Review by: Bob Mandel
Published: July 13, 2004

Croteam’s excellent Serious Sam series reintroduced all of us to the joys of brainless blasting in a first-person shooter on the personal computer. Rather than complicating matters with story, puzzles, or strategic decision-making, this refreshing franchise got us all back to the basics of what makes the genre so much fun. Well, developer Delphieye Entertainment has decided to further this lighthearted approach by releasing through ValuSoft a new first-person shooter called Nitro Family. Can a Korean developer imitating a Croatian game create a release that is fun to play? ( read more… )

Review by: Bob Mandel
Published: June 28, 2004

Remember the mid-1980′s Atari game from the video arcades named Marble Madness? It gave players unbelievable fun, controlling the progress of a marble up, down, and around perilous paths. Success required quick reflexes as well as a sense for when to make strategic, but high risk, moves. Since that time, there have been many variants produced on this theme, such as Marble Blast and Hamster Ball on the personal computer, and Super Monkey Ball on the Nintendo GameCube. Now the German company Cyparade has developed a new offering Ballance, which tries to raise the bar in this subgenre. Does it succeed? ( read more… )

Review by: Bob Mandel
Published: June 15, 2004

Egypt has always been a magnet for adventure gaming. Combining historical prominence, geographical desolation and architectural splendor, the country has always represented exotic intrigue at its best. From Jewels of the Oracle to Riddle of the Sphinx, developers can’t seem to get enough of Egyptian lore. Now France’s Kheops Studio is taking the plunge, releasing The Egyptian Prophecy through The Adventure Company. Is it worth the trip? ( read more… )

Review by: Bob Mandel
Published: June 7, 2004

Horror adventure is very tricky. When such attempts succeed, they can represent a pinnacle of recreational enjoyment, but when they fail, they can be unintentionally laughable. Indeed, it’s hard to scare people by means of any virtual experience during which they can interrupt the action at any point. Nonetheless, Russian developers Saturn Plus and Buka have taken the risk and fashioned a new creepy release, Midnight Nowhere, published by Tri Synergy in the United States. Is it successful as a tense thriller? ( read more… )

Review by: Bob Mandel
Published: May 17, 2004

The world of first-person shooters is quite crowded, but there is always room for one more. While the recently released Unreal Tournament 2004 and Far Cry are the products of major software companies, some smaller firms also want a piece of the action. So Brat Designs has developed a much-anticipated title, Breed, published by CDV. Highly similar to Bungie’s Halo in appearance and overall design, this new release features frenzied squad-based vehicular combat against alien invaders. The critical question is, of course, can Breed turn our heads and sustain our interest? ( read more… )

Review by: Bob Mandel
Published: May 5, 2004

When any game is released to rave reviews, it poses a major challenge for a sequel to live up to expectations. Such is the case with Syberia, a magnificent adventure title developed by Benoit Sokal and Microids in 2002. Inundated by praise from all sides as one of the best adventure offerings of all time, it was undoubtedly a hard act to follow. Now Microids has released Syberia II, and the inevitable question is whether this sequel can hold a candle to its illustrious predecessor. ( read more… )

Review by: Bob Mandel
Published: April 13, 2004

In late 1999, a small company named Earthlight Productions stunned the computer world by releasing an excellent virtual adventure called Crystal Key. Applauded by both critics and the mass public, it apparently sold upwards of 500,000 units in North America. Although not accompanied by either significant technical breakthroughs or major gameplay innovations, the title provided a highly satisfying and integrated set of challenges. Now, almost five years later, Earthlight (along with Kheops Studios) has developed and released a sequel, Crystal Key 2: The Far Realm. In this new sci-fi fantasy, you once again set out on an amazing adventure. ( read more… )

Review by: Bob Mandel
Published: March 31, 2004

Most upcoming first-person shooters, such as Doom III and Half-Life 2, offer either technological breakthroughs or injections from other genres (story, adventure, puzzle and so on) to distinguish them from earlier offerings. What about the possibility of a retro release that largely returns us the pleasures of the past? GSC Game World, a Ukrainian developer, has answered that question with the release of Firestarter. Like Croteam’s Serious Sam series, this title rejects the notion that first-person shooters must be deep, thought provoking and complex to appeal to today’s audiences. ( read more… )

Review by: Bob Mandel
Published: March 15, 2004

Pure, unadulterated arcade action is what originally attracted people to virtual entertainment at the video arcades. All you needed was fast reflexes and lots of quarters; there was little value in strategic thinking of any sort. Now that the gaming world has appeared to have left that simple era in the dust, it’s with some surprise that a new retro-style science fiction shooter has been released. That title is Alien Blast: The Encounter, developed by Made by Kiddies and published by Strategy First. Can a mindless shoot-em-up succeed in today’s world of complex virtual recreation? ( read more… )

Review by: Bob Mandel
Published: March 2, 2004

There is somewhat of a fine line between flight simulations and arcade aerial action titles. One replicates all of the realistic details of flight dynamics, involving considerable effort even to just get off the ground, while the other takes considerable liberties with aircraft guidance and movement. Buka’s original Echelon (released a few years ago by Bethesda) represented a middle road between these two extremes, and now the sequel – Echelon: Wind Warriors – published by Encore continues this mixed tradition. Requiring a combination of combat and flying skills, this futuristic science fiction sequel attempts to continue and expand the thrills provided by its predecessor. ( read more… )

Review by: Bob Mandel
Published: February 17, 2004

Every now and then a computer game comes along that mixes elements of so many different genres that it is impossible to place it in an unambiguous niche. Some of these hybrid or mongrel titles work well, while others fail miserably. Ubisoft has released such an offering in Beyond Good & Evil, mixing adventure, combat, exploration, photography, puzzle solving, chasing, racing, stealth, and teamwork. This unorthodox release, designed by Rayman creator Michel Ancel, hits you with frenzied action right from the start, and the pace never lets up. What you experience is most reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker on the Nintendo GameCube. ( read more… )

Review by: Bob Mandel
Published: February 3, 2004

During the early days of computer gaming, Jordan Mechner’s Prince of Persia series stood out as one of the real bright lights. Prince of Persia 1 and 2, released in 1989 and 1993 respectively, were both critical and commercial successes. Then in the late 1990s, Red Orb published Prince of Persia 3D, converting a two-dimensional platform title into a full 3D adventure, and everyone – both longtime fans of the series and newcomers – was terribly disappointed. Now Ubisoft has developed and published Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time; can this latest installment return the series to its previous glory? ( read more… )

Review by: Bob Mandel
Published: January 20, 2004

Cyan released the original version of MYST over ten years ago in 1993, and it received unprecedented critical acclaim and popularity with the public. Almost single-handedly this offering stimulated the entire adventure / puzzle genre, known more for lonely enigmas than fast action or character conversations. Now Cyan Worlds has released through Ubisoft the fourth title in the series (after Riven and Presto Studios’ Myst III Exile), Uru: Ages Beyond Myst. While generally following the tradition of its predecessors, this latest installment introduces a few key innovations, including full 3D movement, a choice of first-person or third-person perspective, and the promise of an online multiplayer component. ( read more… )

Review by: Bob Mandel
Published: January 5, 2004

Schizm: Mysterious Journey from Polish developer LK Avalon was a stunning release in 2002, truly one of the best adventure / puzzle titles of all time (particularly when considering the DVD version). The gorgeous graphics and amazing puzzles drew many who gave it a fair chance into the gameplay. So it’s perhaps no surprise that a sequel – Mysterious Journey II – has been released. As before, you have to explore numerous unworldly locales while unraveling a seemingly endless stream of enigmas. The open question is whether this new release can match the brilliance of its predecessor. ( read more… )

Review by: Bob Mandel
Published: December 22, 2003

After the success of Microids’ adventure title, Syberia, it would be expected that other offerings would emerge in the same vein. Frogwares Game Development Studio has gone back to the famous Jules Verne novel to create Journey to the Center of the Earth, published by Viva Media. This adventure-puzzle title contains, at least on the surface, remarkable similarities to Syberia, but sports several distinctive components as well. ( read more… )