wossname
Reviews
Moraff's World (DOS)
The Best Moraffware RPG
The Good
Lots of stuff. This is the best Moraffware RPG, largely due to scope. It's graphics are easier on the eyes and less ugly than both Moraff's Revenge and Dungeons of the unforgiven, and it's gameplay has a larger scope than either. Plus you can't get a holy hand grenade in any of the other ones...
The Bad
There is no sound. Or, rather, there are some high beeps and low beeps emitted from your PC speaker.
The Bottom Line
A Really Fun RPG
By wossname on September 1st, 2000
Moraff's Dungeons of the Unforgiven (DOS)
Trade In Your Worthless Greater American Dollars Here!
The Good
The funny things, like those garbage cans with boots, as well as the improved corridor graphics engine. I also thought some of the in game text is funny.
The Bad
The gameplay is horrendous. It's not fun at all... I prefer Moraff's World to this.
The Bottom Line
Complicated controls, lots of climbing down ladders and hitting the "f" key.
By wossname on September 1st, 2000
Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate (Windows)
warhammer x-com
The Good
It is x-com: that means a good battle system. It's entertaining.
The Bad
Those marines... their feet... ugh... The graphics look like they were rushed.
The music can be annoying.
The Bottom Line
Get your bargain bin copy today!
If you find it on sale for $10, get it. Otherwise, don't.
By wossname on July 2nd, 2000
Homeland: The Stone of Night (Windows)
Ugly
The Good
It tried a few new things...
The Bad
It was a diablo clone. Unfortunately the walking and fighting animations for the character were ugly, the combat wasn't much fun and the perspective was... strange. It made me feel like they were walking "down" the screen. No, I do know they were, but the way it was made it seemed as though it was walking "down" the screen... it was very odd =) I think it the bow legged animation of the characters walking made me feel as if they were walking down as in walking down stairs...
The Bottom Line
Well, since I didn't particularly enjoy the game, I wouldn't suggest it to others. But still, give it a spin and test it.
By wossname on June 30th, 2000
Descent II (DOS)
The same game with better graphics and better levels
The Good
The first 4 levels of this game have boring level design much like the original Descent, but if you get past those and move onto the next planet you'll find the levels are completely insane and finding your way out after the reactor blows will sometimes seem impossible! The graphics are a lot better too, and the multiplayer is the same. I suggest that if you are interested in playing multiplayer D2 you try this site for finding a game. It provides multiplayer like kali and it's free and it also has a chat directed at Descent players in particular (though it supports any game using IPX for multiplayer).
The Bad
The insane levels are sometimes too insane. I mean, getting 15 seconds to find the exit in a large twisted maze of tunnels is a bit too difficult!
The Bottom Line
Fun. (if you happen to like this sort of game)
By wossname on June 29th, 2000
Descent (DOS)
A Classic Game You Can't Go Wrong With
The Good
The graphics, it worked on older PCs, it's extendibility (many levels available, campaign creators and map editors; usually nowadays you only get map editors that let you make one standalone map at a time. This game will let you make many and zip them up into one file exactly like the included campaign), the multiplayer modes (people still play)...
The Bad
Frankly, the included levels are boring. After playing a bit I suggest getting some more levels, moving on to multiplayer or Descent II.
The Bottom Line
360 degrees of fun!
By wossname on June 29th, 2000
Operation: Inner Space (Windows 3.x)
A Fun Arcade Shooter
The Good
I liked the way this game created a multiplayer game experience but in single player mode and the way it used your hard drive to create the "levels".
The Bad
There were a few bugs, the sound will sometimes zone out, caused a few crashes for me. (Then again, everything in windows causes crashes for me)
The Bottom Line
Fun. Average graphics. Download the demo and enjoy.
By wossname on June 29th, 2000
X-COM: UFO Defense (DOS)
syndicate with aliens
The Good
Well, the game is very large. It's more like 2 or 3 games. Soooo.....
<u>Fighting Battles</u>
The game engine for the battles is simply brilliant. I mean, the core engine used to make this game is still being used again and again and licensed out to other developers (like in Chaos Gate). I liked the realism, how a single alien could sometimes wipe out half of all of your XCOM-Operatives as soon as they stepped outside of the dropship. I also liked how one of your operatives could go into an alien ship by himself and slaughter them all (though this happens less often than the former). The weapons, the graphics, the aliens, the myriad of strategies employed to bring victory makes the battle system an absolute stroke of genius.
<u>Building Bases and Researching</u>
Another great thing about this game is the research system. In Syndicate you researched weapons and other technologies too, but it wasn't fun. In this game it is. You also have to hire engineers to manufacture the weapons, and then you also have to build labs and manufacturing plants for your scientists and engineers, and...
Another neat feature in this game is how you build bases and maintain them. You have to micromanage everything, from shipments of clips of ammo for your soldiers' pistols to buying tanks and high tech interceptors. You also have to build bases. The facilities you build allow you to do new things, or get more of something. All employees such as soldiers and scientists require living quarters to live in. Scientists need laboratories to work in. You need general stores to keep all of your items. You need hangers to keep ships....
You can also build more than one base, and sometimes aliens attack your base and you get to fight in them. The location of your base also matters, because it affects your ability to defend funding countries, which brings me too...
<u>Those Ungrateful Bastards</u>
You are running an international defense agency, so you are sent funding by all of the nations on a monthly basis. They pay you a certain amount of money; some more, some less. However, if you do a bad job of defending them they will lower their funding and even withdraw it if you do a really bad job! So you have to build your bases close to your primary funders.
<u>Air combat</u>
This is one of the smaller portions of the game but still is important. Sometimes you send out interception missions to shoot down alien aircraft; there are strategies to this section too but what you actually do in these situations is very limited.
There. The game is absolutely huge and wonderfully built, a technological masterpiece.
The Bad
If you completely blow out the bottom story of a house, or a lower section of a street light, the upper parts would stay intact floating in the air. Alien intervention perhaps =)
The Bottom Line
One of the best games ever made.
note:
July 2000's PC Gamer issue distributes the full version of this game along with a bunch of other full version games such as the original Monkey Island and Descent. It's a great chance to pick up some games you missed out on in the original release.
By wossname on June 29th, 2000
Ultima Collection (DOS)
The Ultima Collection: How to get your share of Ultima Gaming Goodness
The Good
1. They packaged everything up neatly for a very low price.
2. They included slow down programs so you can play the games properly.
3. They added a link that makes Ultima VII work!
4. They added interviews with Richard Gariott.
The Bad
What's wrong with this collection? There's something wrong with this collection?
The Bottom Line
Your 2nd chance to get the earlier Ultimas.
By wossname on June 27th, 2000
Wing Commander: Armada (DOS)
This game is ok but not worth seeking out
The Good
The graphics were a lot better than what we were getting with the original games. The 3d models were much better than those bitmaps. The strategy section was ok as well, but fairly easy and repetitive.
The Bad
The dogfights were made a little too hard to win (for some people) due to the shields of the enemies recharging so quickly. Then again, the shields on your ship did the same. At the time, though, I found it a little to easy. The tactics the AI used were very repetitive and I knew what patterns they were going to follow.
The Bottom Line
If it's in the bargain bin, go and get it, but it's not worth searching out. Cheap, repetitive gameplay I'd only suggest to 4000 A.D. fans.
By wossname on June 27th, 2000
Ultima VII: The Black Gate (DOS)
The Ultimate Virtual Sandbox World Simulation Type Masterpiece
The Good
You could do anything. You could bake bread, make swords, get a job, etc. This game had amazing levels of detail. The story was great as well. The graphics were great for the time, though the animation was sorely lacking (2 frames of walking animation in each direction? please!) You aren't forced to follow up the main story as you play. Instead you can try your hand at solving one of the many subquests available for your play, which all had involved stories too instead of just being told to "kill foozle".
The Bad
The memory manager, Voodoo. Yeechh. Impossible to get running with sound - though the Ultima Collection CD fixed this.
The Bottom Line
The best Ultima in the series. A large immersive adventure game (yeah, it's not as much of a stat based game as the earlier Ultimas).
By wossname on June 27th, 2000