News There are loads and loads of new games on the way, most of which were previewed at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles. With so much to cover, I won't give much detail on any of them at this early stage, just group them appropriately and let you know what goodies are on the way. Some have been mentioned before and I've concentrated on adventures and RPGs plus some sim, strategy and puzzle games. 9 (Windows) - GT Interactive / Tribeca Interactive - from Robert de Niro's new company comes a graphic adventure set around the nine muses Abduction (DOS) - Gametek - you, alien abduction, cryostorage, 600 years later, exploding ship, big problems ... Ace Venture (Windows) - 7th Level - 30 locations of mayhem, probably Azrael's Tear (DOS) - Mindscape - Holy Grail and Knights Templar adventure Callahan's Crosstime Saloon (DOS, Windows) - Legend - designed by Josh Mandel, based on Spider Robinson's series of 7 books The City of Lost Children (DOS) - Psygnosis - graphically it looks great but I have no idea what it's about Curly's Adventure (Windows) - Epic Megagames - a shareware comedy graphic adventure set in an asylum Devo presents Adventures of the Smart Patrol (Windows) - Inscape - a surreal adventure with RPG elements, or maybe it's the other way round ... Discworld II: Missing Presumed...? (DOS) - Psygnosis - Eric Idle returns as Rincewind and he and Death solve a murder. New high res graphics Down in the Dumps (Windows) - Philips Media - a graphic adventure set in a rubbish dump with a family of aliens Duckman : The Legend of the Fall (Windows) - Playmates Interactive - a graphic adventure based on a TV show, evidently Ecstatica 2 (DOS) - Psygnosis - faster SVGA graphics, improved combat and, hopefully, more gameplay, eh, Darkside? Elk Moon Murder (DOS, Windows) - Activision - written by Sam Egan (Northern Exposure) and staring Amanda Donohoe (LA Law etc), a murder mystery, first in a proposed series. Elk Moon Murder: Sacred Ground (DOS, Windows) - Activision - the second in the series A Fork in the Tale (Windows) - Any River Entertainment - interactive all-video adventure set on an island Island of Dr Moreau - Psygnosis - 3D rendered graphics King's Quest XIII (Windows) - Sierra - I still haven't done VI and VII! Leisure Suit Larry 7:Yank Hers Away (DOS, Windows) - Sierra - set on the cruise ship, HMS Bouncy, commander Captain Thigh. What more need to be said? Lighthouse (DOS, Windows) - Sierra - SF setting The Moon is a Harsh Mistress - Legend - based on Robert Heinlein's book Mummy : Tomb of the Pharaoh (Windows) - Interplay - guess where this takes place? The Neverhood: A Curious Wad of Klay Finds his Soul (Windows) - Dreamworks Interactive - claymation CD adventure Noir (Windows) - Cyberdreams - black and white whodunit Of Light and Darkness (Windows) - Interplay - artwork by French surrealist Gil Bruvel, storyline by who-knows but it sounds surreal too as you attempt to escape from a painting Pandora Directive (DOS, Windows) - Access Software Ltd - Tex Murphy returns on 6 CDs Phantasmagoria 2:A Puzzle of Flesh (DOS, Windows) - Sierra - more nasties on lots of CDs Planetfall (Windows) - Activision - an adventure with some action sequences but featuring Floyd in glorious 3D Rama (Windows) - Sierra - based on Clarke's books, looks great Real Trouble (DOS, Windows) - Eidos Interactive - graphic adventure with you as Brad Tucker, pizza delivery boy The Sacred Pools (Windows) - Segasoft - adventure with FMV Secrets of the Lost Dynasty (Windows) - Nova Spring - never heard of 'em, but this will be a graphic adventure featuring pyramid exploration with point and click controls Soul Hunt - Gametek - occult action adventure Soul Keeper (Windows) - Intracorps - a Mayan setting with a crystal skull ... sounds vaguely Ripley-like to me ... Based on the novel Crystal Skull by Rob MacGregor Synergist (Windows) - 21st Century Entertainment - SF based with a serial killer to hunt down TimeLapse (Windows) - GTE Entertainment - time and space travel with an archaeological storyline and ray-traced graphics Titanic:Adventure out of Time (Windows) - Cyberflix - explore the accurately recreated ship and interact with 25 or more NPCs, co-authored by Douglas Adams, I believe ... Vampire Diaries (Windows) - American Laser Games - a 3D adventure aimed at teenage girls (yuk) Voyeur II (Windows) - Philips Media - the question is, why did they make a sequel to what was allegedly a pretty poor first game? The X Files (Windows) - Fox Interactive - due 1997, script by Chris Carter, FMV from Duchovny and Anderson Zombieville (DOS) - Psygnosis - sounds like Alone in the Dark in style but with a military secrets setting RPGers can take note of these: Albion (DOS, Windows) - Blue Byte - an SF/fantasy RPG with mixed perspectives during play, and all the usual stuff Betrayal at Antara (Windows) - Sierra - is THIS the sequel to Betrayal at Krondor? Birthright (DOS, Windows) - Sierra - TSR AD&D title with strategy and wargame characteristics Daggerfall (DOS) - Bethesda Softworks - the second Arena game, will it be as buggy as the first? The blurb makes it sound good (400 quests!) but did Elder Scrolls. Time will tell ... Dark Vengeance (Windows) - Reality Bytes - CRPG cum action game with 32 player options by modem or Net Deathtrap Dungeon (DOS, Windows) - Eidos Interactive - RPG with beat 'em up combat Dungeon Keeper (DOS) - Bullfrog - turn the tables by playing the DM, in this l-o-n-g awaited game Might and Magic VI (Windows) - New World Computing - what can I say? Roll on 1997! Return to Krondor (Windows) - 7th Level - the long-awaited sequel to Betrayal at Krondor, 3D role playing in 8 chapters with rendered graphics Ultima IX : Ascension (Windows) - Origin - the saga continues ... and continues ... Ultima Online (Windows) - Origin - worth joining the Internet for, multiplayer action for 1000s of users. Wow! Vampire: The Masquerade (DOS) - GT Interactive - RPG with teeth, you play a vampire accused of murdering another vampire and must prove your innocence For simulation fans: Airport 97 (DOS) - 21st Century Entertainment - sounds like what SimAirport would have been if Maxis had thought of it first SimCopter (Windows) - Maxis (who else?) - fly through 3D cities including those you build yourself with SC2000 on various missions. You can land and walk around too! SimGolf (Windows) - Maxis (ditto) - course designer and full 3D movement plus modem and Net play SimPark (Windows) - Maxis (three-oh) - maintain the park's ecosystem, manage the plants and animals you place there, add human interaction etc And on the strategy front: Blood and Magic (DOS) - Interplay - AD&D Forgotten Realms strategy using 28 characters in real time Deadlock: Planetary Conquest (Windows) - Accolade - 3D graphics, rendered scenes, SF strategy and network / Internet multiplayer capabilities Destiny (Windows) - Interactive Magic - sounds Civ-like but with options for full military conquest and 3D rendered scenes for atmosphere Dragon Dice (Windows) - Interplay - based on the TSR dice game, containing all 112 dice and 5 wizard dice Fragile Allegiance (DOS) - Interplay - SF strategy and conquest with multiplayer options Heroes of Might and Magic II (Windows) - New World Computing - NWC build on the first game, adding players' suggestions with multiplayer options, multipart quests and other extras Magic: The Gathering (Windows) - MicroProse - long-awaited computer version of the collectable card game with two play modes, adventure mode or duel mode Magic: The Gathering (Windows) - Acclaim - the second MTG offering, a strategy combat game with modem and network options Master of Orion II : Battle at Antares (DOS) - MicroProse - vast improvements on the original MOO plus multiplayer options Star Control 3 (DOS) - Accolade - strategy and adventure combined, probably not out until late in the year Star Trek : Generations (Windows) - MicroProse - combination of strategy and a Doom style environment Waterworld : The Quest for Dryland (DOS) - Interplay - maybe rather action-oriented but sounds a promising 22-mission game World of Wonders (Windows) - Epic Megagames - strategy plus RPG with in-depth combat X-Com : Apocalypse (DOS) - MicroProse - not due until 1997, this 3rd episode in the saga is back above sea level and into the cities with better SVGA graphics and choice of real time or turn based action And, finally, for those who like a good old puzzle ... Cliff Johnson's Labyrinth of Crete (Windows) - Philips Media - more puzzles from the man who created the excellent Fool's Errand and the not-quite-so excellent Puzzle Gallery The Egyptian Jukebox (Windows) - Inscape - yep, clues and more clues to solve a millionaire's disappearance. Safecracker (Windows) - adventure cum puzzle game with loads of safes to crack and clues to piece together The Time Warp of Dr Brain (Windows) - Sierra - more crazy puzzles and claymation graphics Something for everyone there, I think, and I know I haven't mentioned every game ... it's going to be a busy winter! - o -