Quarantine

The Good
Quarantine is a great, fun game, that's addictive to the end. It's also got quite a lot more depth to it than you might think. It features a huge playing environment, spread over five distinct city areas. It has a great selection of weapons, enemies, missions and graphics, with a high attention to detail, and there's a twisted sense of humor throughout. Picking up passengers in your cab, and driving them where they want to go is a very satisfying experience, and is a pretty unusual idea, for a computer game (The only other example I can think of right now is the old C64 classic, "Space Taxi"). As you progress through a level, delivering fares and doing missions, you really start to know the level, notice its landmarks, and know your way around without looking at the map all the time. Each level has a unique look and feel, and each introduces new weapons to buy and lots of new things to see (and kill). One of the other great things about Quarantine is the CD soundtrack, which features 11 songs, all by Australian bands. It provides the perfect driving soundtrack, and is generally excellent music. If you disagree, you can always play your own CDs while you're driving along, instead. Another couple of points: The level of difficulty is pretty much perfect throughout the game (with just a few nasty missions here and there). And the ongoing storyline and amusing mission objectives ensure that you never get bored. Also the CD version includes a very cool intro movie (which is unfortunately quite particular about what video/sound cards it will work with).

The Bad
There's really nothing I disliked about Quarantine. The 3D engine is a little buggy at times, meaning it is possible to get your cab "stuck" in walls, etc., occasionally. And the posts and barriers at the sides of roads can be annoying, when you crash into them. Also, when you first start playing, the controls seem way too loose. But give it a chance, and you'll soon get used to them.

The Bottom Line
Quarantine is an extremely fun and addictive game, with lots of variety and humour. The designers weren't trying to win any awards or show off with any jaw-dropping graphics; They were just trying to make the kind of game that they would enjoy playing, and which, hopefully, other people would really enjoy, too. For me, they succeeded 100%.