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GameSlice Daily Editorial

The Week Ending November 8, 1999

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continued...

Freespace 2
Now here's a game that deserves twice as much attention as its currently getting both online and in terms of sales. This 3 CD magnum opus from Volition and Interplay is perhaps the hottest space combat game of the year, yet it seems all the press wants to talk about is Chris Robert's Freelancer which is a late 2000 title at best. Well, I've got news for you, because Freespace 2 is here and now, and it looks absolutely fantastic. Featuring stunning cinematics and the best in-game space combat engine out there, there's no question this is the game to beat for 1999's space sim of the year. However, I just read last week that a planned expansion pack for the game has been shelved; it seems like everyone is already moving onto the next project. Well, don't let this game pass you by. If you even remotely liked X-Wing or Wing Commander this is a game you just have to play.
The EMMA Awards
Although it almost seems too easy to lampoon the countless awards out there for interactive entertainment, I couldn't help but pass up the opportunity to mention the EMMA Award Winners announced last week. I know, you've never heard of the EMMA awards, but they are billed "as an international benchmark of excellence for the interactive media industry." Sounds important to me! So, what games do they pick to represent such excellence? First of all, Homeworld is the Best Strategy game; certainly a meritorious choice I wouldn't second-guess. But the list goes downhill from there. Best action game of the year? How about the forgettable Hidden and Dangerous from Take 2 Interactive? And as for best adventure game, chalk one up for Redbeard's Pirate Quest. Red-what? I actually spent a good 20 minutes trying to even find out some information on this game and I couldn't come up with anything -- But I'm so glad it's the pride and joy of the gaming industry. For more information on the excellence that are the EMMA awards, I implore you to waste a click and visit their website to discover the other "worthy" winners.
Harley Davidson Racing
Alright, so who wouldn't want to ride a Harley Davidson motorcycle, right? Well, that's the concept behind Wizardworks' (I know, flip on the red alert sirens already) latest game, the appropriately titled Harley Davidson: Race Across America. Now I have to admit to being proud of myself for not automatically labeling this game as "forgettable" just based on the Wizardworks name, and believe it or not I have to say some of the graphics and camera angles during the races aren't half-bad. However, the whole excitement behind a Harley-Davidson game is the idea of racing the actual bikes, and it doesn't help these bikes look like metallic scrap-metal in the game engine. Then there's the problem of control: the bikes act like soapboxes being thrown down a sheet of ice during turns. As I mentioned above I actually found the 3D-accelerated graphics to be better than average, but unfortunately this kind of "realistic" racing experience doesn't hold water when compared to a game like Need for Speed for realism or even the MotoRacer series for control.
Your Comments?
Agree or disagree? I'd love to hear your opinion.
Thanks for reading! And that's the Gist of It.

Geoff Keighley
Editor-in-Chief
GameSlice