Volume 48, No. 12, July 13, 2006

Tomb Raider: Legend
PS2 MA15+

THE game: Tomb Raider: Legend follows Lara Croft as she tries to solve the mysteries of her past. Somehow the legend of King Arthur becomes involved and you're off chasing treasure.

The play : Guns, acrobatics, puzzling tomb mysteries and baddies to shoot – what more could you want? In Legend you'll get to take full advantage of Lara's affinity for high-flying stunts as you hang on ledges, swing on ropes, swing between platforms and vault off conveniently placed beams.

The terrain: You'll take in the sights of Ghana, Peru, Tokyo, England and Kazakhstan, and while they all look great, you'll spend most of your time in convincingly dark and decrepit environments.

The experience: Nothing new or different for Lara fans.

– Sqn-Ldr Nick Hogan

Star Wars – Empire at War
PC MA15+

THE game: In Empire at War, you'll battle in galaxies far, far away in both space and on land in an effort to either crush the Rebels or defeat the forces of evil.

The play: The action takes place on two different main areas – space and land. The space battles occur on a 2D galactic map that shows all the planets in the galaxy. The Rebels see all Empire-controlled planets, but the Empire seeks out the Rebels.

The terrain: The graphics and sounds are awesome. The scale sizing of Imperial capital ships versus the Rebel ships is good. Battles in general are visually impressive, weapons effects are as per the movies, voices sound almost perfect, even the weather looks good.

The experience: A great strategy game that stays true to the Star Wars saga.

– Sqn-Ldr Nick Hogan

Rome – Total War Alexander
PC 12+

THE game: Set in the third century BC, this game includes a campaign encompassing Alexander's blitz of the Near East, six battles from his earlier days and new multiplayer options including online tournaments.

The play: You're on a timeline to get to the border of India while holding 30 provinces before the clock runs out. It's hard getting established in Asia, but to then smash through to India becomes quite a battle.

The terrain: The battle landscaping is nothing special, but the character rendering and the AI is very effective. Seeing hundreds and hundreds of units battling it out to the end is something to behold, and the battle sound effects are good.

The experience: This game is difficult and requires patience and plenty of time to finish.

– Sqn-Ldr Nick Hogan

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