PC Games

SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SILVER EARRING

PC format

This is my favourite type of game - point and click, and bugger all thumb work. I haven't finished it yet, but I can already recommend it highly. You alternate between playing Holmes and Watson, collecting clues and interviewing people to solve the murder of an important financier, moving to different locations. The graphics are pretty good, the music is period classical, and generally well chosen, the voices are nicely done, and the atmosphere can't be faulted. I've been relishing every moment, whether I'm crawling around with my magnifying glass collecting ash, taking the piss from Inspector Lestrade, or analysing clues back at Baker Street. In fact I shall be back on it later, since the Baker Street Irregulars have tracked down my quarry, and the game is afoot! Damn fine game if you like brainers.

Having finished it, I can confirm, so fine a game I bought The Mystery of the Mummy and the Holmes/Cthulhu crossover The Awakened.

Call of Chtulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth

This should have been the greatest game ever for pcs (at least for anyone who likes point and click). Great idea with the insanity thing, but this is just an FPS and that's not what CoC is about. You can't really explore much, you're stuck on a straight line course, and every problem pretty much is solved by killing something or smashing something. No brainer!

AGE OF MYTHOLOGY

I know this isn't brand new, and not the greatest of graphics or anything, but I have to say it's great fun. I've only skimmed the surface so far, but there's very little to compare with the pleasure of watching your own pet scylla (multi-headed sea beast) chewing up the longships of Odin's finest, dodging arrows with your pegasus scouts, and sending your bull minotaurs up against dire wolves. And that was just a basic Greeks versus Norse scenario; I'm looking forward no end to a bash at Egyptians versus Anubites. This is a civilisation building startegy game with added myths, pick your starting deity and it all follows from there. I began with Zeus but I'm really keen to have a bash as a follower of Loki... If you've played Age of Empires it helps with the basic mechanics (the elder Doylespawn gave me a tutorial, since it won't work on his own machine or I'd never see the thing again), but it is quite easy to get the hang of and the fantasy aspect gives it that little touch of magic that makes it special. Recommended.

SHERLOCK HOLMES - THE MYSTERY OF THE MUMMY

Earlier than the Silver Earring to judge from the slightly less advanced graphics and sound, this one (so far as I have yet played) also lacks Watson, or indeed, anybody much to interact with; but then I'm still exploring the scene of the crime. It reminds me a lot of Necronomicon and that genre, nice backgrounds, lots of puzzles and some boobytraps to avoid, using a simple point and click system and inventory accessed by a briefcase icon. It's fun, atmospheric and quite a pleasant way to pass the time. Can't wait to see what happens when I can get out of the bloody cellar...

Game completed, and it was a blast. Quite literally, in many places. Jolly good fun.

The History Channel - Battles of Ancient Rome

As a big fan of historical strategy games, I was thrilled to see this offered, but I have now played it to completeion in every possible way, and it really isn't that good. I can't fault the historical accuracy (partly because I'm not such a big expert on Rome), but it was really quite formulaic and tedious. Once you get past the thrill of commanding legions, it gets repetitive. Rome: Total War is a much better buy, especially with the Barbarian Invasions expansion. Much more varied and challenging.

BARROW HILL

Yet another game I'm so enthusiastic for I come on and recommend it before I'm even out of the first chapter. Yes, a point and click mystery/horror game, my favourite, and this one tips the hat to classic Doctor Who, which just ices the cake for me - there are a couple of nifty references to the story Stones of Blood from the Tom Baker days. The atmosphere is superbly creepy (though the gibbering petrol station attendant locked in the office gets on your nerves after a while; hopefully he'll get killed soon), and the story so far is intriguing. You do need to be aware that some sections of the landscape can only be really thoroughly explored by approaching from the correct angle, so take every turn, scan every bush. You never know. I may be easy to please (let's face it, I got excited because I found a kerosene lamp and got it going), but this one has a lot of play value in it for me, and I would recommend it to others.


Finished it, and got as excited as Freddy with a new pencil. Really enjoyable spooky fun, and you get to do a magical ritual at the standing stones - bonus! Definitely 5 *

MONSTERVILLE

This game sounds really good - you take on the role of one of the Universal movie monsters and battle to win the mayoral elections for Monsterville. The blurb boasts 12 monsters and makes it sound like an interesting, amusing variation on Democracy. Sadly, it isn't. You get to choose from only four characters; Dracula, Frankenstein, The Metaluna Mutant (from This Island Earth) and the Hunchback of Notre Dame, the other monsters are only cameo appearances. And the level of sophistication required in the strategy element makes this a good game for your younger kids. My teenager lost interest after half an hour, and my 9 year old after an hour (though she still likes to play it now and then, it does not have the endless fascination of The Movies). Disappointing, but on the other hand a good buy for the 5 - 8 year old range.

Democracy

As the title implies, a game in which one attempts to achieve power in a democratic state. Or as close as we get these days. I found it fascinating, easy to use even for a dodderer like me, and though I was well and truly beaten in every game, immense fun. FD, you will like this one.

Cool - just found it on special offer today, looking forward to it.

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS

I'm notoriously attracted to point and click mystery games, and this one is a corker. The graphics aren't particularly outstanding, but they're not bad, and the scenery is very well done; the voice cast includes David Suchet as Hercule Poirot; and while some of the initial puzzles seem pointless, they serve as an introduction to characters who appear later in the plot, and turn out to be quite useful. It's classy, enjoyable, and stretches the brain. Unlike Mystery of the Druids, which is so bad I won't even dignify it with a review.

Clive Barker's Jericho

I didn't really know what this would turn out to be - FPS, strategy, role-play? It's actually a mix of the three genres, and on that score works pretty well. The graphics are good and the music is okay, but I didn't really get into it in the end. I thought I'd get something different and exciting from Clive BArker, bt it really is not much different to any of the FPS games out there. I thought Half Life was better. I' d wait till it comes down to the bargain bin if you want it, or try pre-owned.

DARK FALL - THE JOURNAL

This game has been out for a while, and as such the graphics are not taxing for the most basic pc; and the voice acting is largely a bit stilted, but then that's a common flaw with many games. But I have to say, it really is a nice piece of work. Creepy, atmospheric, and intriguing, it draws you in to an eerie mystery with a neat opening sequence (there's a walkthrough for this bit in the manual, but you can go in blind if you want to), and drops you in a locale which reminded me of both Barrow Hill and the classic Sapphire and Steel story set in the old railway station. Okay, so I have a weakness for games which send me stumbling blindly round dark and spooky places armed with a hurricane lamp and a notebook for jotting down enigmatic glyphs, and once I found the tunnel beneath the trap door I was hooked. But this one is a top-notch sample of the genre. The puzzles make sense (so far - yes, I'm so enthusiastic I'm reviewing it before I'm barely out of my Poirot shoes), the setting is beautifully imagined, and I can't wait to get back into the dark...

Dark Fall gets better and better - last night I looked out of the window of the station hotel and somebody was whistling 'Pack up your troubles' on the platform below...

An old favriot of mine, Right up there with Age of empires the original - current day thats what like 6 of them? Also if you like RTS plat forms here is a small list.

DawnOfWar 1,2,3,4th maybe?- Good warhammer RTS Marines-Dark Eldar futuristic with demons and more.
Company of heroes 1,2 perhaps?- Your the allied forces fighting germany in those famed battles depicted in movies like saving private ryan.
StarWars GalaticBattlegrounds- Name says it all Really old starwars RTS much newer ones out now but I still love it all the same.
Rise of Legends- While fun in short bursts it is not your conventinal RTS with its own unique storyline. Is influenced by egyption mythology in my opinion.


If you want more game names or are looking for a specific RTS title PM me and I will get around to responding eventually !