Review by: Emil Pagliarulo
Published: February 10, 1998

If I expressed in this review my full enthusiasm for Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith, I’d be in quite a bit of trouble. Here’s the censored version of an ICQ message I sent to Avault staff writer David Laprad, shortly after spending a marathon gaming session playing MoTS: “Holy &%$@! Dude, this *&%$#@& game is un-*%@*+$# believable!” If human beings (me especially) use expletives to express excitement, then trust me when I that say LucasArts’ newest release is more than worth the “F” word. ( read more… )

Review by: Emil Pagliarulo
Published: February 6, 1998

Out there, among the stars, beyond the boundaries of human imagination and civilization, they wait. Conquerors, explorers, scientists, diplomats — they will strengthen the very foundations of your race…or plunge you into extinction. With colossal ships, mysterious technology, and destructive weaponry, these infidels stand between you and the domination of the known universe. Who are they? They are your destiny. ( read more… )

Review by: Emil Pagliarulo
Published: February 5, 1998

Review by: Emil Pagliarulo & Pete Hines
Published: January 23, 1998

Tom Cruise? Please. Snoopy and his doghouse/Sopwith Camel? I don’t think so. The top fighter pilots of World War I were not glamorous and flashy or warm and fuzzy. For the most part, they didn’t sing to babes in bars, or have winning smiles and personalities, or drink root beer. They flew engines with wings and a machine gun. Exposed to all the elements, they sat in their cockpits and stared their enemies right in the eyes as they flew head-to-head in combat. Red Baron 2 from Dynamix and Sierra is a sequel that attempts to capture this era of aerial combat with missions that accurately reflect the talent and skill needed to be successful as a fighter pilot. ( read more… )

Review by: Emil Pagliarulo & Pete Hines
Published: January 21, 1998

Who hasn’t watched Godfather or GoodFellas and felt the undesirable urge to be the most feared man in town, like Al Capone or Don Corleone? Now comes a real-time strategy game by Byte Enchanters, Ltd. that allows you to do just that. In Legal Crime, you take your place at the head of a crime family and attempt to expand the boundries or your territory and size of your wealth through extortion, illegal business, bribes, and, of course, violence. ( read more… )

Review by: Emil Pagliarulo
Published: January 11, 1998

A funny thing happens when I play most flight simulators: I forget that I’m actually flying a plane. Since most flight sims are combat-based, that’s where all the attention goes. I’m so busy launching flares and firing missiles that I take for granted the fact that I’m wrapped in a steel fuselage, hurtling through the skies at an altitude of 20,000 feet. Even in the most realistic flight simulator, with the most realistic flight model, I’ve never been really worried that my plane wouldn’t perform the way it’s supposed to. Then I played Flight Unlimited II. Now here’s a concept, a flight simulator where the main focus of gameplay is actually on…flying a plane. ( read more… )

Review by: Emil Pagliarulo
Published: December 7, 1997

When Mechwarrior 2 was finally released after countless delays, Activision instantly established itself as the undisputed king of the giant robot genre, essentially leaving Sierra and their Earthsiege series in the dust. All of that came crashing down, however, when FASA (in a move that surprised just about everyone) stripped Activision of control of the franchise and announced that Mechwarrior 3 would be developed in-house. They may have been shocked, and maybe even a little offended, but the developers at Activision weren’t about to take the news lying down. On the contrary, they responded in a way that was no less surprising than FASA’s bombshell — they vowed to make their own giant robot game, one that would be bigger and better than anything the Mechwarrior universe could ever produce. They would give the world Heavy Gear. ( read more… )

Review by: Emil Pagliarulo
Published: November 28, 1997

If you think humans are afraid of catching a nasty venereal disease, just imagine how the inhabitants of the planet Scayra must feel. The failure of the main energy shield protecting the colony city of Scay-Hallwa has led to the escape of a sinister virus — Herpes Simplex. Sometimes fatal, always uncomfortable, Herpes has almost become something of a joke in our society. For the indigenous creatures of Scayra, the virus is no laughing matter. Instead of simply giving them an uncontrollable rash, Herpes mutates these beings, called Scay’Ger, into horrible, bloodthirsty monsters. They cannot be reasoned with, and want only to destroy every single human they come across…for they blame you for their unholy transformation. ( read more… )

Review by: Emil Pagliarulo
Published: November 19, 1997

Ever since the first home computer was capable of drawing pixels on a screen, gamers have been completely captivated by space simulators. The cult-like appeal of the Star Wars and Star Trek franchises are proof that science fiction, and humankind’s fascination with space and its mysteries, will only continue to grow. Space sims capitalize on that child-like wonder by allowing gamers to do the one thing our race has just recently been able to accomplish: soar among the stars. Of course, blowing away starfighters and interacting with alien races is definitely part of the attraction. Games like Elite and Wing Commander defined the entire genre, offering unparalleled playability, strong storylines, and the undeniable illusion of hurtling through the vastness of space. It’s no secret that video technology in those early years was less than spectacular, and as a result, gamers had to accept the galaxy and interstellar combat as represented by flat, 2D graphics and a limited color palette. ( read more… )

Review by: Emil Pagliarulo
Published: November 18, 1997

There are game developers who make military simulators, and then there is Jane’s Combat Simulations. When they first appeared on the scene, some had to wonder if Jane’s was really going to pull it off. Sure, they had the name and the years of expertise in the field of civilian military intelligence, but the question remained as to whether or not the fledgling game company could produce a fun, believable combat sim. Well, several titles later, Jane’s has proven itself the undisputed king of virtual war. With such hits as 688I Hunter/Killer, AH-64D Longbow, and ATF, the company seems incapable of making a bad game. Now that Longbow 2 has finally arrived, other helicopter sim developers might as well just throw in the towel. Yes, it’s that good. ( read more… )

Review by: Emil Pagliarulo
Published: November 14, 1997

“He’s going postal!” If you’re ever in a McDonald’s and someone starts screaming that, you might as well kiss your ass goodbye. “Postal” has become the ultimate catch phrase for the 90′s. Thanks to a rash of United States Postal employees going completely bananas and taking to their respective workplaces with shotguns and automatic weapons, the term has become a colorful euphemism for losing one’s mind and going on a homicidal rampage. In fact, the phrase is so popular it’s been popping up in just about every area of American pop culture: a recent episode of Seinfeld had Kramer “going postal” when the mail carrier insisted on jamming his mailbox full of Pottery Barn catalogs, and even LucasArts got into the groove a couple of years back in their game Dark Forces…the cheat code for full guns and ammo was “lapostal.” So maybe it was just a matter of time before some enterprising game developers took the idea and ran with it, turning psychotic rage into a fun gaming experience. Enter Ripcord Games’ Postal.

( read more… )

Review by: Emil Pagliarulo
Published: November 9, 1997

Any gamer worth his or her weight in 5 1/4 inch floppies has heard of the Ultima series of role-playing games. Before the AD&D Gold Box series, before the Build engine, and yes, even before the X-Com trilogy, there existed Ultima. The brain child of Richard “Lord British” Garriot, the Ultima series has often been regarded as the pre-eminent force in computer role-playing. Set in the Realm of Britannia (or Sosaria, for those die-hards), Ultima and its sequels tell the story of a man from a strange universe, presumably 20th century Earth, who mysteriously appears in the strange, magical land during a time of great need. For unbeknownst to him at the time, it was this person’s destiny to be the hero to a realm besieged by evil. In fact, there have been as many diabolical villains in the Ultima series as there have been games themselves. From the evil wizard Mondain to the demonic Guardian, our hero has certainly faced his share of bad guys. But there was always something about Lord British’s games more involving than just simple bad guy beating or dungeon hacking. Integral to the storyline and gameplay was you, the player. Throughout the series, from the first Ultima, into the Underworlds, and finally to the mysterious isle of Pagan, your character continued to grow. He (or she, in the later games) evolved from simple hero to mighty Avatar — a living symbol of virtue and good will. Because of this deep focus on character growth and development, the Ultima games have been as much the chapters in an epic morality tale as they have been great role-playing adventures. ( read more… )

Review by: Emil Pagliarulo
Published: October 29, 1997

Here’s the cold, hard truth about 3D computer gaming: any good 3D accelerator card will run you anywhere from $150 up. That’s a pretty good chunk of change, and an investment many gamers just aren’t ready to make. Even more discouraging is the fact that more and more 3D games are relying on, and in some cases requiring, 3D acceleration to deliver the best graphics and visual effects. Is it possible to create a great-looking 3D shooter without incorporating acceleration technology? Even more importantly, can a gamer hope to find a good 3D game if he or she doesn’t own a 3Dfx card? ( read more… )

Review by: Emil Pagliarulo
Published: September 24, 1997

Lord knows there are plenty of racing sims on the market right now. With titles like X-Car, Formula 1, Power F1, and even Carmageddon sitting on store shelves, motorheads have plenty to choose from. Unfortunately, all of these games (like most games) will cost you well over $30. A gamer on a budget need not despair, however. Wizardworks, now also known as the GT Interactive Value Division, has just released Circuit Racer, a racing simulation for the financially impaired. At a retail price of around $20, Circuit Racer offers quite a bit of racing action at half the price. ( read more… )

Review by: Emil Pagliarulo
Published: September 12, 1997

Everyone’s favorite cadaverous cowboy is at it again, and this time, he’s not pulling any punches. That’s right, Caleb is back in Monolith’s Blood Plasma Pak, the official add-on for your existing copy of Blood. Just as the Plutonium Pak added a new episode and new features to 3D Realms’ Duke Nukem 3D, the Plasma Pak adds several enhancements to Blood, including an all new episode. ( read more… )