GameSlice: Behind the Scenes of the Computer and Video Game Industry

GameSlice Daily Editorial

Week Ending September 27, 1999

Editorial
on trends in the gaming
industry and
hot topics.
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THE BIG 8: HOT FALL GAMES
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5. Homeworld

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To kick off the fall season look for Sierra and Relic's Homeworld to arrive on store shelves later this week. Billed as the first true 3D real-time strategy game, the recently released demo by no mean has been the subject of unanimous praise, but it appears most players are taking a liking to this innovative concept.
The single-player side of the game features a well thought-out storyline fraught with surprising plot twists, stunning visuals, and some gameplay elements that while not particularly innovative, are a lot of fun when you're dealing with massive spaceships as opposed to dinky battle units. (i.e. using a salvage corvette to steal a powerful enemy spaceship is very empowering). Unfortunately, my early impressions of the multiplayer mode, based on the demo's skirmish mode, are mixed -- I much prefer the Command-and-Conquer school of gameplay with more structured base building. Homeworld's idea of having the vastness of space as an asset in multiplayer ends up shifting the game to a longer more drawn-out style of war, akin to having a two player Tiberian Sun game on a huge map for eight players. (Read: Not my idea of fun). Still, Homeworld is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated RTS games for the holidays, and if you haven't checked out the demo, make sure to give it a whirl.

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6. Quake 3

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Although id's Quake 3 test has been out for months, the full retail version of Quake 3 is due to arrive on store shelves later this fall, which will pit it right up against Unreal Tournament as both id and Epic try to push first person gaming in a new direction. Anyone who has played Quake 3 Test knows that the online deathmatch is a heck of a lot of fun, but questions still remain about how this compelling multiplayer experience will be parlayed into a worthwhile single-player mode starring computerized opponents. Nevertheless, the Quake name translates into compelling 3D action, and it certainly will be interesting to see if the gaming community en masse embraces id's move to a more deathmatch-oriented gameplay mechanic. We will know soon enough!

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Continue to the next two games on the list >>>