Universe 3 - Omnitrend/Impressions RRP œ24.99
      (One-player RPG/strategy game, no text input)

Universe 3, needless to say, is the latest in a series of games
from Omnitrend/Impressions. It's a shame that - to the best of my
knowledge - the previous games haven't been released on the ST. Of
course, if you know differently, I'd be very pleased to hear! It's
fortunate for us that this third game can be played quite happily
on it's own, without previous experience of its predecessors.
However, a bit of background to the story is always useful.

Following the development of the hyperdrive in 2029, mankind was
able to spread out through space until less than one hundred years
later, there were eight colonised planets with over 18 billion
inhabitants close to Earth. These were known as the Home Cluster.
However there were limitations on the use of the hyperdrive, due
to the vast amounts of energy needed and a limit on the size of
the ships which could enter hyperspace.

The discovery of an alien artifact in space near Tau Ceti opened
up new possibilities. For the artifact was a hyperspace booster
and it negated the previous limitations. Mankind could now travel
thousands of light years using minimum power and more colonies
were established during this "second expansion" phase although
they still depended on the Home Cluster for CARE packages.

Unexpectedly, the shipments from the Home Cluster stopped and
panic set in until the discovery of another hyperspace booster
nearby which was moved over a period of 20 years into orbit around
Cetus Amicus. During this time, another period of unrest occurred,
resulting in the establishment of two opposing governments, the
Federated Worlds and The United Democratic Planets but at the time
of Universe 3, these have settled their differences and there is a
plan underway to re-establish contact with the Home Cluster using
the booster.

Universe I was basically a trading game where your main aim was to
search for the hyperspace booster and in Universe 2 you were a
deep-cover agent working for the Federated Worlds and had to foil
a group of terrorists. In Universe 3, you must command the mission
from the Local Cluster to Tau Ceti III, the planet Ambergris, with
an aim to establishing diplomatic relations. Sealed mission orders
have been provided which you must open on your arrival.

The game starts in your cabin with the ship in orbit around
Ambergris.  Also on board the spaceship, which has several decks
linked by lifts are four ambassadors/diplomats in hibernation and
a full complement of ship's crew who you can interact with, if
only on a fairly basic level.

Control is by means of the mouse and a series of icons (take,
drop, inventory etc) or the keyboard and movement can be via the
mouse, cursor keys or arrow icons. There is a short verb list
available and this is used by displaying it, either via the verb
icon or by keying V and then selecting which verb you want and the
corresponding object. In a similar, though somewhat convoluted
way, it is possible to zoom in on objects and manipulate them by
pressing a button or whatever which is only visible in a close-up.

Though your initial goal - to transport the ambassadors to
Ambergris, be of whatever assistance you can, and then return
home - seems fairly straightforward, you won't be surprised to
learn that your eventual mission turns out to be more complex.
Despite a warning from your friend Admiral Bresheliah about the
probability of traitors on board your ship, it is still a shock
when your mission seems doomed almost from the start with the
death of the official diplomatic representative and the loss of
some vital documents. If you can deal with the first saboteur you
encounter, you'll be able to land at the pre-arranged site, a
visitors' centre on Ambergris, but if you don't you'd better be
prepared for a grisly death in space.

I was disappointed not to have more time available to get further
into Universe 3 as I found it very enjoyable though it does tend
to give rather hefty hints at times because of the way the game
controls are designed. The graphics may be fairly basic, an
overhead though slightly angled view and the character movement is
slow even in the default non-animated mode.  In this mode, the
characters virtually hop from one location to another whereas if
you select animated movement, it's more a rippling effect - most
odd! If you're being accompanied by other characters, you have
to wait for them to catch up with you every time you move which
can seem interminable when there are several of them.

The angled view means that there is some suggestion of depth
to the main picture but the fact that any objects present are
shown large enough to be noticeable means they are completely out
of proportion. But even taking these points into consideration,
Universe 3 was good fun to play. I hope that one day we may see
the previous games on the ST .... but that's probably wishful
thinking!

                                                   Sue