Amiga

Frontier: Elite II

The ultimate in space adventure, Frontier is the single most imporant step forward for games this decade!

Falls wirklich gut wird, was lange währt, müßte David Brabens zweiter Sternenhändler ein Traum von einer Fortsetzung sein – selten hat man uns ja sooo lange warten lassen. Und tatsächlich... ...kann Elite II den ultraklassischen Vorgänger noch übertrumpfen! Die alte Begeisterung stellt sich sofort wieder ein, sobald man in sein Raumschiff klettert und von Planet zu Planet eilt, um mit nunmehr 27 verschiedenen Waren zu schachern.

Aficionados of the original Elite may be a little disappointed, sure the 3D routines are stunning but the bare bones of the game are pretty much the same only bigger. It would have been nice to have had more interaction with the universe instead of constantly flying about and fighting. If you missed out on Elite then you are in for a treat. The basic concept is simple and the addictiveness is horrifying. If you find yourself getting hooked then you have a game that will last and last. There will always be another world to see, another few credits to earn and another spaceship to fight it out with. The universe is yours, try not to dent the ship, eh?

Es stört nicht die Raumbohne, das die detailierte Vektorgrafik nicht mehr ganz heutigen Standards entspricht. Was macht das schon, wenn wir dafür durch haufenweise Spielspaß, Abwechslung, Abenteuer und jede Menge Wunder des Universums entschädigt werden. Besser als Elite - ein Kunstwerk.

Games without frontiers - a delightful idea, but to date it's been no more than a song lyric. Go far enough in one direction in a computer game, and you'll eventually arrive at an impassible barrier.

A1200: Largely the same criticisms, but it is much smoother and faster. The detailed planets are almost worthwhile and the combat bits are actually playable.

Whether it is David Braben’s obsession with astronomy, the tedious navigation system or the slow and unspectacular poygon graphics, you cannot help thinking that life is too short, that there must be better games to play than this. Yes, we all sigh in a resigned manner, it is a marvellous technical achievement to cram the entire galaxy on to a couple of disks,. Yes, these might be some of the best 3D environments we have ever seen on the Amiga. Yes, there is limitless gameplay time, but even so, it has to be said that Frontier is just not very much fun. Remember that word? Fun, it had something to do with playing games and enjoying yourself...