Review by: David Laprad
Published: November 11, 1997

High concept ideas are a dime a dozen in the entertainment industry, but when they hit the right nerve, can earn the masterminds untold wealth. The best ideas are those that cross a prevalent component of popular culture with an appealing twist. For example, the film Star Wars is a “mythic western in outer space.” The inspiration behind DreamWorks Interactive’s Chaos Island is, “Let’s cross Command and Conquer with Jurassic Park.” While the concept sounds promising on the surface, the actual execution fails to offer the depth real-time strategy fans have come to expect. ( read more… )

Review by: David Laprad
Published: November 5, 1997

Former Vice-President Dan Quayle must have been speaking of corporate America when he said, “What a waste it is to lose one’s mind. Or to not have a mind is being very wasteful.” (I loved that guy! We need to re-elect him in some capacity and get him speaking in public again.) To be fair, he had probably been spending too much quality time with his favorite Dilbert characters when he made that unintentionally humorous statement. ( read more… )

Review by: David Laprad
Published: October 24, 1997

Here’s the scoop on MGM Interactive’s Machine Hunter. The year is 2034, and Earth is all but drained of its resources. A large fleet of robots programmed to perform labor-intensive mining tasks has been stationed on Mars. However, aliens intending to use the Red Planet as a launching point for an invasion of Earth reprogram the robots, and begin mass production of deadly machines. As a member of an elite task force, you refuse to suffer the outrage, and set out to accomplish what huge armies and millions of dollars of futuristic technology are apparently incapable of doing — blow up the bad guys real good and rescue the hostages. ( read more… )

Review by: David Laprad
Published: October 22, 1997

Dark Angæl is a mythic new side-scrolling action game from Vicarious Visions. Like all good fantasies, the story takes place in a time of legends and chaos. The evil Azrael, the Guardian of Chaos, has freed himself from the grasp of his opposed, the benevolent Aesudrah, the Guardian of Order, and transformed the people of Avalon into his servants. With their souls now a shadow of the will of Azrael, they summon creatures of unimaginable horror from the darkest corners of existence, unleashing an apocalyptic wave of destruction. Reaching beyond the veil of mortality with his last vestige of strength, Aesudrah finds one noble soul beneath Avalon and prepares her for battle against Azrael and his minions. As Aesudrah releases his essence and is scattered to the ends of Avalon, he places a portion of his consciousness in the warrior so that she might rise from the grave. This warrior then storms Avalon with a vengeance, intent on destroying all that stands in her path, knowing it will lead her to a final battle against Chaos himself. The warrior’s name is Carina, the Dark Angæl. ( read more… )

Review by: David Laprad
Published: October 12, 1997

Raven Software’s games have always been a mixed bag. When they have used technology created by id Software, the results have been nothing less than brilliant. The Heretic and Hexen series features a fascinating, maturing world, and some of the hottest and most creative 3D gameplay to date. It has often been rightly said that Raven is the one company that can turn id’s sharp technology into a game worth playing. On the other hand, when they have developed games from the ground up with their own technology, as with Necrodome and CyClones, the results, with respect to both technology and gameplay, have been less than spectacular. ( read more… )

Review by: David Laprad
Published: September 26, 1997

Going to the software store these days is often a déjà vu experience. As I peruse the cramped shelves looking for something unique and special, I frequently hear my pre-school teacher asking me which one of the boxes is different from the others, reminding me of the game we all played as children. Only she’s not demanding that I choose an errant shape or displaced food group; rather, she is telling me to locate a game that is unlike anything ever attempted before. That’s not an easy task, and I always grow nervous, picturing her stern brow as I frantically search through endless stacks of real-time strategy games, 3D shooters, role-playing titles, and point-and-click adventures. “There’s nothing here!” I invariably cry out in frustration, fearing her harsh reproach.

( read more… )

Review by: David Laprad
Published: September 21, 1997

Vampires are night creatures, clothed in darkness and legend, who drink the life substance of their victims in order to replenish their own. They are spirits of great strength who rage against mankind without mercy, ceaselessly devouring human flesh and spilling blood. Their many powers are inconceivable; they can cast spells, transform themselves into animals and objects, render themselves invisible, and perform acts of incredible cruelty. They are also figures of searing solitude — cold, lonely souls who have chosen to exist among the fringes of the living.

( read more… )

Review by: David Laprad
Published: August 23, 1997

Do you like to blow things up? Of course you do. With this in mind, it’s time you tried a new game that allows you to blow things up real good! No, it’s not a first-person action game using cutting-edge technology, or another clone in the endless parade of Command & Conquer look-alikes. It’s a turn-based strategy game called WarHeads. Before you hit the back button on your browser in search of a real-time fix, know this: WarHeads is great fun. If you pass on this game, you will be missing out on a highly entertaining and action packed experience. ( read more… )

Review by: David Laprad
Published: February 8, 1997

As computer technology grows increasingly powerful, games are becoming more and more realistic. Of course, Apogee Software, once a small shareware developer that released charming, unassuming titles like Cosmo’s Cosmic Adventure and the Commander Keen series, has been keeping pace with the rest of the industry. The abstract designs of yesterday, such as the garish colors and bowling alley-precise hallways of Wolfenstein 3D, and the rustic, two-dimensional crudity of the original Duke Nukem side-scroller, have been discarded in favor of unbridled authenticity. Their focus on developing quality games in each respective genre, and their refusal to release a title that was not cutting-edge in some respect, has led the company to cancel more games than they have released, much to the chagrin of enthusiastic fans. ( read more… )

Review by: David Laprad
Published: January 14, 1997

Two years ago, the clever developers at Team 17, based in England, quietly unleashed an addictive turn-based strategy game called Worms. The concept was simple: players commanded a team of worms armed with ridiculously destructive weapons in an attempt to defeat other, equally well-equipped battalions. Apparently, the little wrigglers harbor a deep-seeded hatred for one another, and delight in the glorious and inventive destruction of their own kind. The demo hit the Internet with little fanfare, but before long, word spread through the newsgroups about this terrific title. It quickly developed a cult following, and soon garnered eight industry awards and enough sales to warrant a sequel. ( read more… )