And I don't mean that in terms of fondness; I mean it's truly a special game, a unique design with some very intelligent thought behind it. Check out International Hobo game design consultancy, run by the man who led this design. Ghost Master is a game everyone who enjoys management, psychological simulation, puzzle, or.. Well, games, should play. Marred by some frustrating puzzle elements to make maximum use of the ghosts available in each level, the damage done is at worst minimal, and in no way stopped me absolutely loving this game for weeks, in a time where few can keep me interested for longer than hours =)
You know that pleasure taken in watching a complex, incredibly detailed machine working away like clockwork - or the strange peace caused by watching sand flow between your fingers, or water between one glass and another? That's why we play the city-builder games, at least in part. It's the compelling complexity of many functions we develop, distilled to a beautiful simplicity as it all interweaves, creating a balanced system. Caesar 3 is the best game yet made for that feeling. Clean, quick, absolute control of the construction of your city, a functional interface, colourful and pleasant visuals, good music, varied gameplay and a high challenge for those who want it. I think my favourite thing about Caesar 3, though, is the evolution of the city as you watch - the first plot of land you ever offer to immigrants will become a tent. In time, depending upon how you treat the local area, what amenities, securities and luxuries you provide, it may become a shack - a cottage, a real home. A villa. A palace. Then if an enemy attack destroyed a section of Aqueduct several screens to the rest, you might see droves of people emigrate, their houses devolving to muddy shacks once again, as their water supply is cut off, only to nurture the district back to health after the enemy have been driven off and the water supply restored. It feels like creating a living creature. Only one other citybuilder (other than the spinoffs Pharaoh and Zeus) has achieved that, and that game was Children of the Nile. One word of warning; yes, the combat is absolutely awful. Avoid it =p
