"Pro Pinball: Timeshock" review. A few of you are going to pass on this one, if only for the fact you see $5.99 for one (1) table. Let me say you are missing out! Timeshock, may be only one table, but it has enough to it that you will not need another (until the other Pro Pinball games are out at least). After several days of playing, I'm still finding new parts to this game. And I know there are more hidden areas to it. Aside from a general pinball game, you can cross different epochs and locations in time if you hit the right combinations of ramps, buttons, bumpers and switches. Each epoch/location, has it's own mini games. The aim, is to reach every epoch, and, as with any pinball game, increase your score. Timeshock also includes "Video Mode" another minigame where, you control a character on the dotmatrix grid, either with the flippers, or my hitting the ball into various places on the game area. Be sure to read the manual if you are a 'pro' pinball fan. You'll understand it better than I. But for the casual fan, it's best to hone your skills a fair bit. Getting the timing and spin of the ball right is almost essential to gaining any decent score. Graphically, it works as well as it can. There is nothing negative to say about it. This version, will restrict resolution and colour lower than it can be, but it does a decent job. The soundtrack is very impressive. Starting of in the modern epoch, it's a very powerful rocking tune. This will change depending on time period, area of the world, video mode, current bonus scenario and so on. High quality, and well produced - good enough to listen to on it's own.
Freespace 1: Is a space-combat game, in which you take part of a series of missions against the enemy known as the Shivans. There is not much of a plot really, so for the most part, this can be skipped. The real fun is in how the game lays. When I first tried Freespace, I was almost dismissive of it. You take on a series of missions, in which you attack an enemy formation. There are a few missions, where things are different. Escorts, and stealth/spy come into play, but basically your ship is a fighter. As you progress, you gain access to new technology. Ships range from your basic attack vessel, to bombers and interceptors. Weapons become more and more powerful, and have different rates of effect against enemy hull and shields. Missiles are dumb-fire, lock and heat seek. The combination of all of these allows you to select the way to complete each mission. Graphically and Soundwise, it's fairly simple... If it sounds like, i'm struggling to say something here, it's because it's true. Freespace, at it's core, is quite simple. But with some stunning actual gameplay that's hard to put into words. Fighting is quite intense, and requires attention and reflexes. To aid you, you can command various fighter wings. The whole keymap is huge, and while you don't need to learn all 100 or so keys, it will help! This is simply they type of game you have to try. There might not be much to it, but again, it's very well done. If you do enjoy it, go out and get Freespace 2 immediately. The scale of battles is increased massivly, capital ships are huge and take some time to navigate, enemies are more clever and everything just feels highly polished.
In Cold Blood has its setting in the republic of Volgia, a country vying for its recognition of independence. Tension exists between various countries, mainly America and China. Volgia comes across a source of material that can greatly change the balance of power in the world, Brittan taking an interest, sends in secret agent 'John Cord' to investigate the disappearance of an American, who went in first but disappeared. The game itself is a mix of Adventure/Stealth/Action, each of which you will be doing for the whole game (rather a couple of sections). When this works, it works very well. Planning and Timing moves and attacks (or lack of) is required, and charging head on into rooms usually ends in death. Puzzles are here too. Mostly to stop Cord from moving into new rooms, however some are set up to assist with the enemy by causing distractions. It's rare you would get stuck as they are reasonably simple & item/pixel hunting does not exist, though some are required to be done in a specific sequence to work. This is based on Cord's knowledge, rather the player, which can be frustrating, especially if you have to repeat a series after loading a save. Death is handled slightly different. Revolutions approach was to have Cord recount the events of the game. You don't really die, instead you remembered incorrectly. Unless you are very good, you are going to remember incorrectly a lot. An awful lot. Controls: The most annoying part of the game. Cord is moves like steering a buggy-car. Frequently pausing, running off into walls, and moving only in the direction he faces or jumping left and right (a strafe attempt). This is where the game really fails, and sadly it lets all the other areas down. You can remap keys, which does help, but the game remains quite frustrating nonetheless. If he is not facing an interactive object directly (and sometimes even if he is), either nothing will happen, or Cord decides you wanted to do something with that object on the other side of the room. Sound and Music is quite clear and well done. The voices, and implied attitude, of Cord and Chi really make them unlike able, which probably was not the exact aim, but it does fit their characters. I found you don't really 'feel' for the characters in any way, there is no connection like Revolutions other games. And the relationship between Cord and Chi just feels plain wrong because of this, perhaps if there had been more than a few hours rapport between the two... Music in the cutsceens bleeds over the voices, and subtitles are only available in the game. It's a small point, but you do need to turn the volume up after each chapter/mission to hear people speak. Graphically, it's an early 3D experiment. It's also made in 2001, so it shows a bit. Thankfully, it's low-poly 3D done well. Many games at this time tried to do too much, but In Cold Blood was made at the point where scenes, while looking simple/early, did not try and be more than they were. The usually qwirks pop up with this, but once you get into it, you forget this easily. If you can get past a number of issues, and are willing to play and take a chance on a 3d adventure game. In Cold Blood is a reasonable way to go. It might not be anything special, but it is entertaining enough for what you get.
