okay. here comes a review. unreal 2 is a gorgeous game, a new benchmark for how detailed a graphics-intensive application can be, but the aesthetics seem to come at the expense of other key elements. the plot is simple and predictable, another one of those “find the pieces to assemble The Device” stories. the fire-power is inventive, yet so straining to even the stoutest graphics card that your frame rate drops to nil and everything slurs into slow motion. and the “Loading” screen appears so much that it needs to be creditted as a co-star.
after playing through most of unreal 2 this week and finding it somewhat wanting, i’ve been thinking about those games, those computer games that would take up residence in my hard drive and become a minor obsession for weeks. so with a little thought and a little reminiscing, here’s my list of … um …
The Games That Devoured Time.
interstate ’76 (1997) – a driving game unlike all of the other driving games. no race to win here, unless you were trying to outrun some hazard to tire or limb. it was like a string of starsky and hutch episodes, only you were behind the wheel. (followed by the not nearly as kick-ass interstate ’82 in 1999.)
quake 2 (1997) – i still remember most of the single-player missions down to the level and texture, and nothing beats the weekday afternoons spent fragging co-workers (like this guy and that guy) between tech support calls… especially after we discovered skins. “watch out! cartman’s comin’ to get ya!” (successfully followed by quake 3 arena two years later.)
jedi knight: dark forces ii (1997) – in my opinion, this was the first truly immersive game of the first-person genre. in all likelihood, it was the subject matter (an already beloved star-wars universe) and the constant use of that familiar john williams score that made this game so successful, but the primary appeal to me was the chance to be what every kid in my generation wanted to be: a sabre-wielding jedi. (last year’s sequel – jedi knight ii: jedi outcast – was every bit as addictive as the original and five times as realistic.)
shogo – mobile armored division (1998) – sometimes you were just a guy running around a pseudo-neo-tokyo. other times you were driving a 300-foot tall robot. how can such a thing not kick righteous booty?
half-life (1998) – there’s just something about the sound of this game. the graphics were not all that impressive and the alien part of the plot seemed under-developed, but it was presented in such a way that you could feel this sense of psychological horror. play it in the dark and feel like something’s crept in the house and is watching you from a dark corner. (it was later modified into a rather timely version of cowboys-and-indians called half-life: counter-strike.)
starcraft: broodwar (1998) – another game associated primarily with killing time between technical support calls. a real-time strategy game, we all tried to honor time-outs for suddenly busy players. and unlike a typical reality-based wargame, the various aspects of the user-chooseable armies made it fun… except when one certain person would come out of an hour’s worth of hiding in the corner of a map with a fleet of more than a dozen carrier ships and proceed to absolutely annhililate your carefully constructed base… though i’m not bitter.
thief: the dark project (1998) / thief ii: the metal age (2000) – these games are the epitome of just how good a first-person game can and should be. taking pride in being a first-person sneaker rather than a shooter, every level is structured so that it is entirely possible (though incredibly difficult) to succeed without killing a single baddie.
unreal tournament (1999) – the game that made me fall in love with the concept of “capture the flag” and the glory of a well-placed headshot. it remains my favorite multi-player game experience.
deus ex (2000) – the graphics could’ve been better, the voice acting could’ve been better, but you would be hard-pressed to find a more engaging plot. one of the few fps games to keep you guessing from level to level, never knowing who to trust and never knowing if an ally isn’t really an enemy. this is like an extended x-files episode with cybernetic implants and lots of firepower. (not coincidentally, designed by the same folks that created the thief games.)
american mcgee’s alice (2000) – not for everyone, lewis carroll never imagined that his little girl would grow up to be so twisted and such a devillish girl to play with. mcgee takes the wonderland you know and injects it all with a compelling darkness (evened out with a fair amount of wit) while providing alice with an arsenal of the most imaginative weapons ever seen.
max payne (2001) – like the matrix? like a little hard-boiled detective work? want them both in the same game? this is it. the definitive film-noir pc game.
and the great thing about so many of these games? almost all of them live in the bargain bin of your local software store. so… did i miss any?
