The New World of Martin Cortes
BOOK REVIEW posted on 29 AUG 2004 by Neil Stalker
"The author Anna Lanyon is an Australian academic who specialises in Latin America history. In this book she takes us on her journey of discovery as she travels through Spain and Mexico uncovering the history of Cortes and his family."
Empire Earth
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 25 MAR 2002 by Tash Shaheen
While it may overwhelm casual RTS players, those who are willing to deal with the extra complexity will probably find a rewarding experience.
Risk 2210 A.D.
BOARD GAME REVIEW posted on 8 SEP 2001 by Mark G. McLaughlin
Risk 2210 A.D. is not a rehash of an old classic. It is an innovative breakthrough in simple, multi-player family-style wargaming that enhances a proven system by adding a whole layer of choices and opportunities for player interaction, and then brings it all together in a science fiction universe.
History of the World
BOARD GAME REVIEW posted on 8 JUL 2001 by Mark G. McLaughlin
Six hundred toy soldiers. That is what the buyer will find in Hasbro-Avalon Hill's newest version of the classic History of the World boardgame. For those who have never played any previous versions of the game before, this will be a wonderful treat. People who have older versions of the game will find the Hasbro-Avalon Hill product to be a cleaner, smoother, more fluid game that, while not necessarily better than the previous version, is definitely an enjoyable and valuable variant that breathes new life and new strategies into a much-played favorite.
Semper Fi
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 3 JUL 2001 by Gary
Semper Fi does reflect a tremendous amount of good work by a lot of people which is a real shame to go to waste. The game does have its bright spots with initiative determination and player programmable AI, but the sum of the parts just comes up short.
Tropico
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 13 MAY 2001 by Mike Dorn
Tropico is a rare game that succeeds on many levels. The game is successful no matter whether viewed as a pure building game with a splash of local color and economy, an empire builder with a liberal dose of character development, or a game featuring a balance of politics, building and economy. It does need to be pointed out that Tropico succeeds as a "game," not a simulation, and any who enter the dictator's office expecting an exact representation of reality are bound to be disappointed.
Interview with Tropico's Phil Steinmeyer
INTERVIEW posted on 18 MAR 2001 by Mike Dorn
Phil Steinmeyer is the designer of the upcoming strategy game Tropico. Gamers will assume the post of ruling a small island nation. As the leader you will have both character advantages and flaws. The game itself will be similar to SimCity in regards to the level of control you can be exercise. It should feature many avenues to success and many differing elements to juggle in attaining that success.
Tropico
PC GAME PREVIEW posted on 1 JAN 2001 by Mario Kroll
In simple terms, Tropico is a nearly perfect blend of all the great elements of every city and empire building simulation I've played. Fans of Caesar, Pharaoh, Zeus, Sim City, Railroad Tycoon, The Sims, and many others, will feel immediately at home. Although, as with most of the games above, the player is cast in the role of supreme ruler, one does not have direct control over the population. Instead, your wishes are restricted to construction and land development decisions, salary and hiring decisions, and the general setting of policies and execution of edicts (arresting troublemakers or political opponents, assassinations, declaring political orientation and policies, enacting martial law, allowing the Pope to visit, and so forth).
Call to Power II
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 13 DEC 2000 by Mark G. McLaughlin
The right to call a game by the title Civilization sparked rivalries and lawsuits that eventually led to the collapse and acquisition of game companies, the firing, resignation and hiring of new designers and public duels (mostly but not always just in print) between many interested and afflicted parties. Activision was a major player in all of these donnybrooks. Regardless of all that, and no matter what the title printed on the box, Call to Power II IS Civilization - and except for the multi-player bugs and a time-consuming scenario editor - it is Civilization done right.
Montezuma Gets His Revenge or PC History on the PC
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 30 OCT 2000 by Mark G. McLaughlin
Age of Empires II: The Conquerors Expansion is not a new game. It builds on and improves the Age of Empires II system, but not dramatically. The expansion pack is just that: it expands on what has come before. Veteran Age of Empires II gamers will appreciate the new units, technologies, civilizations, maps and other changes, all of which fine-tune and upgrade an already well-honed system.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six - Rogue Spear: Urban Operations
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 11 JUN 2000 by Chris Abele
While the basic gameplay has not changed much from Rogue Spear (as to be expected in a mission pack), Urban Operations nonetheless offers an exceptionally well-balanced game. Where Eagle Watch fell flat on its face, Urban Operations kept going. The new expansion pack for Rogue Spear offers players the ability to play any of the Rogue Spear or Urban Operations missions or maps directly from the Urban Operations menu, whereas the Eagle Watch menu system forced you to switch from Eagle Watch to standard Rainbow Six. Plus, Urban Operations adds a total of fifteen maps to play, on top of the standard twenty-two maps that Rogue Spear originally offered. All this adds up to a game that will stay on a player's computer for many months to come, or in my case, many years.
Gunship!
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 25 MAY 2000 by Syd Taba
Personally, I feel torn by my Gunship! experience. On the one hand, I see a game falling desperately short of what it promised to be, yet on the other hand I see a brilliant and innovative game shining through in moments that are, unfortunately, too few and far between for my taste. Ultimately, the enjoyment one gets out of Gunship! depends on one’s expectations. Those expecting Longbow 3, read no further – this isn’t that game. Those expecting a tank sim in a gunship sim’s clothing (with elements of an FPS thrown in for good measure), this is the game for you.
Shadow Company: Left for Dead
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 29 JAN 2000 by Chris Abele
All in all, Shadow Company came out a winner, but not by much. It got me hooked with exceptional graphics and intoxicating gameplay… for the first week. Then I started growing tired of the limited game format, and the time-consuming process. It's a very nice game, but unfortunately, it's just nice. It didn't leave me with much of an impression, other than graphics have gone a long ways in the past few years and that Russian accents are commonly faked. Sinister Games has created an excellent first game, but I would say that it entered the market at a time when other games are leading the pack.
X-Com Collectors Edition
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 14 JAN 2000 by Brenda Micka
Gaming has come a long way since X-Com: UFO Defense was introduced in 1994 but I have come across few games with so much lasting appeal, addictive properties and replay value. This game proved to be one of my favorite games back then, and when I was asked to do this review and started playing the game, I knew that I was hooked once again. This multi-pack contains X-COM: UFO Defense, X-COM: Terror from the Deep and X-COM: Apocalypse.
1602 A.D.
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 1 JAN 2000 by Mark G. McLaughlin
To describe this real-time strategy game of colonial construction and trade best, try to imagine Caesar III in the Caribbean, or Pharaoh with Pirates, and then blend in a touch of Colonization and season with pinches of Civilization, Cutthroats and Sim-City. Although a German import, this best-selling European design is solidly based in systems and concepts familiar to anyone who has played some or all of the American titles listed above. Anyone who likes any of the above titles will find something to like in 1602 A.D. The only trouble is getting past the manual and the tutorial to find all the good stuff. Thankfully there is an excellent 1602 A.D. web site that more than just supports the manual - it effectively replaces it.
Jagged Alliance 2
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 15 NOV 1999 by Mike Dorn
As in past incarnations, Jagged Alliance 2 is all about hiring mercenaries to accomplish a mission. It harks back to the original Jagged Alliance (liberating Metavira), rather than to the disjointed scenario approach used in Deadly Games. Returning to its roots is a boon, as this focus improves the game's feeling "whole" (not the case in Deadly Games). Jagged Alliance 2 is an improvement on the original Jagged Alliance, in making towns and specific locations the hub of the player's efforts. Using this approach yields a more rewarding sense of accomplishment as the player succeeds in ridding the land of its cruel hierarchy.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six - Rogue Spear
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 11 NOV 1999 by Chris Abele
So, is Rogue Spear worth it? Yes, absolutely. The multi-player game alone makes the replay value out of this world, and what's nice is the single-player mode is actually engrossing, too. While some strange, minor bugs will leave you scratching your head, the game's fine-tuned graphics and perfected game play will be the main cause of many late nights at your computer.
Civilization II Test of Time
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 11 OCT 1999 by Mike Dorn
The whole feel of Test of Time is that it just isn’t that substantial an offering and doesn’t represent much of a jump forward from Civilization II Multiplayer Gold Edition (unless you can’t live without the new graphics). The "World of Midgard" scenario alone is worth recommending Test of Time, but only once you can find it at a discounted price. At full price, it looks like trying to cash in one last time on the Civilization II name, with a haphazard effort.
Civilization: Call to Power
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 15 JUN 1999 by Ben Lieb
In summary, Civilization: Call to Power is a worthy successor to a long line of great Civilization titles. Despite its drawbacks in gameplay, I would still recommend this game to anyone who enjoyed other Civilization titles, and to new Civilization players.
Imperialism II: AAR - French Campaign
AFTER ACTION REVIEW posted on 16 MAY 1999 by Mark Sterner
The following is a condensation of my comments originally posted on CG Online concerning my campaign as the French in a game of Imperialism II (ver. 1.02). People expressed much interest in the progress of the campaign as I was reporting, and they asked me to make my account available along with any saved game files that could be used to demonstrate how one of the (likely many) winning strategies for this superb title unfolded. The slightly edited comments below comprise what I posted on-line only. I hope you all find this account worthwhile.
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