Rule
your own world
Civilization IV PC
The
game: The game starts in 4000BC in a prehistoric
village. From there you find and expand your civilisation
by building cities and advancing your society through
different eras such as the stone age, iron age, through
to the space age.
Along the way you research and learn new technologies
until you have replaced your clubs and spears with nuclear
weapons. You can war with other civilisations or engage
in trade and diplomacy. You decide how your society
works from its economics, politics and religion.
The play: Playable in either single player or
in multi player mode, you can choose from a number of
different cultures to begin the game. Each culture has
two leaders you can choose from, and your choice will
determine the style of your play. For example, if you
play as the French, you get to choose to play either
as Napoleon or Louis XIV.
As you research new technologies you gain access to
new religions and new civics. Civics are spread across
five areas: government, religion, labour, law and economy.
Each religion gives you certain benefits and advantages,
and you can build missionaries to try to export your
religion to other cities and nations. You are not limited
to the number of cities you can build and your cities
can span continents.
There are a number of different ways to play to win
the game.
By conquering enough of your neighbours or expanding
your borders to possess the majority of the world you
can win through domination and elimination. Culture
victory requires you to build three cities to a legendary
culture-level.
The space race merely requires you to construct the
pieces needed for the ship. Once it’s complete,
you’re declared the winner. The diplomatic victory
requires you to be the first civilisation to build the
UN wonder.
Once the wonder is built, elections are held to determine
who gets to be Secretary General. The Secretary General
then gets the chance to propose new resolutions each
turn. These resolutions would open up new trade, ban
nuclear units, or force all the civilisations in the
game to adopt certain civic options. If enough other
civilisations vote in favour of the proposal, it becomes
a global rule. The final proposal basically asks the
other civilisations to vote you a diplomatic victory.
If you gain the majority of the votes, you will win.
In the time victory, the game reaches 2500AD and the
civilisation that is most advanced takes the game.
The terrain: With a number of different worlds
to choose; from desert plains, islands dotted on an
endless sea and even a world modelled on our own, there
enough worlds to satisfy all. The maps are detailed
and the animations are fantastic; from being able to
watch wild animals walking around the terrain to your
troops in combat you’ll be entranced by what you
see.
The experience: This is a highly addictive game
that is very hard to put down and is a much-improved
version of the previous civilisation games. There is
just so much to experience in this game you will want
to play it again and again.
– SQNLDR Nick Hogan
 |
Paintball
fun for everyone
Greg Hastings’ Tournament Paintball
Max’d
XBox
The
game:
Run around in teams and shoot your mates with paintballs.
The play: Simple controls and simple terrain
maps means instant play and easy work for multi-player
gaming. The more points you win you can upgrade your
gear to become more stealthy, more accurate and send
more ammo down range.
The terrain: There are hundreds of maps. If you
don’t like them then make your own. Heaps of variety
and small compact areas, good for quick and decisive
victories. The soundtrack is average and the sound effects
– well they’re paintballs so they make different
sounds depending on what they hit.
The experience: Go seven on seven with your mates
online and with the communicator open for cyber sledging.
– SQNLDR Nick Hogan
Do
some drive time at home
V8 Supercars 3
XBox
The
game: If you’re a car racing nut – then
Atari has the title for you. If it has four wheels and
it’s currently raced in motorsports today then
you can simulate it.
The play: Race how you want – be it championship
mode in a professional career, or leap in and bash,
thrash and hack through the circuits at one speed –
flat out. 116 championships with authentic race rules
and regulations will keep you on the straight and narrow.
You can still play last man standing thanks to the realistic
damage engine which will not allow you to simply drive
away after hitting a wall at over 200km/hr. Your tyres
warm up and wear, your engine heats and blows and your
competitors nudge and bash you just to add to the realism
of the experience.
The terrain: Codemasters and Atari have done
an excellent job on the graphics and the scenery is
good. The sound effects are awesome in surround sound.
My neighbours could feel the throbbing of the mighty
V8s on the grid just before the green light. Go online
with 12 of your mates and then see who really is the
last person driving.
The experience: This title has plenty of variety for
all car enthusiasts which is what makes it so great.
Highly recommended for the collection.
–
SQNLDR Nick Hogan
Driver
– Parallel Lines
PS2
The
game: It’s 1978 and you are 18-year-old TK,
have moved to New York City in search of excitement
and you’ve found it in the underworld and you’re
looking to make it big. Things don’t go too well
for you and after some time in the joint you’ve
got a bit of payback in mind.
The play: Standard gangster/car racing deals
here – races, collect packages, steal a car, fit
it with a bomb, and then drive it back to where you
found it so the owner can get an explosive surprise.
Some missions are on foot, but mostly you’re behind
the wheel and when you’re trying to shoot and drive
you’ll find the in-game targeting system quite
annoying.The police will only mildly harass you as they’re
never too difficult to avoid.
The terrain: First up – the cutscenes are
superb. The cars can handle a massive amount of unrealistic
damage, the sound effects are decent and there is solid
music in the 1978 section.
The experience: This version is pretty much a Grand
Theft Auto clone although you do have to obey the law
(at times) – it’s a reasonable title and the
1970s portion rocks.
– SQNLDR Nick Hogan
|
UP
FOR GRABS
|
|
We
have a copy of each of the games reviewed to give
away. Send one entry to ADFgamesmen@bigpond.com.au
with the name of the game in the subject line.
Send your name and address, and answer this question:
Who is the ADF games man?
|
