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Madagascar (PC)
by mickr
Madagascar PC Game
My little one loves her computer games and is a lot better than I even am on the computer! She has a whole range of different PC games from various television programmes and movies, and this one in particular is one from one of her favourite animated films; Madagascar by Dreamworks.
The ... game is rather like the film storyline wise and follows the tale of four animals (lion, zebra, giraffe and hippo) who live in New York's Central Park Zoo. Each animal has its own set of skills to master as you try to overcome obstacles throughout the different chapters. All in all, there are eleven chapters which go from the Zoo right to the island of Madagascar. Although the game is not overly long, young children will find a range of different levels throughout to test their abilities to the full.
The game controls are simple and my little one finds most very easy to use. The controls range from keyboard to mouse buttons, using both at the same time in many scenes. The game window is a full screen window and is very bright and colourful with great graphics as in the film. The game saves automatically throughout the story so young ones can go back to their last point without having to remember to save anything which is handy.
Throughout the game, the characters can collect special items to help on their quests such as extra health and items to throw at the enemy animals. There are also many mini games within the main story which consist of such games as Tiki Mini-Golf, Shuffleboard and Lemur Rave. These need to be unlocked through game play.
Installing the game is simple - literally just put it in the drive and play.
Minimum system requirements include;
Microsoft Windows 98/ME/2000/XP
256MB RAM
800MB uncompressed hard drive space
My little one loves this game and can do most of the required aspects on her own though there are some parts in which I have needed to help her with.
The game is at £4.25 on Amazon which is a great price for such a great game which will keep youngsters amused for ages.
The game is recommended for the age of three plus which I think is perfect.
I certainly recommend this game to all young children, especially those who love this great animated film.
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Doom 3 (PC)
by wonkybox
Doom 3 did an excellent job of updating the franchise, and also expanding its scope. Like the original it's a first person shooter with strong horror elements. The story revolves around a gateway to Hell being opened up on Mars, and you're the anonymous marine who has to close it.
Doom 3 uses the id Tech 4 engine which was ... groundbreaking a few years ago because of the way it rendered light and shadow - it also added interactive geometry which can be seen in Doom 3 in computer monitors, lift panels and TVs.
The engine suits the mood of the game brilliantly. When you get into the game properly after the slightly too-long exposition level you'll find yourself jumping at shadows, and straining to hear the shuffling and barking of the monsters. What make things more tense is you have a flashlight but you can't wield it at the same time as you're wielding some weapons.
The classic weapons are back as well. The shotgun sounds a little tinny, but is awesome at close-range, there's also the chaingun, fan fave BFG and the satisfyingly bloody chainsaw.
It gets a little bit cheap sometimes though. One scenario that happens a lot is that you walk into a room, the lights go off and then you're assaulted by beasties. It's a little bit cheap. Thankfully the environments and setting make up for this. You'll be going outside later on, and when it really hits the fan you'll be going to far worse places.
There are more human characters in the story and there are riffs on betrayal, ambition and other unpleasant human characteristics.
There's a rocking metal soundtrack that isn't used enough, but when it kicks in it got my adrenaline going, that's the only negative when compared to the original, even the simple MIDI music of the first game was played consistently through the levels, I guess they thought a kickass soundtrack would detract from the scary atmosphere.
It's Doom for the next generation. The story isn't groundbreaking, the guns and baddies are the same, but the tech engine breathes new life into the setting.
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PC)
by wonkybox
COD:MW2 is (another) first-person blaster set in the modern era, and attempts unsuccessfully to capitalise on the runaway success that was COD4:MW.
Instead of playing two characters in the single-player campaign and forming a bond with them, you now play five characters - Roach is a member of a CIA sponsored special forces ... company, Joseph Allen is a marine who is drafted by the CIA. There's also Ramirez the marine and 'Soap' from the original COD4:MW.
The other guy is an astronaut, and is only in one level. He dies.
The original COD4:MW had some close-to-the-bone missions, many being a replay of the 2003 Iraq invasion. COD:MW2 pushes its luck too far, it includes an optional mission where you massacre hundreds of innocent people in an airport. It's not even fun. This level caused a lot of controversy during the release of the game.
The engine remains the same, with the blisteringly energetic firefights well rendered with the same engine as the original MW. I think
Many of the other levels revolve around an invasion of America by a new Russia that is aggrieved by the CIA being involved in a massacre. I'm sure these levels have extra resonance for American players- fighting revolves around landmarks like the Whitehouse and that big needle thing - but they weren't as well designed as the previous COD4:MW levels.
You also spend a lot of time in Rio de Janeiro chasing some arms dealer dude. I found it hard to believe that even South American slum-based drug gangs would have as many people and weapons as a proper army, and it felt a bit unrealistic as I basically trudged through favelas committing genocide. I know they're gangsters, but they're still not lawful combatants so it just feels a bit wrong, like I'm a policeman gone mad instead of a military hero.
There are several name-checks back to the previous game, but it all feels a bit weak, a bit of a cash-in. There's some good levels but the design seems to have suffered - especially in the US missions. Whilst playing as Ramirez you've constantly got your commander shouting 'Ramirez! Go over there and clear that building!' and 'Ramirez! Go back to where you were a few minutes ago for some reason!' and 'Ramirez! Get me a coffee and a Danish!'
Not really for that last one, but you get the point. I got the distinct feeling I was the only dude doing any work, everyone else was just watching me run from building to building at the behest of my superior.
The multiplayer is similar to the original modern warfare. You get a dude, level him up and unlock perks and weapons. COD multiplayer is always fun, and I ended up playing this far more than the recycled single-player campaign.
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