News from the Net From Sue A slightly different format this issue. Let's look at some of the games due out between now and the next issue of SynTax ... we'll call it end of May for the sake of argument! Here's the full list from mid March to end of May as taken from www.gamershell.com and more info on some of the highlights. 21 March 2003 Rayman 3 Hoodlum Havoc (c) Ubi Soft Highland Warriors (c) Novalogic Rainbow Six: Raven Shield (c) Ubi Soft Vietcong (c) Take 2 Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis (c) Vivendi 28 March 2003 TOCA Race Driver (c) Codemasters Lotus Challenge (c) Xicat Interactive Championship Manager 4 (c) Eidos Duality (c) Phantagram Star Wars Galaxies (c) Activision Shadowbane (c) Ubi Soft The Sims Online (c) Electronic Arts Aquanox 2: Revelation (c) JoWooD Delta Force: Black Hawk Down (c) Electronic Arts Devastation (c) Novalogic Dragon's Lair 3D (c) Ubi Soft Eve Online (c) Simon & Schuster Galactic Civilizations (c) Strategy First Kreed (c) Burut Software Lionheart (c) Virgin Interactive Mistmare (c) Arxel Tribe Voodoo Islands (c) Koch Media Will Rock (c) Saber Interactive XIII (c) Ubi Soft High Heat Baseball 2004 (c) 3DO Casino Inc (c) Konami International Superstar Soccer 3 (c) Konami 29 March 2003 GoldenLand (c) Burut Software 30 March 2003 Paparazzi (c) Philos Call of Cthulhu (c) Headfirst Dredd vs Death (c) Vivendi FireStarter (c) GSC Gothic 2 (c) JoWooD Lost Legion (c) ZZICT Entertainment Offworld Recon (c) Buka Entertainment Sea Dogs 2 (c) Ubi Soft 1 April 2003 Nexagon: The Pit (c) Strategy First 4 April 2003 PlanetSide (c) Ubi Soft Blitzkrieg (c) CDV Port Royale (c) Bigben 5 April 2003 Wanted: Dead or Alive (c) Zombie Studios Midnight Club 2 (c) Rockstar Games 7 April 2003 Runaway: A Road Adventure (c) GMX Media 11 April 2003 Freelancer (c) Microsoft 14 April 2003 Duke Nukem Forever (c) Take 2 17 April 2003 Cold Zero: The Last Stand (c) JoWooD 18 April 2003 Tropico 2: Pirate Cove (c) Take 2 Ghost Master (c) Empire Interactive 19 April 2003 UFO: Aftermath (c) Cenega 24 April 2003 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (c) Ubi Soft Harpoon 4 (c) Ubi Soft 25 April 2003 Starsky and Hutch (c) Empire Interactive BloodRayne (c) Vivendi Echelon: Wind Warriors (c) Oxygen Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance (c) Konami Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrenrtide (c) Infogrames 30 April 2003 Warlords 4 (c) Ubi Soft 1 May 2003 No Man's Land (c) CDV Charr: The Grimm Fate (c) Waggaworld Deadlands (c) Headfirst 2 May 2003 Rise of Nations (c) Microsoft 4 May 2003 Escape From Alcatraz (c) CDV 6 May 2003 The Path to Zenrai (c) Twisted Monkey 18 May 2003 Vultures (c) CDV 23 May 2003 Star Trek: Elite Force 2 (c) Activision 27 May 2003 Imperium Galactica III (c) CDV 29 May 2003 Pro Beach Soccer (c) Wanadoo Edition 30 May 2003 Breed (c) CDV Colin McRae Rally 3 (c) Codemasters World War II: Frontline Command (c) Koch Media Enter The Matrix (c) Infogrames Silent Storm (c) JoWooD The Great Escape (c) SCi 31 May 2003 World Championship Snooker 2003 (c) Codemasters *** The Call of Cthulhu is due on 30th March. Their home page at www.callofcthulu.co.uk has a coffeecam where you can watch the team collecting their coffee during working hours - if you want to, that is. But you're probably more interested in finding out about the game. The screenshots look very atmospheric. In 1922, Jack Walters received a case that would change his life. During his years in the police force and his subsequent freelance work as a private investigator, he'd seen a lot of things that would give most people nightmares. He managed to put most of them to the back of his mind, but this case.this gloomy and decaying town.brought it all back. Call of Cthulhu - Dark Corners of the Earth lets you take on the role of Jack as he struggles to overcome the evil forces that are draining his sanity and threatening his life. *** On 30th March, Gothic 2 is out from Jowood and reached through www.gothic2.com. There's stacks of info on the homepage. Gothic was well received, will the sequel be as popular? *** Fast forward to 4th April and a real time strategy (RTS) game called Port Royale: Gold, Commons and Piracy from Ascaron Entertainment, another German firm. In contrast to Patrician II this game is about adventure, exploration and sea battles. The depth of play of the trading and economic system is decreased accordingly. However, trade still remains the main driving force behind the game. You start out as a simple sailor on a small ship in a local region. At first you explore the world and trade between towns friendly to each other. The aim is to acquire both gold and status; enough to eventually become a governor yourself. Over time you will gain the increasing interest and goodwill of other governors. You will be able to further enlarge your riches with the initially easy orders and missions, that they provide you with. Your status in society is critical. The higher it is the more you will: obtain better prices for goods and ships be able to hire more sailors be allowed to set foot in more towns be allowed to build additional businesses win more and better orders As the game progresses you become more and more self- sufficient and begin to fight for the interests of your nation: you will rob enemy ships and towns, annexe towns or chase and battle with pirates. Port Royale can be played to suit an individual gamer's preferences. After the initial introductory gameplay the player can move away from the trading aspects of the game and on to enjoying the game's adventure, exploration and conquering elements. At first play is 50% weighted towards trade. Later on trade can be reduced to about 20% if desired, so moving the focus onto adventure. *** Due for release on 18th April is Tropica 2: Pirate Cove from Take 2 - homepage www.frogcity.com/tropico2 I played the first Tropico game and found it only moderately gripping. Pirate Cove, however, sounds a lot more fun. In the original game you were 'just' a dictator. In Pirate Cove you're the leader of a group of pirates and have to manage their island base, keep them happy and organise a bit of plundering on the high seas to keep the money rolling in. Arrr, Jim Lad!! *** At www.ghostmaster.com you can find info about Ghost Master, also due out on April 18th. Like Dungeon Keeper this is a role reversal game. In Dungeon Keeper, YOU were the dungeon master and had to stock your dungeon with nasties and stop adventurers from getting in and stealing your treasure. In Ghost Master YOU are in control of the ghosts and have to scare the human inhabitants of a haunted mansion. Sounds like great fun! There are two movies to download from the site and you can check out some of the atmospheric sound effects and ghost and character designs. But I couldn't find a demo. Shame. CONCEPT STATEMENT "Ghost Master is a game where you control ghosts and scare people." Grim spectres, mischievous gremlins, howling banshees, things that go bump in the night... and that's just a Ghost Master's starting team! Using his ghostly minions the player must scare the local population and unlock an assortment of puzzles, thereby solving the mysteries of Gravenville. 'Ghost Master' combines game-play elements from traditional sims, strategy, adventure and resource management games and places them in an atmospheric setting inspired by classic horror movies. The combined richness of game play and background makes 'Ghost Master' a truly unique title in a competitive market place. Of course, there have been many successful horror, sim, adventure and resource management titles in the past but the distinctive approach of 'Ghost Master' makes it stand out from the competition in many key areas. In 'Ghost Master' the player controls the ghosts and one of his key tasks is to scare the human inhabitants. This intriguing 'role reversal' immediately sets it apart from other 'horror' titles such as 'Alone in the Dark', 'Silent Hill' or 'Resident Evil'. In addition the focus of 'Ghost Master', not unlike that of 'Pokemon' and its collection of monsters, is on building up a ghostly team, not a single individual character. Each of these unique characters has their own strengths and weaknesses and as the story progresses they will continue to develop and grow. The number of characters and the subplots and puzzles involving them ensure that each game of 'Ghost Master' unfolds in a different way. This characterisation in 'Ghost Master' sets it apart from other 'Theme' or 'Sim' titles. 'Ghost Master' game brings together concepts from the highly popular 'Horror', 'Theme' and 'Sim' genres, adds some great ideas, graphics, atmosphere and technology, thereby creating a title that is unique in style and content. It is simple to understand and pick up, and can be played by the whole family, not just teenage boys and young men. It is a game with aspirations to draw in new gamers, not rest on other people's laurels. *** Here's a blast from the past. How many of you remember Starsky and Hutch? This great US cop series went out between 1975 and 79 - almost 30 years ago, now there's a worrying thought. I liked Starsky (sigh). But that's another story. Together the duo solved crimes, busted drug deals and arrested pimps and muggers around Bay City, the tyres of their red car squealing. Now THAT was REAL television! You can relive those days with Empire's upcoming Starsky and Hutch game, due out on 25th April. The official site is at www.starsky-and-hutch.com. You can download concept art work, sound schemes, screensavers and several desktop backgrounds as well as reading about the game. It's an action game and the screenshots make it look like Grand Theft Auto and similar driving games. You can view the action from several different angles including inside the car. It's due out on 25th April. *** ... as is Echelon: Wind Warriors from Oxygen and Buka Entertainment at www.buka.com/game/Game_8.html. Described as a 'futuristic flight combat' it should suit any Red Barons out there. The screenshots look spectacular. The homepage has the usual downloads and there should be a demo soon. *** The 25th April will be a busy day for RPGers. Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide is also due out on that day. I hope someone is going to review it for me. I've never got on with the combat in the Bioware games so I won't be playing it, but it looks as good as the previous games. It's the first expansion pack for NWN and features new features as well as a new campaign. Check out http://nwn.bioware.com/shadows/ for more info. *** If you liked Age of Empires, here's one for you. Rise of Nations from Microsoft takes a race from Stone Age to modern times ... unfortunately there isn't a demo. It's due out on 2nd May and here's some blurb from the official site. Rise of Nations carries the sweeping scope of epic historical turn-based strategy games, but gives the player the quick decision-making of real-time games such as Age of Empires. The game brings to life the entire sweep of human culture, from the late Stone Age to modern-day technology-not just in warfare, but in city building, trade, and diplomacy. Gamers will be able to move through the game timeline quickly and have a satisfying game experience without playing for hours. *** On 23rd May Star Trek Elite Force II is out from Activision. The site is at www.ritual.com/EF2/index.html Activision, Inc. readies a tour de force for PC gamers with the announcement of Star Trek Elite Force II. In this sequel to the critically acclaimed first person action game, players resume the role of Alexander Munro, chief of the Hazard Team, Starfleet's elite security unit. Now assigned to the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC 1701-E, players will explore strange new worlds, battle against both new and familiar civilizations and go on the most dangerous assignments in the galaxy. Star Trek Elite Force II is being developed by Ritual Entertainment and has not yet been rated by the ESRB. "Star Trek Elite Force II is the continuation of one of the most highly regarded Star Trek games ever," states Larry Goldberg, executive vice president of Activision Worldwide Studios. "Incredible graphics, exotic environments, great characters, excellent teammate A.I. and, of course, the richness of the Star Trek universe - this action game has it all." After a brief prologue on the U.S.S. Voyager and a short stint at Starfleet Academy, the Hazard Team is assigned its toughest mission yet - duty onboard the Federation's renowned flagship, the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC 1701-E. Powered by id Software's QUAKE III: Team Arena engine, Star Trek Elite Force II permits players to break out of the confines of ship bulkheads and spacestation corridors, and undertake away team missions in open environments such as expansive alien landscapes, the void of space and deadly swamps. Additionally, players must master zero-gravity combat when they do battle on the hull of a starship. *** On 30th May Enter the Matrix is due from Infogrames. They describe it as 'action / adventure'. Merciless Agents stalk your every move. You'll dodge their bullets. Defy gravity. Break all the rules. Explore the hidden depths of the massive dreamworld that has enslaved the human race. How far down does the rabbit hole go? Are you ready to find out? Are you ready to Enter the Matrix? Enter the Matrix features awesome gunplay and spectacular martial arts that bend the rules of the Matrix, insane driving and stunts, and the chance to pilot the fastest hovercraft in the fleet. This game isn't just set in the Matrix universe - it's an integral part of the entire Matrix experience, with a story that weaves in and out of The Matrix: Reloaded, the sequel to the Academy Award-winner. Enter the Matrix is the story-behind-the-story. Enter the Matrix was developed under the creative direction of Matrix filmmakers Larry and Andy Wachowski. The unprecedented level of collaboration between Hollywood's hottest filmmakers and the award-winning Shiny Entertainment team promises to make Enter the Matrix a truly unique gaming experience. Game Features: The game is based on a highly original blend of the key best selling console game genres. (Action / Exploration / Fighting / Driving) The writer/directors of the Matrix movie trilogy, Andy and Larry Wachowski, wrote the game script and personally directed around one full hour of NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN Matrix footage exclusively for this video game. (Shot at full Hollywood quality using the same movie crew and actors.) The final experience is a seamless blend of gameplay, in-game cinematics and fresh new Matrix footage. The game stars all of the key characters from The Matrix Reloaded (likeness and voice over), including Neo (Keaanu Reeves), Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving), Niobe (Jada Pinkett Smith), Ghost (Anthony Wong), Sparks (Lachy Hulme) and Persephone (Monica Bellucci.) The game has the truly authentic, photo-realistic Matrix 'look' based on unparalleled collaboration with the actual movie making production crew. The fight sequences in the game are choreographed by Master Wo Ping (Crouching Tiger-Hidden Dragon, Iron Monkey) and his team of expert disciples. Just like he did in the movie, Wo Ping gives you the power to run on walls or take down a room of enemies without breaking a sweat. The game contains incredible visual effects including advanced particle engine and world destruction as seen in the Matrix movie. Players will see, only after playing the game, that their actions actually have an effect on the 2nd movie - The Matrix Reloaded and when seeing the movie for the first time will realize how what they see actually ties in with the game they've played Same musicians in-movie AND in-game Same SoundFX in-movie AND in-game *** Is all that lot enough to keep you busy? - o -