3/4/00

Brad’s Quickies: March

Man, I can’t believe how much good stuff has come out in the last week and a half or so. And, it looks like this is only the beginning – the rest of March looks just as jam-packed with quality titles. Start collecting bottles, kids, ‘cause there’s a lotta good stuff out there to buy.

Fear Effect – Playstation – Kronos for Eidos. This is from the makers of Criticom and Dark Rift?!? Kronos may suck ass at fighters, but it looks like they own the adventure genre. Holy crap, this game is good. Fear Effect has been compared to Resident Evil a lot, but it actually has more in common with the digital comics of old, like Snatcher and Rise of the Dragon. And, like these two classics, FF’s cyberpunk world has been fleshed out nicely, giving you the feeling that this world may actually exist somewhere. The FMV backgrounds are totally unique, and really add to the atmosphere. The graphics are further improved by the great character design and animation – all three main characters (Hana, Deke, and Glas) are cool as hell and animate perfectly, and you just gotta love Hana’s little wiggle. The sound is just as good, with awesome sound effects and a killer Oriental/Industrial soundtrack. The only drawbacks to this game were 3 or 4 action sequences which require super-human reflexes (or a Gameshark) to get past, and that all of the endings, even the best one, were all of 15 seconds long. Still, this bad boy comes highly recommended.

My Score: 10. Hey, baby, need some fries to go with that shake?

Carrier – Dreamcast – Jaleco. Jaleco may not be known for their blockbuster titles, but that’s just what we have here. Carrier is more than a simple Resident Evil clone. The control is about the same, and the voices are so bad that they’re good, but that’s about it. The atmosphere in Carrier is completely different from RE. In RE, you know who the bad guys are, and you always know who to shoot. In Carrier, however, it’s not always apparent who is infected by the requisite virus. This is where that funky scope comes in: When you approach a member of the carrier’s crew, you can use the scope to see if that person has been infected or not. You can also use the scope to see nearly invisible enemies and hard-to-find health refills. This change in play mechanics really makes for a unique experience. Great graphics and sound effects round out a very nice package. My only gripe is that save points are placed a tad conservatively for my liking, but it doesn’t make the game impossible. Definitely pick this one up.

My score: 10. This is a nice way to kill time until Code Veronica

Ace Combat 3 – Playstation – Namco. Continuing our parade of killer games is Namco’s new addition to the venerable Ace Combat series. If you have played the other two, you know what to expect here: Awesome missions, huge aircraft arsenal, perfect control, and great tunes. This is another title that I just can’t believe is on the 5-year-old Playstation. This is as good as it gets, people, and you owe it to yourselves to buy this game.

My score: This one goes to 11!

WWF Smackdown – Playstation – Yukes for THQ. When you first boot this game up, chances are that you will believe that this is the greatest wrestling game ever made. After all, the graphics are amazingly detailed, the intros rock, and the crowd noise and commentary are top notch. However, after extended playing, you may notice some problems. First, the create-a-wrestler is anemic, and looks as if it was nothing more than an afterthought. The frame-rate is also somewhat choppy. The biggest problem, though, is the lack of any real reversals. Without them, Smackdown can become a bit of a button-masher. This game is still, by far, the best wrestling title on Playstation, but it looks like Wrestlemania 2000 is still tops.

My score: 9 ½. Know your role and buy this game!

Dark Delusion: Deception III – Playstation – Tecmo. You know, I thought for sure that those bleeding-hearts would have had this series banned years ago. And yet, here it is, in all its sadistic glory. Deception 3 is really more of the same, but with more traps and slightly improved visuals. Still, the point of the game is still to "be the bad guy", and to maim and kill all who would dare enter your keep. And, you know what? It’s still fun. It can take some time to get used to the controls and the way traps are set up, but it’s all worth it when you bag your first silly adventurer. If you liked the first two, chances are you’ll be digging this one, as well.

My score: 8. Good. Bad. I’m the guy with the traps.

Die Hard Trilogy 2 – Playstation – Fox Interactive. Well, we all knew that they couldn’t all be great games, right? Man, is this crappy. This kind of thing might have been okay four years ago, but it sure as hell doesn’t fly today. Sure, we have three different kinds of gameplay, but all three are so average that the title as a whole is pretty lackluster. Sure, it’s in Vegas, and things blow up real good, but average graphics, poor control, and an absence of, well, fun, all conspire to ruin this game. Avoid.

My score: 4. C’mon lucky seven! Daddy needs a new graphics engine!

Swirl – Dreamcast – Sega. Why bother reviewing a free game? ‘Cause it’s great, that’s why! This is basically the opposite of Columns – here, you start out with a full screen, and you try to clear it as fast as possible. All manner of combos are possible, and it all takes place with the most simplistic graphics you have yet seen on your DC. It doesn’t sound like much, but like most of Sega’s stuff, it becomes very addicting. Besides, what do you have to lose? The game comes free with this month’s Official Dreamcast Magazine, and the disc also includes the new version of the DC browser. Go get it!

My score: 9. It’s Swirlicious!

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