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: Jordan Thomas
Published: January 18, 1998

You’re sitting alone there, staring at the screen in solitary concentration. Your surroundings seem pretty unremarkable, but everything is as normal, right? This planet is vast, and its diverse levels of life, construction, and form twist gently out from your location in concentric rings. Outside of your dwelling, there are others. Beyond those, the city limits delineate your community. Further than even those boundaries lie those of your district, or county. And as your mind’s eye continues to expand, you can observe states, countries, and continents reach forever outward, all centered on your singular perception; your world view.

Keep reading, but shut your mind off to your surroundings.  Sever your perceptual ties to the pallid lights and encircling walls. Close your mind’s eye for just a moment, and discard what you know. ( 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: Jordan Thomas
Published: December 21, 1997

Night. A starlit field, once a calming and peaceful sight, seems to exude an aura of menace. A low, rumbling din becomes audible, like an all-enveloping rhythm of strife. As we move across the pallid dunes of grass, we begin to discover that the low, steady sound has changed, perverted into something much more terrifying. The now discernible thunder of a thousand running feet is joined by a high-pitched wail of steel-screech and death cries. ( read more… )

Review by: Jim Brumbaugh
Published: December 10, 1997

World War II has been examined in many war games throughout the history of computer gaming. When a new game covering the WWII era is released, one might wonder exactly what the attraction to such a product might be. Perhaps it is a sequel to a game that that was popular in the past. Perhaps it is a game that is being created by a company that has a historical track record in producing successful wargames. It might be a product that incorporates new features and new technologies in order to produce a superior product. In the case of SSI’s Panzer General II, all of the above are true. ( read more… )

Review by: Brian Clair
Published: December 9, 1997

“Location updated…location updated…” sputters your field computer in its cold mechanical voice as you unholster your blaster. Strogg bodies lay scattered on the floor nearby, their blood inking the walls — saving you the trouble. Explosions rock the compound as your bombers fly overhead and you mutter, “It’s a shame the rest of the marines got pasted on the way in, but that leaves more for me!”

If you thought Quake II was going to be a pale shadow of the original based on the public test demo, think again. This game delivers and not just graphically but on every level that makes a game outstanding. Quake II begins with something unusual, no not screaming demons or semi-naked women, a story. That’s right, for the first time that I can remember someone has finally taken the time to create an actual storyline for a 3D shooter and integrate it fully in the game. I’m not talking about something written in a manual either (although you can read about it there too), I’m talking about a richly detailed, explicit, full motion video sequence that not only relays the story but does it perfectly. According to id Software, Quake II originally wasn’t going to include any FMV, but I’m glad they changed their minds because it makes the game that much more real. ( read more… )

Review by: Jordan Thomas
Published: November 30, 1997

Dusk. The murky horizon embraces the sprawling terrain. Swirling tendrils of fog trickle around massive, moss-covered trees. Primordial cries of hunger and fear echo throughout the jungle. A small amphibious creature of indeterminate origin hops blithely around the steaming swamp. The carefree little croaker blinks, just once. Too bad.

With a roar that rocks the surrounding flora to its foundation, a massive multi-legged beast crashes through the reeds, and consumes the hapless hopper with a resounding chomp. Unsettling crunching noises ensue.

Welcome to Oddworld. ( 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: Pete Hines
Published: November 27, 1997

The Battle of Gettysburg was perhaps the most pivotal moment of the Civil War. In July 1863, Lee was marching his troops into the North for the first time. The Army of the Potomac scrambled to keep from being outflanked and was forced to fight a bloody battle in an effort to slow Lee’s progress. If the North were to lose, it would allow the South to march unopposed into Philadelphia, New York, and basically wherever else they wanted to go. While it was not a planned conflict, Gettysburg was the site of the largest battle ever waged in the Western Hemisphere and the bloodiest conflict of the war, with more than 51,000 soldiers being killed, wounded, or captured. ( read more… )

Review by: David Laprad
Published: November 23, 1997

For all his years traveling the deep waters that cover a majority of the earth, there were many things Cousteau never saw or discovered. Every day, mankind reveals new wonders about this wonderful, enigmatic planet. For that reason, it can be argued that the concept behind the new politically correct action-adventure game Sub Culture is not at all beyond the realm of possibility. Apparently, in the depths of the oceans exists a life form similar to man in nearly every respect except size — they are barely half an inch tall. They’ve got all the same bad habits, from trashy television to political turmoil, and, like us, they are very capable of complete and utter self-destruction. ( 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: Jordan Thomas
Published: November 6, 1997

Brian Fargo, creator of Wasteland, and the team at Interplay set the scene:

With a single blinding flash and a billowing mushroom cloud, modern civilization as we know it ceases to be.

Cities are incinerated, transformed from once-powerful metropolitan centers of commerce to desiccated husks. Millions of people perish instantly, utterly destroyed by the fires of nuclear war. The earth’s once-rich ecosystem is now an endless sun-blasted badland, and human life has been scattered. The few surviving settlements are brutal and desperate. Life will never be the same. Everyone on Earth feels the planet’s scars. ( 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… )