Mark Papadakis @markpapadakis

Captive (Amiga)

Extremely well done

The Good
The whole concept of 'guide 4 droids to fight their way out of a series of planets in order to eventually find yourself and rescue you', is original and a nice change from the usual 'save the kingdom' stories. Overall, the game is very well implemented. The graphics and sound were top notch for their time. The game was even better though. You could ugprade droids, solve some very devious puzzles and all that stuff.

The Bad
The game is very hard once you start getting deeper. Which, of course, can also be considered as a good thing.

The Bottom Line
One of the best RPGs ever created, by far. It is definitely the best Sci-fi RPG I 've played.

By Mark Papadakis on August 11th, 2006

Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon (Windows)

Amazing experience, from the beginning to the very (cool) end

The Good
George and Nico make one great couple. The dialogues, coupled with great speech quality and the very well thought of script really get you in the game. The graphics are great, at least for an adventure game. The music is equally well done.

The Bad
As others have already pointed out, there are a few interface issues here and there. They are not really that troublesome; its more of a problem getting used to the new (innovative) interface. Not using a mouse for an adventure game is sort of awkward, but it works nevertheless. The damned crates problem is another story. Just like the jump and hung mechanics, it seems the Revolution team got too excited with the new mechanics they were able to introduce to the game so they put puzzles related to them just about everywhere.

The Bottom Line
The game is nothing short of amazing. Sure, they are are some minor problems here and there, but don't let it stop you. If you like adventure games, you must play this game.

By Mark Papadakis on December 27th, 2005

Half-Life 2 (Windows)

The most innovative, 'life-like', immersive game ever created

The Good
The game makes you feel like you actually live in the world. You feel you are Gordon Freeman, not someone punching keys watching someone move. The environment is so life-like, thanks to the Havok Engine physics, that you can do almost everything you would do if were inside this universe, from moving objects to using whatever you see for achieving your goal. The graphics are truly amazing. Maybe not as life-like as the Unreal 3 engine demo shown in E3, but the best there is out there today. The sound is equally impressive.

The Bad
There are just two problems you may or may not face. The sound shuttering bug, which is fixed by now (though you still may face it once in a while), and the fact that the loading times can be long which somehow affects the immersion effect. Other than that, it is perfect.

The Bottom Line
The most amazing game ever released.

By Mark Papadakis on December 4th, 2004

Agony (Amiga)

An amazing game.

The Good
I was impressed by the flickering hi-res intro image and the tune. They sounded amazing at that time, and they still do. The game was gorgeous, the sound breath-taking - the gameplay superb.

The Bad
The game was a bit difficult after a while, but I guess it was worth it.

The Bottom Line
One of the most important amiga games, by one of the most important development houses. Amazing, gorgeous.

By Mark Papadakis on July 19th, 2004

Rick Dangerous (Amiga)

A solid platform game

The Good
The whole atmosphere is great. You need to use your brain in nearly every screen. The music is nice, especially the egyptian tune. The best thing in this game has to be its 'I wanna keep on playing until I go further!' effect. You want to start making some progress.

The Bad
Most of the gameplay is about doing the right move at the right time. You need pixel-perfect accuracy in some places ( jumping, avoiding traps or enemies ). Because there is no save-game feature, it can be frustrating losing because you jumped 0.1 second before you had to, and starting from the beginning of the chapter.

The Bottom Line
A great platform game. Will keep you busy for days.

By Mark Papadakis on April 7th, 2003

Lure of the Temptress (Amiga)

One of the most underated games

The Good
The game worked a bit like those Level-9 games were created; NPCs were living their own life, they would follow their patterns, talk to each other and so forth. You feel like you are actually 'thown' into a living, real world. The puzzles are neat and logical, and, thanks to the great interface, I enjoyed every single of one of them.

The Bad
The game was a bit too short, but neverhtless fascinating.

The Bottom Line
If you like adventure games, you can't miss that one. Captivating and absorbing.

By Mark Papadakis on April 7th, 2003

Maupiti Island (DOS)

Dangerous and challenging..

The Good
The game's atmosphere is unparalled. Superb combination of graphics and music/sound, makes you feel you are actually there. It sucks you in, deep. The interface gets a bit used to it, but in the end you will find it great.

The Bad
Too hard for the average gamer. Maybe even way too hard.

The Bottom Line
If you want to play a 'find the suspect, look for clues, ask people about everything' game, I think this one will satisfy you. Providing you can handle the difficulty level, you may even love it.

By Mark Papadakis on October 20th, 2002

Kick Off 2 (DOS)

The best soccer game ever created, bar none

The Good
The game features the best soccer gameplay of any similar games. Full control over the ball ( which doesn't 'stick' to the player ), difficult teams to challenge, aftertouch..

The Bad
It is hard for a new kick Off player to get used to the style and features of Kick Off, but thats just a slight problem.

The Bottom Line
Get an Amiga emulator ( like UAE ) and try it out. You won't be able to stop playing it.

By Mark Papadakis on October 13th, 2002

Enchanter (DOS)

Absolutely superb

The Good
This was one of the first, if not the first, adventure games I have played, on my Amiga back in 80's. I was into it for more than 2 months, addicted so much I wouldn't even eat. The plot is rather nice, but the best part is the puzzles. You have to find and use quite a few spells and make others do things for you ( I miss the turtle dearly.. ).

The Bad
The game is a bit hard, especially once you are close to the end. There are a few not-so-logical puzzles/problems you have to overcome.

The Bottom Line
If you like adventure or RPG games you just have to play this game, along with all other Infocom classics that is.

By Mark Papadakis on October 12th, 2002