pesky opponents out of commision with your miniguns and missiles!
The game has a variety of different tracks, which are rendered very well. This game, despite what is nowadays a low resolution, still looks good. It has a good 'fog' effect, which obscures the view for things that are outside viewing distance, so the environment will not just suddenly pop up out of nowhere.
Screenshots:
Ratings:
Gameplay: 8
Story: nonexistant
Sound(effects): 3
Sound(music): 3
Graphics(then): 10
Graphics(now): 6
Pros:
Good graphics
Original concept
Multiplayer!
Cons:
Sound=horrible
Needs DOS
Needs a slow computer, or programs to slow your PC down
=====================================================
=====================================================
Metal Fatigue
Catagory: RTS
Developer: Zono
Publisher: TalonSoft
Year of release: 2000
Metal Fatigue is/was a really innovative yet unknown and underrated RTS game. There are three factions, or CorpoNations (RimTech, MilAgro, Neuropa) battling for dominance over a series of planets which hold mysterious alien artifacts of a disappeared race known as the Hedoths. In addition to a couple of basic tanks and airplanes, the player can build giant robots (ComBots) to fight with. The fun of these is, that they consist of 4 components that have to be produced seperately, a torso, two arms and a set of legs. These parts can be combined to build the ComBot, and all parts have different abilities and statistics. Each CorpoNation has a different set of parts, and when you manage to destroy an enemy ComBot, it will sometimes leave pieces which can be salvaged and used in your own Combots, or researched to make these parts available for production. Arms can be ejected and swapped in the field, or cut off opponents and confiscated.
But the fun has only begun. The battlefield actually consists of three levels, underground, surface and orbit. ComBots cannot travel underground (yet some of their abilities can affect underground activity), however, resources are more plentiful here. The surface offers much space for building structures. Orbit gives a lot of energy when you build solar panels on the asteroids. You can transfer units between the layers with elevators and teleporters, and planes and certain ComBots can fly between the surface and orbit.
Screenshots:
Ratings:
Gameplay: 7
Story: 7
Sound(effects): 8
Sound(music): 7
Graphics: 8
Pros:
ComBots can be fully customized
Different layers on a map
Purchases of upgrades between missions possible
Fun in multiplayer
Cons:
Pathfinding and AI of YOUR units sucks
Cannot save in multiplayer and skirmish
Albion: Journey of a Lifetime
Catagory: RPG/Adventure
Developer/Publisher: Blue Byte
Year of release: 1996
I first got a demo of this game included when I bought Settlers 2, and it instantly got me hooked. The game is a mix of RPG and adventure, you can control upto 6 characters, each with their own set of different skills and stats. During the game you get experience for solving quests and killing monsters, and of course you gain levels every once in a while, which give you stillpoints. These points can be spent at a trainer, who for some gold, will improve your fighting or other skills. Characters with magic get access to new spells from teachers at their school or from scrolls. Combat is turn based, and performed at a special screen, the participants decide their actions (fighting, shooting, moving or spellcasting) at the start of the round, and they are worked out in initiative order.
Perspective is dependant on the location you are in, most 'dungeons' and cities are 3D, while interiors, and world movement is in 2D. Combat is done in a mix between the two, showing the participants in 2D while planning actions, and 3D when the turn sequence is activated.
Of course the games has various quests and puzzles, and while some are the standard find-the-key-to-get-through-door ones, they have much variety and almost never frustrating. Most of the time the main quests will trigger various sub-quests which are completely unexpected.
The story and events in Albion is extremely well done, with unexpected plot twists the game is unpredictable and exciting. Certain major events can end in several ways (often giving you different rewards, or none at all). Even though the game is relatively linear, it never gets boring. The NPCs always have things to tell, and you can question them on their background or the society, the conversation system is pretty much like morrowind, but IMO in Albion they have much more interesting things to tell.
The storyline itself is one of the most interesting I've seen in a game. The game starts on the starship Toronto, a corporate mining ship in service of the Euro-Japanese company DDT. This ship will travel to it's predefined target, the desertplanet they named 'nugget', which has been classified as very rich in resources. Once there it will and on the planet and begin stripmining it, and use the resources to build more spaceships, and send the remaining materials back to earth for the company. The player assumes the roles of Tom Driscoll, a pilot, and Rainer, one of two government officials monitoring the process (well the second one died under mysterious circumstances en route to nugget). As the Toronto approaches the planet, both will carry out inspections in a shuttle. While they get closer, they get strange readings from the planet, which possibly indicate oxygen, which should not be there as the planet was classified as barren. Then suddenly there is an explosion and the shuttle crashlands on the surface. As Tom and Rainer get out, they find they are in a forested area, and the planet is actually full of life. They are found and helped by the catlike people of the Iskai, who want the shuttle remains for the precious metal, which is a surprise to Tom, since the planet was supposed to be rich in ores. They stuggle to find the Toronto's search parties, but it appears none are sent out. To their surprise, they find out there are also human Celts on the planet, who share the history of the people from earth, but were rescued from the Romans by a mysterious diety, Animebona. Apparantly the brother of this deity, Animenkna, is the deity that created the Roman civilization out of jealousy towards the Celts so they would be destroyed, and this deity has continued to influence the humans of earth, while Animebona fled to Albion, as the Celts call their world. Then they hear terrible news, the Toronto has landed in the desert, and is beginning to set up it's facilities to begin mining. Albion appears to be safe no longer from the destructive influence of Animenkna. They find out the crew of the Toronto is being deliberately decieved by the captain and ship AI, who are well aware of the life on the planet, but will exterminate it anyway, because DTT invested so much in the mission and failure is not acceptable. Tom and his companions desperately try to find a force strong enough to stop or, if necessairy, destroy the Toronto.
Here are some screenshots:
The game is available for free download here:
http://www.the-underdogs.org/game.php?id=35
Ratings:
Gameplay: 8
Story: 10
Sound(effects): 5
Sound(music): 9
Graphics(then): 8
Graphics(now): 4
Pros:
Absolutely great storyline
Environment has great atmosphere
Interesting spells and equipment
Always exciting
Cons:
Cannot create your own characters
Won't start without a good DOS configuration, and you're not likely to get sound at all unless you have old DOS drivers
240x360 resolution (screenshots are actual size)
=====================================================
=====================================================
Hi-Octane
Catagory: Sci-Fi Racing/Action
Developer: Bullfrog
Publisher: EA
Year of release: 1995
I've never liked racing games. Until my eye caught this little gem. This game is said to be created by some bored programmers using the Magic Carpet engine, and it turned out to be good enough to be published.
The player can choose from 6 hovervehicles which can also be painted with various colorschemes. Of course each car has it's own stats. Not only speed and mass, but also more important things, such as firepower and armor! Yes, that's true, if you cannot win the race by speed, you can always blast your pesky opponents out of commision with your miniguns and missiles!
The game has a variety of different tracks, which are rendered very well. This game, despite what is nowadays a low resolution, still looks good. It has a good 'fog' effect, which obscures the view for things that are outside viewing distance, so the environment will not just suddenly pop up out of nowhere.
Screenshots:
Ratings:
Gameplay: 8
Story: nonexistant
Sound(effects): 3
Sound(music): 3
Graphics(then): 10
Graphics(now): 6
Pros:
Good graphics
Original concept
Multiplayer!
Cons:
Sound=horrible
Needs DOS
Needs a slow computer, or programs to slow your PC down
=====================================================
=====================================================
Metal Fatigue
Catagory: RTS
Developer: Zono
Publisher: TalonSoft
Year of release: 2000
Metal Fatigue is/was a really innovative yet unknown and underrated RTS game. There are three factions, or CorpoNations (RimTech, MilAgro, Neuropa) battling for dominance over a series of planets which hold mysterious alien artifacts of a disappeared race known as the Hedoths. In addition to a couple of basic tanks and airplanes, the player can build giant robots (ComBots) to fight with. The fun of these is, that they consist of 4 components that have to be produced seperately, a torso, two arms and a set of legs. These parts can be combined to build the ComBot, and all parts have different abilities and statistics. Each CorpoNation has a different set of parts, and when you manage to destroy an enemy ComBot, it will sometimes leave pieces which can be salvaged and used in your own Combots, or researched to make these parts available for production. Arms can be ejected and swapped in the field, or cut off opponents and confiscated.
But the fun has only begun. The battlefield actually consists of three levels, underground, surface and orbit. ComBots cannot travel underground (yet some of their abilities can affect underground activity), however, resources are more plentiful here. The surface offers much space for building structures. Orbit gives a lot of energy when you build solar panels on the asteroids. You can transfer units between the layers with elevators and teleporters, and planes and certain ComBots can fly between the surface and orbit.
Screenshots:
Ratings:
Gameplay: 7
Story: 7
Sound(effects): 8
Sound(music): 7
Graphics: 8
Pros:
ComBots can be fully customized
Different layers on a map
Purchases of upgrades between missions possible
Fun in multiplayer
Cons:
Pathfinding and AI of YOUR units sucks
Cannot save in multiplayer and skirmish
Since I'm not allowed to post more images I've got a pretty good excuse to doublepost this time!
Crusader: No Remorse and Crusader: No Regret
Catagory: Action
Developer: Origin
Publisher: EA
Years of release: 1995 and 1997
Because these two games use the same engine (modified Ultima engine) and the sequel is actually very similar and could be considered a stand-alone expansion, I review these games as though they were the same thing.
The game is an isometric 2D shooter, and takes place in the 23rd century where the world is ruled by the corrupt and tyranical World Economic Consortium (WEC). This government maintains dominance by the indoctrination of its subjects and swift elimination of any rebellion in the society. However, a group of people who see through the WEC lies for a society where citizens are equal and free, had enough to support a regime where only a select few enjoy the privileges.
The player is a Silencer, a Rambo-like killing machine created by the WEC. However when this particular Silencer is backstabbed by the WEC and has his collegues eliminated he joins up with the Resistance. Of course the Resistance personnel do not trust him, and he gets all the dirty jobs. Missions vary between the usual sabotage, infiltration, assassination, escape, espionage and theft.
The storyline is very well done, there are many cutscenes played by real actors, a lot of background information is given in the manual, and the game used to ship with a sheet which had a WEC newspaper printed on it, giving even more insight in this disturbing world. Usually you can watch WEC news in between missions, full of propaganda of course. For instance, the Silencer is sabotaging a chemical planet producing toxic gas to use against the resistance, and will cause it to blow up. WEC cuts off power to the eara to disable all teleporters in the area, so no-one can get out, hoping to kill the Silencer (who of course escapes). All personnel get killed. On the news you hear terrorists destroyed a powerplant and disabled the teleporters to cause maximum casualties. The city will still suffer from powerloss for several days (the power the WEC cut off!!). These things happen all the time, and WEC does not care about human life at all, as is seen in No Regret (which takes place on the moon) as Lunar Director Leech coldly orders "Flood the mines with gas. Inform Earth we need a new detachment of labourers".
The music of this game is very good and helps you to get the action going. Sounds from weapons fire is realistic, guards taunt you and WEC civilians beg for their lives. Corpses can be looted for items. There are many pieces of equipment and even more weapons. Spider bombs can be remotecontrolled and walk to their target. DetPacks will allow you to blow up tough things like doors, floorplates and the like (who needs a key?). IR Imagers detect laser beams that trigger alarms and automated defenses. And there are many other useful goodies. The weapons are plentiful and versatile. And their effects horrible. Your enemies demise will be accompanied by graphic death-scenes and often lots of screaming, unparalleled by most of today's games.
Of course you can also use your weapons for other things then killing people. For vandalizing the environment that is. Almost everyting you see can be destroyed. Always wanted to trash your office? Now's the chance!
Graphics are amazing, and even today the game looks good. While certain animations are a bit flawed, particulary jumping and slow walking, the shooting and dodge animations look nice. The cutscenes aren't that good compared to what we have today, but at least real actors play in them. The intro movies are one of the first high-quality 3D rendered movies to appear in gaming.
Screenies:
Ratings:
Gameplay: 8
Story: 9
Sound(effects): 9
Sound(music): 9
Graphics(then): 9
Graphics(now): 7
Pros:
Dark and sinister storyline
Awesome graphics
Lots of gore
Good music
Cons:
Needs 100% pure DOS, emulation does not work
Games can be downloaded for free:
http://www.the-underdogs.org/game.php?gameid=1350
http://www.the-underdogs.org/game.php?gameid=1349
Crusader: No Remorse and Crusader: No Regret
Catagory: Action
Developer: Origin
Publisher: EA
Years of release: 1995 and 1997
Because these two games use the same engine (modified Ultima engine) and the sequel is actually very similar and could be considered a stand-alone expansion, I review these games as though they were the same thing.
The game is an isometric 2D shooter, and takes place in the 23rd century where the world is ruled by the corrupt and tyranical World Economic Consortium (WEC). This government maintains dominance by the indoctrination of its subjects and swift elimination of any rebellion in the society. However, a group of people who see through the WEC lies for a society where citizens are equal and free, had enough to support a regime where only a select few enjoy the privileges.
The player is a Silencer, a Rambo-like killing machine created by the WEC. However when this particular Silencer is backstabbed by the WEC and has his collegues eliminated he joins up with the Resistance. Of course the Resistance personnel do not trust him, and he gets all the dirty jobs. Missions vary between the usual sabotage, infiltration, assassination, escape, espionage and theft.
The storyline is very well done, there are many cutscenes played by real actors, a lot of background information is given in the manual, and the game used to ship with a sheet which had a WEC newspaper printed on it, giving even more insight in this disturbing world. Usually you can watch WEC news in between missions, full of propaganda of course. For instance, the Silencer is sabotaging a chemical planet producing toxic gas to use against the resistance, and will cause it to blow up. WEC cuts off power to the eara to disable all teleporters in the area, so no-one can get out, hoping to kill the Silencer (who of course escapes). All personnel get killed. On the news you hear terrorists destroyed a powerplant and disabled the teleporters to cause maximum casualties. The city will still suffer from powerloss for several days (the power the WEC cut off!!). These things happen all the time, and WEC does not care about human life at all, as is seen in No Regret (which takes place on the moon) as Lunar Director Leech coldly orders "Flood the mines with gas. Inform Earth we need a new detachment of labourers".
The music of this game is very good and helps you to get the action going. Sounds from weapons fire is realistic, guards taunt you and WEC civilians beg for their lives. Corpses can be looted for items. There are many pieces of equipment and even more weapons. Spider bombs can be remotecontrolled and walk to their target. DetPacks will allow you to blow up tough things like doors, floorplates and the like (who needs a key?). IR Imagers detect laser beams that trigger alarms and automated defenses. And there are many other useful goodies. The weapons are plentiful and versatile. And their effects horrible. Your enemies demise will be accompanied by graphic death-scenes and often lots of screaming, unparalleled by most of today's games.
Of course you can also use your weapons for other things then killing people. For vandalizing the environment that is. Almost everyting you see can be destroyed. Always wanted to trash your office? Now's the chance!
Graphics are amazing, and even today the game looks good. While certain animations are a bit flawed, particulary jumping and slow walking, the shooting and dodge animations look nice. The cutscenes aren't that good compared to what we have today, but at least real actors play in them. The intro movies are one of the first high-quality 3D rendered movies to appear in gaming.
Screenies:
Ratings:
Gameplay: 8
Story: 9
Sound(effects): 9
Sound(music): 9
Graphics(then): 9
Graphics(now): 7
Pros:
Dark and sinister storyline
Awesome graphics
Lots of gore
Good music
Cons:
Needs 100% pure DOS, emulation does not work
Games can be downloaded for free:
http://www.the-underdogs.org/game.php?gameid=1350
http://www.the-underdogs.org/game.php?gameid=1349
Hmm, with me it would definately have to be Chrono Trigger. A very nice RPG, it was one of the last ever released for the SNES. It has very well drawn 2D graphics and an excellent soundtrack.
Gameplay wise it can be very addictive, it uses a ATB turned based battle system (earliest game that uses this system that I know of, though it's become increasingly more popular as of late I've noticed). Each character also has his/her own special attacks according to the person's element, and characters can combine to use 2 way or 3 way techniques for devastating damage. Not to mention the special effects were very impressive for their time (some of them actually used 3D!!). You only fight what enemies are on screen (and you can avoid them), instead of having annoying random encounters every 10 seconds
The game also has a great storyline with very atmospheric areas, each area/time period (yes, you can time travel) having it's own unique feel. The story can also end in multiple ways, leading to about 10 different endings as you can fight the final boss pretty much any time you want and how the game ends depends on what you've done before you beat it (a very unique feature, at least for those days).
It is linear, but not completely. You are railroaded quite a bit, but inbetween storyline bits you can do what you want when you want, though there aren't really that many sidequests.
I'm sure I've forgotten a ton of info here, but anyway...
Ratings:
Gameplay: 8
Story: 10
Sound(effects): 7
Sound(music): 9
Graphics(then): 10
Graphics(now): 7
Pros:
Just about the best graphics you can get in 2D
Brilliant storyline and atmosphere
Addictive battle system
Quite a few unique features
Cons:
Not 100% non linear. Then again, that was a rarity back then.
Not too many side quests, it's mostly main storyline, I guess.
I can't think of any others... get this game!!
[/unbiast review?]
Gameplay wise it can be very addictive, it uses a ATB turned based battle system (earliest game that uses this system that I know of, though it's become increasingly more popular as of late I've noticed). Each character also has his/her own special attacks according to the person's element, and characters can combine to use 2 way or 3 way techniques for devastating damage. Not to mention the special effects were very impressive for their time (some of them actually used 3D!!). You only fight what enemies are on screen (and you can avoid them), instead of having annoying random encounters every 10 seconds
The game also has a great storyline with very atmospheric areas, each area/time period (yes, you can time travel
) having it's own unique feel. The story can also end in multiple ways, leading to about 10 different endings as you can fight the final boss pretty much any time you want and how the game ends depends on what you've done before you beat it (a very unique feature, at least for those days).It is linear, but not completely. You are railroaded quite a bit, but inbetween storyline bits you can do what you want when you want, though there aren't really that many sidequests.
I'm sure I've forgotten a ton of info here, but anyway...
Ratings:
Gameplay: 8
Story: 10
Sound(effects): 7
Sound(music): 9
Graphics(then): 10
Graphics(now): 7
Pros:
Just about the best graphics you can get in 2D
Brilliant storyline and atmosphere
Addictive battle system
Quite a few unique features
Cons:
Not 100% non linear. Then again, that was a rarity back then.
Not too many side quests, it's mostly main storyline, I guess.
I can't think of any others... get this game!!
[/unbiast review?]
Switch, you just became my best friend... Chrono Trigger is an excellent game, probably my favourite!... Thats why i bought Chrono Cross for PS ...
A cool feature that Chrono Trigger had, was that once you beat the game... You could start a "New Game+" which would allow you to start the game over, but with the same characters from your last game... meaning you have all the same items, and stats... (also your level would remain the same)... So you could keep going until you reach level 99!
...A cool feature that Chrono Trigger had, was that once you beat the game... You could start a "New Game+" which would allow you to start the game over, but with the same characters from your last game... meaning you have all the same items, and stats... (also your level would remain the same)... So you could keep going until you reach level 99!
My favorite game? It has to be Mafia for the PC. Grand Theft Auto is nothing compared to it. Great storyline, awesome gang battles, great car chases, and of course, TOMMY GUNS!!!
for a full review and screenshots just go here:
ign's review - 9.2
for a full review and screenshots just go here:
ign's review - 9.2
My favourite game? There are several. One is the already mentioned Arcanum, so I don't repeat it here. The next would be the Gothic-Series. Really great games. The best Reviews I can give you here are German, sorry for that, but the English reviews either rated the games terribly bad or too good.
Gothic:
http://www.gamestar.de/magazin/tests/adventure/139/
Gothic II:
http://www.gamestar.de/magazin/tests/adventure/10795/
Gothic II - Night of the Raven:
http://www.gamestar.de/magazin/tests/adventure/13716/
And here some Screenshots:
http://www.worldofgothic.de/gothic/index.p...hots&dir=gothic
http://www.worldofgothic.de/gothic2/index....ens&dir=gothic2
OK, next game. That would probably be Thief and Thief II, really great games until today.
Thief:
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/thiefthe...ect/review.html
Thief II:
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/thief2th...age/review.html
Then there is Battlezone, truly a great and innovative game. Here the Review:
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/battle...one/review.html
Age of Empires II, one of the best strategy games ever:
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/ageofe...aok/review.html
Baldur's Gate I and II should also be mentioned:
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/baldursgate/review.html
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/baldursgate...amn/review.html
Gothic:
http://www.gamestar.de/magazin/tests/adventure/139/
Gothic II:
http://www.gamestar.de/magazin/tests/adventure/10795/
Gothic II - Night of the Raven:
http://www.gamestar.de/magazin/tests/adventure/13716/
And here some Screenshots:
http://www.worldofgothic.de/gothic/index.p...hots&dir=gothic
http://www.worldofgothic.de/gothic2/index....ens&dir=gothic2
OK, next game. That would probably be Thief and Thief II, really great games until today.
Thief:
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/thiefthe...ect/review.html
Thief II:
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/thief2th...age/review.html
Then there is Battlezone, truly a great and innovative game. Here the Review:
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/battle...one/review.html
Age of Empires II, one of the best strategy games ever:
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/ageofe...aok/review.html
Baldur's Gate I and II should also be mentioned:
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/baldursgate/review.html
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/baldursgate...amn/review.html
Ok, I'd like to talk about two games, diverse in gameplay but both equally close to my heart. One is notorious (FF7) and the other is still undefeated in my collection as the Daddy of All Racing Games (DARG) : the incredible Speed Freaks.
Oh my word, I know its already been mentioned but:
Final Fantasy VII
When this game came out, my Playstation was barely off during the two weeks I spent completing it. I bunked off school for a week and played it solidly 7 hours a day because I was so addicted. I think by far the superior game over any of its more modern cousins, primarily because it excels in a couple of key areas -
Storyline
FF7 is the only game that has had me in tears because of the emotional attachment I held to the characters within the game. The dialogue is lucid, not convoluted as it is in FF8, which for me created a barrier that was invisible in FF7. Due to my uniniatation to Manga at the time, the function and mode of the story appealed hugely, as it was something totally unexplored in western computer gaming. No one single character felt placed as a random plot device, and it inroduced themes more complex and interesting than the typical Christian inspired good/evil dichotomy. Obviously it was fairly unoriginal in the context of other Manga material, but the sheer love poured into the creation of character and plot was delightful.
Music
FF7 mastered the dangerous art of creating a consistent score of background music, that never become overly repetitive or intrusive. I think it is vital in an absorbing RPG that the background ambience/music feels natural enough that it creates a sense of continuity within the game, and the melodies therein are inoffensive enough to stand up to a few thousand repeats. FF7 achieved this and more - it was geniunely good musical score, that was perfectly listenable in itself and guided the emotional resonance of the game in almost any context. Beautiful stuff.
Speed Freaks (Playstation)
Speed Freaks is a fantastic game that seems to of floated by almost everybody I know who should of picked up on it, that is - Playstaion owners. Mario Kart lovers.
It [the incredible game in question] is simply the most joyfully playable racing game I've ever had the pleasure of using a PS controller with. At first the controls seem mucky and difficult to grip, the karts flying off the tracks into barriers, and the wily computer opponents taking you apart with bizarre swirly mega-bombs.
Persist for a few days. Everything klicks into place.
The sheer adrenaline generated by flying around Grand Rapids with chosen Freak is not an experience to be missed, particularly once you get your mates addicted and invest in a multitap. There is depth to the gameplay, fair more so than the limited cornering a weapon possibilities in Mario Kart, allowing for devious tricks that will have you smacking the floor in uncontrollable fits of laughter.
Another important jewel in Freaks crown as the Daddy of All Racing Games (DARG) is the personality injected into teh characters. I've often spun of a corner to catch the impossibly funny sight of Cosworth (A dog of indeterminable origin, presumably a mix of every dog in existance) zooming past, his magnificent ears flapping in the wind, and turning to acknowledge the unfortuante victim about to recieve a bomb in the face. Awesome.
Ok, despite the fact that I'd love to impart several pages of the great experiences I've been blessed with from the gaming industry, I'm procrastinating from my considerably more urgent dissertation. Such is life.
Ember.
Oh my word, I know its already been mentioned but:
Final Fantasy VII
When this game came out, my Playstation was barely off during the two weeks I spent completing it. I bunked off school for a week and played it solidly 7 hours a day because I was so addicted. I think by far the superior game over any of its more modern cousins, primarily because it excels in a couple of key areas -
Storyline
FF7 is the only game that has had me in tears because of the emotional attachment I held to the characters within the game. The dialogue is lucid, not convoluted as it is in FF8, which for me created a barrier that was invisible in FF7. Due to my uniniatation to Manga at the time, the function and mode of the story appealed hugely, as it was something totally unexplored in western computer gaming. No one single character felt placed as a random plot device, and it inroduced themes more complex and interesting than the typical Christian inspired good/evil dichotomy. Obviously it was fairly unoriginal in the context of other Manga material, but the sheer love poured into the creation of character and plot was delightful.
Music
FF7 mastered the dangerous art of creating a consistent score of background music, that never become overly repetitive or intrusive. I think it is vital in an absorbing RPG that the background ambience/music feels natural enough that it creates a sense of continuity within the game, and the melodies therein are inoffensive enough to stand up to a few thousand repeats. FF7 achieved this and more - it was geniunely good musical score, that was perfectly listenable in itself and guided the emotional resonance of the game in almost any context. Beautiful stuff.
Speed Freaks (Playstation)
Speed Freaks is a fantastic game that seems to of floated by almost everybody I know who should of picked up on it, that is - Playstaion owners. Mario Kart lovers.
It [the incredible game in question] is simply the most joyfully playable racing game I've ever had the pleasure of using a PS controller with. At first the controls seem mucky and difficult to grip, the karts flying off the tracks into barriers, and the wily computer opponents taking you apart with bizarre swirly mega-bombs.
Persist for a few days. Everything klicks into place.
The sheer adrenaline generated by flying around Grand Rapids with chosen Freak is not an experience to be missed, particularly once you get your mates addicted and invest in a multitap. There is depth to the gameplay, fair more so than the limited cornering a weapon possibilities in Mario Kart, allowing for devious tricks that will have you smacking the floor in uncontrollable fits of laughter.
Another important jewel in Freaks crown as the Daddy of All Racing Games (DARG) is the personality injected into teh characters. I've often spun of a corner to catch the impossibly funny sight of Cosworth (A dog of indeterminable origin, presumably a mix of every dog in existance) zooming past, his magnificent ears flapping in the wind, and turning to acknowledge the unfortuante victim about to recieve a bomb in the face. Awesome.
Ok, despite the fact that I'd love to impart several pages of the great experiences I've been blessed with from the gaming industry, I'm procrastinating from my considerably more urgent dissertation. Such is life.
Ember.
Since not many people are talking about games that belong to the original consoles (NES, SNES, Atari, Sega... etc) I will give a short review for an excellent RPG for an SNES game... "Earthbound"
Game: Earthbound
Genre: RPG
Console: Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Earthbound is a game that not many people have ever heard off, its an RPG of course. It has cool cartoon graphics for its time, and has an excellent story line.
It starts off with you hearing a knock on the door... you get up to go see who it is, and you realize everyone is up downstairs, wondering the same thing. Its your neighbour, and he wants to venture up to the top of the mountain where a meteor just hit.. when you get there, a bee starts to talk to you (cheesy sounding...yes i know, but that means little) the bee tells you of what you are to encounter on your travels, and your final battle with Gigas... It's actually an excellent game... and i recommend it..
Gameplay: 8
Story: 10
Sound(effects): 9
Sound(music): 8
Graphics(then): 9
Graphics(now): 7
Pros:
Excellent storyline
Fun graphics
Many hours of gameplay
Cons:
Battle System is a little strange (You dont actually see your own characters, just the enemy)
It has a "Trippy" like effect during battles (the background)
Game: Earthbound
Genre: RPG
Console: Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Earthbound is a game that not many people have ever heard off, its an RPG of course. It has cool cartoon graphics for its time, and has an excellent story line.
It starts off with you hearing a knock on the door... you get up to go see who it is, and you realize everyone is up downstairs, wondering the same thing. Its your neighbour, and he wants to venture up to the top of the mountain where a meteor just hit.. when you get there, a bee starts to talk to you (cheesy sounding...yes i know, but that means little) the bee tells you of what you are to encounter on your travels, and your final battle with Gigas... It's actually an excellent game... and i recommend it..
Gameplay: 8
Story: 10
Sound(effects): 9
Sound(music): 8
Graphics(then): 9
Graphics(now): 7
Pros:
Excellent storyline
Fun graphics
Many hours of gameplay
Cons:
Battle System is a little strange (You dont actually see your own characters, just the enemy)
It has a "Trippy" like effect during battles (the background)
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