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Originally posted by BeefontheBone@Feb 27 2005, 02:25 PM
Another of Kosta's, for Blackthorne this time:

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Blackthorne<one word, isn't it?> is a game that will always be remembered as a legend. It's one of those games that were "most wanted" at the time of the release; it almost instantly spread like a virus. Everyone wanted it, and everyone had it. Why? Well, the recipe is simple: all it takes is a tough, charismatic, macho character with a shotgun<one word>, set loose to reclaim his rightful ownership of the throne in a fantasy world Sounds tacky? Who cares, the game is great! Now that you pretty much know what you're supposed to do (and what could be more fun than blasting evil aliens that are torturing your kind?<question>), the rest is much better than the storyline. It is a classic platform game, so you are limited to two dimensions, which will be more than enough, believe me. There are countless levels; each set of levels contains different enemies, new weapons and scenery. This pretty much ensures that the game doesn't get monotonous. Sound and graphics are very amusing and above the<del> average. Overall, it'<ap>s a great package – a real gamers' game so to say
More than enough to deserve its rightful place on Abandonia! Enjoy!

Originally posted by BeefontheBone@Feb 27 2005, 11:55 AM
Sebastianos' review of Asterix: Operation Getafix:

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ASTERIX - OPERATION GETAFIX

The game was made in the<del> 1989 and has very good graphics for that time. The sound was [color=blue]designed for some obscure hardware I can't emulate, so I just get occasional knocks of sound. Another problem is that the game runs really slow in DOSBox, and way too<sp> fast in XP or with VDMSound. I couldn't even get Moslo to run it properly. So I pulled the old 486 from the basement and played it there. That worked just fine.

Asterix: Operation Getafix is an action/adventure game with a lot more action than adventure in it, but it gets very repetitive. You go out, find stuff, fight people and animals in the process, bring stuff back, find out that wasn't what you really needed and start the whole thing from the beginning… But let me present the game in detail anyway.

You are Asterix, the only person left in the Gaul village with some common sense!
The Druid Panoramix has a huge menhir on his head (thank you Obelix) and you must cure him. In order to do so, you must collect the ingredients that he wants to have<del> and bring them to him.

You can find the ingredients all over the place. In the forest, in the village (you have to buy those) or even in the Roman camp. Cooking the potion takes place to the far left side of the village. A cooking pot cursor automatically appears and allows you to mix 3 ingredients you<del>. When the potion is done either the Druid or a captured Roman can try it.

While this is happening, there is a fortune-teller<sp> out to get all of you. Once you enter the hut of your chief<sp>, this wolf-like imposter will become a part of your life. He'll settle in the clearing in the forest, where the locals will bring food to him in order to find out their future.

As I mentioned before, there are some things<sp> you need to buy, so you'll need money. You can play dice with the fortune-teller<sp>, or with the Romans in their camp; they always play first. Move the mouse to shake and then right-click to throw. If you win you get richer. But be careful, you should really play dice with the Romans, because if you try to force your way in their camp, they'll probably wear you out. You haven't the magic potion.

In some parts of the forest you can meet wild boars and flying fish (your friends are at each other's throat'<typo>s again). Avoid getting hit or you'll lose life points. On the other hand, you can try to get a boar and gain points. You must strike at the boar to do that.

You also get to fight the Romans (what would Asterix be like if you couldn't?). You fight with function keys: F1 points upwards and distracts the Roman, F2 gives him a slap, F3 delivers a nice blow and F4 sends him into the wide blue yonder.

Other commands in the game are ENTER to jump, enter a building or buy something and SPACE to duck or pick up.

When you find the right combination of the ingredients you'll cure the druid and win the game.

[BeefontheBone]

well, you can take it as far as you like there einherjar - I've stuck to altering bad sentences and correcting the errors, rather than altering the style of the reviews, since I didn't write them. You're right about that bit in the Asterix one with the boar though - missed that.

Originally posted by BeefontheBone@Feb 27 2005, 11:10 AM
OK, here come my corrections/suggestions for improvement of Kosta's review of Abuse ('twas the first game I came to ):

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Key: where I've written <del> i believe the character/word(s) in red should be removed from the text. <sp> means I corrected a spelling error, <typo> means the red letter(s) are extraneous and <should read "*"> or simply <"*"> is where I've re-arranged a sentence to be easier to read. <stop> will indicate a full stop was missing, and <ap> a missing apostrophe for posession or abbreviation.

I apologise for any upset I might cause by criticising anybody's English, and if it's not anone's first language then whatever you've written will certainly be better than anything I were to write in your first language!

My plan is to go through reviews on the site and post my version in here, although I can't guarantee I won't get bored before I get through them all!

Although_at a <should be deleted - word not needed> first glance, Abuse might seem like just another typical action shooter, this is not quite true. Sure, it looks like an ordinary <sp> action game with a trite story either<del>, but what makes this games<typo> special is the character control. I'm quite sure that this is the first PC game which incorporates both mouse and keyboard movement at the same time.

By using the keyboard, you will be able to move your character around the map, while independently aiming your gun using the mouse. The result is very interesting and will take time to get used to, but it'<apostrophe>s so smooth you'll just have to love it. It will also make the game much more challenging as you will have to coordinate more<should read "two"> things at the same time. Once you master this movement technique, you'll be able to perform maneuvers that you thought would never be possible.

As for the storyline, well, don't expect anything extraordinary. It is simple and unimaginative, but keeps the game rolling. You are a prisoner spending your life in a prison in which various experiments are performed on inmates. Naturally, as it<del> usually happens, one of these tests gets out of control, and a devastating epidemic breaks out: a virus code-named ABUSE infects everyone in the prison but you; for some strange reason, you are immune to it. You find a discarded battle suit and head off to escape the prison and save the day.

However, this won't be easy. Even on the easiest difficulty setting, this game is still very hard. If you don't have a lot of patience[quote]_[/color]and nerves of steel, this game is definitely not for you. As you start your escape,_you will have to fight some sort of mechanized prison defence systems, but as you progress you will start encountering various mutants who won't be easy to kill. There will be various upgrades and weapons to aid you in your escape. The gameplay is very simple - just run around, push switches and kill everything that moves. Should be simple enough...

Graphics. Well, they are very nicely made, but can get dull after a long playing session. The level setings mostly consist out<del> of dark_corridors and caves. Nothing too spectacular or breathtaking, but nice enough to keep you fairly interested in progressing to the next level. The explosions, weapon fire, teleportation and other special effects are all nicely done_there are<should read"I have"> no objections to that.

The sounds are very scary and suit the game's overall atmosphere. The mutant screams will pass through your bones while the background machine hums will keep you alert at all times. One touch I like_is that you can hear when the mutants jump out of their cocoons before you actually see them. This adds to the atmosphere a lot since you will oftenly<del> find yourself standing in the middle of a room waiting to see from which direction will the creatures<should read "the creatures will"> attack.

Well, you know pretty much all the basics up until now. If you like what you read so far, I recommend you download and try it out, and if not, save yourself some time and visit some other genre section! A mark of 4 for bringing something new to the genre, while falling back in some other categories.

Originally posted by BeefontheBone@Feb 27 2005, 03:18 PM
well, you can take it as far as you like there einherjar - I've stuck to altering bad sentences and correcting the errors, rather than altering the style of the reviews, since I didn't write them. You're right about that bit in the Asterix one with the boar though - missed that.

I didn't alter the style at all. I reworded certain phrases so they would make more sense.

[BeefontheBone]

Kosta's Cannon Fodder review (just a couple of things):

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Cannon Fodder is a game with an<del - it's correct, but the usual construction, though a bit Americanised, has it without the 'an'.> attitude. It takes war, adds some twisted humour<there's a u in there, but I'm English - if you want to go American leave it out> and the result is a phrase that is probably known to all – "War has never been so much fun!". But don't think this game promotes war,<comma> as it actually does exactly the opposite - it ridicules and criticises it in every way imaginable<sp>. Your mission briefings are usually "Kill all enemies<sp>" or "Kill all enemies<sp> and destroy enemy buildings". It doesn't say why or who, but who cares, right? Your score is displayed as the Home : Away ratio,<comma not stop> Home being the number of enemy soldiers you killed, and Away the number of your soldiers who died in combat. To complete your missions, you will have to choose squads of 2-8 men. The control is very simple - by clicking the left mouse button on the screen, your soldiers will try<"you can make your soldiers attempt"> to reach those coordinates;<semicolon not comma> by right-clicking they will<"you can make them"> shoot their machine guns, and by pressing right then left mouse buttons<pl> they will<"you can make them"> throw grenades or shoot rockets (if you have picked them up somewhere). The more enemy soldiers you kill with a certain soldiers<del>, the bigger<"higher"> rank he will get<"achieve">. The bigger the<"higher his"> rank, the faster he'll shoot and move. You will also be able to get into various vehicles and operate them. After every successful mission you will get new recruits.
The scenery<new paragraph, added 'the'> is very diverse. You'll wage battles in the jungle, desert,<"and" not comma> urban areas, on snow, water etc. The sound is nothing special, although the music is pretty cool. There are some minor glitches and bugs, but nothing to be too concerned about. All in all, this game is a true classic and definitely in my top-20 list of favorite oldies. Try it out!

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And CF2 while I'm at it:

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If you've come here, you have probably checked out Cannon Fodder 1 by now. That's why I'll neglect the storyline and get down to business right away First of all, this sequel has advanced a lot over its predecessor. It features better graphics, gameplay and missions. However, this one mainly takes place in the deserts where you have to shoot little people with turbans - obviously they weren't too popular even way back then The gameplay also features other standard stuff - getting into various vehicles, throwing granades, shooting missiles and so on. It'<ap>s basically like CF1, only a little improved in every way, and just enough so you can love it as much as you did the first part. Enough talk, just download and play

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[BeefontheBone]

Originally posted by einherjar@Feb 27 2005, 08:21 PM
I didn't alter the style at all. I reworded certain phrases so they would make more sense.

that's a matter of semantics; I'd say some of the changes you made alter the style (although most of them do bring the reviews closer to what I would've written, too - the point being that I didn't write them) which isn't something I want to do.

[BeefontheBone]

Jag's Castle Wolfenstein review (again very little to change):

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Castle Wolfenstein immediately made<"had"> a revolutionary impact on the gaming industry as a wholewhen it was originally<changed for flow> released on the Apple II in 1981. I<new sentence>t changed the<"people's"> outlook on what was technologically credible<did you mean 'achievable'?> in video gaming. And of course, it was the inspiration for the granddaddy of first person shooters, the ground-breaking Wolfenstein 3-D.

The story is as follows: you are a prisoner of war, being held in a Nazi prison during<"at"> the height of World War II...

...The<deleted 'also' as at start of a paragraph> controls may seem ...

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[BeefontheBone]

Mika & Data's review of Crusader: No Remorse:

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Origin really went all-out<hyphenated> to create a perfect action game, and also<del> couldn't help but add in<del> a little more gameplay than just shooting. Crusader: No Remorse is a 2-D<sp> isometric action game with some strategy elements thrown in. You play an assassin,<comma> called a "Silencer"<caps>,<comma> who worked for the WEC (World Economic Consortium), but changed sides when the WEC decided you and your friends were indispensible<did you guys mean "disposable"? - I've played the game but without the intro and so I don't know the plot, but "indispensible" maes little sense>...

...money that you can also pick up from your<sp> enemies (once they're dead of course)...

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It might be worth pointing out in the Crusader reviews if anyone edits them that you need to create a SAVEGAME directory in the \CRUSADER or \REGRET directory before playing, otherwise you can't save the game.

And their No Regret review:

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Just as in the ...

... even though only a couple of things have changed graphics-wise, they make a world of difference. The game just looks gorgeous, even at present day<"today">. Except for<"apart from"> looking nicer, it is also smoother with none of the jerkiness that sometimes occured in the prequel<should be "first game" or "original" - a prequel is a later addition to the series whose events take place before those of earlier games/books/films>.

On the gameplay<one word> side, Origin decided to make this game a little simpler than the first Crusader by removing some elements such as the equipment shop in-between levels. This changes the game somewhat and makes it a very straightforward<one world> shooter with very little to shift your attention from the action at hand. This is the only reason a point was removed from this game'<ap>s rating.

The music, much like it<"in its"> predecessor, is techno style and keeps the adrenaline<sp - at least in England...> going while you keep the blood spilling.

If you're one for mindless violence, download NOW!

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[BeefontheBone]

Marko River's Descent review:

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This game was the first 3D shooter in which you actually played in a real 3D ...

... The story is simple: the greatest<sp> mining company PTMC called you, the best bad-and-mean pilot, to eliminate a rising threat. Apparently, they have lost control of their mining<sp> stations on Pluto to ...

... The concept of the game is similar to that of Doom. There are 30 levels, and on each one you'll have to destroy a reactor before escaping through the EXIT. It is wise to locate the EXIT before dealing with the reactor since you will have limited time for your escape. With TAB you can access the map which<sp> is indispensible<sp>. Since this is real 3D action, so is the map, and programmers deserve praises for it.

You are flying PYRO-GX ship, armed with AV42 Avenger concussion missiles and AG435 Industrial argon-cyanide lasers (sounds tough). The weapons part of the game is ...

... Also, you always use two different weapons at the same time,<"have two different weapons selected at any one time;> primary and secondary (read: lasers or cannons and rockets or missles). You change them with number<sp> digits<"keys"> 1-5 and 6-0. Lasers travel towards their target (faster then rockets, naturally) and cannons hit almost immediately<sp>. The AI varies with enemy types. Some will just fly towards you, and some will shoot from a distance,<comma> avoiding your shots. Every single enemy aims perfectly, so you need to move fast to avoid their fire. Before each mission there is briefing in which you will be shown info about new enemy crafts that you will encounter.

For the<sp> time, the graphics were above standrads<"average"> (SVGA was something brand new), although you can change the detail level to match your comp's speed. Quality of sound effects<sp> is good (for the<sp> time very good) and like in every 3D shooter, without sound you are "blind". The only bad thing at the start will be learning how to fly, because it is quite complicated to get used to. However, once you get into it, this can easily become one of the best 3D games you ever played.

Descent should work fine even in new versions of Windows, and in DOSBox<sp> can be a little slow, so you'll need to do a little testing and tweaking. Once you're done with preparations, turn up your speakers, warm up your lasers and prepare for descent!

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