Midnight Club II
July 21, 2003
The original Midnight Club sold very well. Although it had some technical problems as a first generation title, Rockstar has put a lot of effort into ensuring that the sequel is polished, fun, and that it stands out from the rest of the titles in the genre. But what genre of gameplay does Midnight Club II fall in? While it is not a simulation like Gran Turismo or an arcade-style racer like the Burnout series, Midnight Club II fits somewhere in the middle of these two titles. Read more
Arc the Lad Twilight of the Spirits
July 20, 2003
I have been looking forward to getting my hands on the final version of Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits ever since I played the preview code Sony provided us. After months and months of waiting, my patience has paid off. Not only has Sony delivered the next version of the Arc series to US gamers–they have exceeded my high expectations to become not only one of the best RPGs of the year, but one of the best games of the year. Read more
Unlimited Saga
July 20, 2003
When normally seeing a new Square Enix game released, I would like to think I could trust that no matter what they release, it will offer some sort of magical Role Playing experience. For the most part, this theory is true. However, there have been a few exceptions to this rule. After playing Unlimited Saga, I am afraid to admit that not only is this another exception to the rule, it could be the worst Square Enix game ever released. Since the company hasn’t been “officially” together for very long–allow me to rephrase this statement. This could be the worst game that either company has ever released. Yes, it is that bad. Read more
IndyCar Series
July 20, 2003
Are you a fan of arcade-style racers? If so, you will probably want to steer clear of IndyCar Series–the latest from Codemasters. But for those of you who don’t mind playing a simulation racer, this game, based on the IndyCar racing league from Codemasters, may just offer what you are looking for. Read more
Mace Griffin Bounty Hunter
July 11, 2003
Mace Griffin Bounty Hunter is a title that has seen many delays. I recall seeing it at E3 several years ago, at E3 2001, when it was going to be published by Crave. While the game didn’t have a story in place, it showed an engine that allowed players to move back and forth between a Wing Commander style action in a spaceship and a first person shooter without any load time. Two years later, the game has finally made it to retail. Crave is no longer in the gaming business and their Mace Griffin project was picked up by Vivendi Universal. Developer Wart Hog has done a great job in finishing up this delayed project. In fact, the title is missing just a few elements to make it spectacular. Read more
Midtown Madness 3
July 6, 2003
Microsoft’s arcade racer Midtown Madness 3 for Xbox, centers around a full-scale reproduction of Washington, DC (the other city in the game is Paris, but I’d rather not talk about the French more than I have to). While it has its ups and downs as a game, I can definitely recommend Midtown Madness 3 to anyone who will be driving in DC, as its level design is nearly flawless. Read more
Strategic Command: European Theatre
July 6, 2003
Everyone who has ever watched the History Channel or paid attention to 7th grade Social Studies has some opinion on how World War 2 could have been won. Be it the Axis or the Allies, such a grand conflict was just ripe with human and technological error of which everyone has an astute opinion. Strategic Command gives every armchair general out there the chance to fight the battles of Europe from the invasion of Poland in 1939 to defending Germany from the D-Day assault in 1944. It is a complex game, which is not difficult to learn and enjoy. Read more
Dark Age of Camelot: Shrouded Isles
July 1, 2003
Dark Age of Camelot: Shrouded Isles is a must-buy for any hardcore fan of the game. Maybe that’s a bit blunt, but there it is. It adds new content, new classes, and new races, but most of all it add an update to the graphics. While the graphics aren’t as cutting edge as games that have been released in the last year and change, the difference between the look of the original game and the expansion shines like a beacon in the night. Flowing water looks especially realistic. I spent quite some time exploring the river that runs through Camelot Hills and Salisbury Plains, although I quickly learned that the Salisbury Giants weren’t as captivated by the water’s beauty as I was. With those long legs of theirs, they can quickly stomp a poor adventurer into a puddle of goo. Where this graphics boost really helps is with the “realm versus realm” battles; while there is still some lag occasional lag (as with all online games), it stays playable, unlike before. Read more