Duke 3D is a pretty simple game so I'll keep this review pretty simple too. If you've never experienced this title, now is as good as ever. It's a little slice of FPS history, and is remarkably progressive, despite its 2.5D origins. Duke 3D serves to show how the FPS genre matured pretty quickly from the early mazes of Wolfenstein 3D to the more realistic environments we have today. Duke 3D's space stations may be somewhat forgettable, but the cities and cinemas have stuck in the minds of everyone who's ever witnessed them. That's not to say it's entirely modern, mind - whilst the puzzles foreshadow the half-life series' puzzles, the ancient red, yellow and blue key card system is still present and correct. Duke offers a plethora of both conventional and unconventional weaponry - the standard FPS fare of pistols, shotguns and rocket launchers are here, present and correct, but they're joined by novelties such as the freeze ray, shrinker, devastator and of course, the mighty boot. The enemies are varied and fun to fight, just don't expect particularly advanced AI from them. What holds Duke back a bit is his often confusing level design. I was lucky enough to get through 'The Abyss' with minimal fuss this time around, but previous times I've been lost forever. The level design is hardly intuitive, but its certainly memorable all the same. You might find yourself reaching for a guide from time to time though. Be it a nostalgia trip or simple curiosity, you need this game in your collection.
Ghost Recon is an intelligent shooter, and coming from Red Storm entertainment (responsible for Rainbow Six), that should come as no surprise. Rainbow Six holds a reputation for being one of the most 'hardcore' FPS titles released on any format, from its painfully realistic combat to its need for meticulous pre-mission planning, Rainbow Six was not for the faint of heart. Ghost Recon then, shares many of Rainbow Six's key ideas - squad based combat with an emphasis on realism. But here, the focus is suitably different. Where Rainbow Six focused on the pre mission plans and close quarters combat, Ghost Recon shifts the focus to large, outdoor maps with plenty of action. Just about the only remnant of planning is the ability to split your soldiers into fireteams, and you can use the in-game map to give simple orders to your troops. To achieve a more action packed feel, Ghost Recon drops a lot of the elements that made Rainbow Six so hardcore. Gone is the need for pre mission planning, and in comes a more streamlined interface to encourage the player to get into the action quicker. What you have in replacement is a short briefing and the option to pick the soldiers you bring into battle. You start with a few low level soldiers divided into classes - soldiers, demolitionists, snipers, etc. Each soldier has his own stats which (dependent on surviving the previous mission) can be upgraded as you progress through the game, adding encouragement to protect your soldiers. In addition, completing bonus special objectives during a mission will unlock specialist squad members, who are basically 'powered up' versions of the guys already available to you. Each mission is well designed, starting with a mountainside manhunt and rural farms, to your standard military bases and airfields. Each mission is non linear and can be tackled as you like, and the game can get pretty tough too. Luckily, the addition of a threat detector is a welcome one, giving players a vague sense of where the enemies are (or facilitating panic attacks when it turns completely yellow). Often the Achilles heel of a shooter, the Squad AI here is admirable. On your first play of the game, you'll be no doubt impressed as your AI buddies routinely nail enemies whom you hadn't even spotted. There are a few AI based issues though - if you want a demolitionist to cause some destruction, you'll have to take control of him yourself, because there's no way to order him to destroy a tank or other objects. All in all, Ghost Recon's strongest point is the edge-of-your-seat tension, which it offers by the bucketload. It'll suck you in for its 15 missions and you'll no doubt be itching return to the game on a harder setting once you've finished it.
