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review
PC Delta Force Land s.
Warrior ". (Novalogic) £29.99
Apparently, and we only have Novalogic’s word for this, Delta Force Land Warrior is developed from the same engine that the US Army uses to train its elite squads of SAS-style close-combat troops. Whether this means the Green Berets feel that shooting civilians results only in a reload is anyone's guess, but it is easy to see what skills can be developed from this game.
Everything about the third instalment of the Delta Force is designed to feel realistic. The weaponry is A-grade military hardware, ranging from the quiet-kill knife to the very noisy, very messy grenade launcher, each having its specific role to play. To ensure that the player doesn't feel threatened by the huge choice of killing equipment, various specialists are available to play. As well as adding a little character to the game, this allows those who like to play hide and to seek choose a sniper while those who can't wait for 5 November can enjoy the delights a grenadier provides. The various characters also take turns to join you through the missions, skilfully showing off their deadly nuances.
Like the evergreen Rogue Spear, Delta Force Land Warrior is unforgiving in its damage system. One bullet and you're dead, forcing reconnoitre of each location
Realistic, unforgiving and everyone can play
and points of insertion to be swept and cleared. Strangely, the enemy seem to be the worst shots in human history and are often located by following the tracers rattling around you. Accuracy is of more importance than speed.
Where the US Army profits is in Land Warrior’s multiplayer. Up to 50 players can battle it out on-line, through a variety of team and individual contests. The Voice-Over—Net system allows real-time communication and greatly improves the experience. Organisation can be quick and precise, or sloppy and confusing depending on who is on your team.
A challenging solo player, Land Warrior shines when hooked to the net. You never know, you may end up facing a real live US Army grunt. (lain Davidson)
P82 Madden NFL 2001 (Electronic Arts) £39.99
After stumbling across the perfect playing system in the early 90$, Madden NFL games have done nothing but update and expand the finest sports Simulation in gaming history. It is no surprise then that the first Outing on the P82 can be picked up and played by any who have played a prevrous Madden title.
What is surprising is the sheer slickness, depth and detail that Electronic Arts has explored on Sony’s ubermachine. The graphics are beyond criticism, With the gameplay becoming indistinguishable from the replays,
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while the wealth of tactics, player stats and new collectable cards provrdes all the incentive to improve your skill. Don’t let an ignorance of American Football put you off either. Fat John Madden and his cohorts Will guide you painlessly through the basics leavrng the road to the Super Bowl Within punting distance. Madden NFL 2007 is pure gaming heaven.
Dead Or Alive 2
(Sony) £39.99
It's nice to find two identical titles on Dreamcast and P82, allowrng the nerdy among us to contrast and compare. Dead Or Alive 2 gives the geek this very opportunity while providing an enjoyany different beat-em-up
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Madden NFL 2001: the finest sports simulation in gaming history
116 THE llST 18 Feb-l Mar 2001
experience at the same time. Differences between the two are marginal, With DC Winning slightly in the clean-graphics stake and P82 sporting a couple more bonuses and cut-scenes.
Comparisons aside, Dead Or Alive 2 is a decent fighter on either console and its concentration on defence and counter-strike rather than all Out battering makes for a fresh challenge for pugilists to tackle. Some might even go so far as to say that on the P82, DOA 2 beats Tekken Tag into submisSion. A Wild statement indeed, but a few hours in, With combat nuances slowly becoming clearer and thumbs well and truly warmed, it would be hard to argue.
PC
Escape From Monkey Island
(LucasArts) £29.99
Comedy and gaming do not make happy bedfellows. You may scream, cheer, swear or even cry while immersed in a game but a guffaW or a chortle is a rare thing. One of the few to have succeeded in producing such outbursts is the pirating adventures of Guybrush Threepwood on Monkey Island. Unfortunately, as With most jokes, repetition has dulled the Monkey Island titles With the fourth instalment raiSing a few smiles but few gutbusters.
The trouble is not With the wacky
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characters, ail of whom return like forgotten friends, or the silly cartoon graphics, but With the underlying feeling of the game Escape From Monkey /s‘/and leads you forcibly by the hand, abruptly Jumping from one guest to another while the change from point 'n’ click to Joypad control strangely separates you from the gameplay Yet, for all that, Monkey Island still proyides a unique experience that many can enjoy
Typing Of The Dead (Sega) £29.99
Anyone who has tried to learn touch- typing Will verify that it is one of the most soul destroyingly dull actiyities known to man Well, in the future this can all change thanks to the utter craziness of Typing Of The Dead
s in its sibling titles, Typing Of The Dead guides yOu through a world of zombies, knife-Wielding midgets and all manner of shuffling horrors However, where once you had a light- gun to fend off the legions of the undead, here you have a keyboard For every creature a phrase appears on screen, type it swrft and true and slime flies, Yep, this is weird but it's also Wickedly addictive and the ever- stranger phrases, such as 'Touching zombies is really dangerous', are strangely enjoyable to type If there is any Justice in the world, every secretarial class in every secondary school should be equipped With this
PLAYSTATION Ducati World (Acclaim) £29.99
If you are gorng to steal an idea, do as Acclaim has and steal a good one. Ducati World is Gran Turisnio on two Wheels. From a pedestrian With 10,000 credits to a speed freak who owns the world, licenses must be sat and passed, races raced and won, bikes b0ught and upgraded, leathers and helmets spruced and improved, until the biking world guakes at yOur name.
While the career aspect of Ducati World is familiar and fun, the actual mom; is not so Successful in comparison With the legendary GT The bikes are admirably recreated, making every second of every race a struggle to keep from merging vrsor With barrier. Sure this makes a beautifully timed jlflk through a chicane immensely pleasurable, but this happens rarely to begin With and the learning curve is so steep it w0uld give Spiderman a nosebleed Ducati World rewards the perSistent, but casual gamers should take the bus. ilain Davrdsoni
STAR RATINGS
Unmissable
Very good
Worth a shot
Below average You’ve been warned