>>> Item number 30504 from WRITERS LOG9405D --- (59 records) ----- <<< Date: Wed, 25 May 1994 18:35:03 JST Reply-To: WRITERS Sender: WRITERS From: Mike Barker Subject: SUB: Gameplayers' Review: Don't Miss This One well... tink ---------------------------------------------------------- Gameplayers' Review: Don't Miss This One Copyright 1994 Mike Barker If you haven't tried it yet, let me clue you in to what I think is one of the best VHR games going. You may have seen ads about it. Some of your friends have probably tried it once, others may be repeat players. It isn't the biggest game in town yet, but it has the potential to grow. It's a multi-player game, with the game already in progress when you start play. One warning, the developer doesn't provide a manual. Don't worry, you'll catch on and be playing with the rest very quickly. Rounds are a bit short, so don't waste time. What makes this game different from the others out there? First, unlike some of the competition out there, it's not a pure action-adventure series. The developer has done a good job of setting up conflicts. They just haven't tried to fill every moment with something new like some of the other games. But there is enough there to make this a nice break in the tedium, one that you'll want to go back to again and again. Second, while there is learning in the game, it isn't overdone. If you want to win some of the prizes, you'll need to do some serious thinking and studying, but the developer left that choice up to the players. During the normal round of play, each player has a chance to learn quite a bit, starting from a protected position and then moving into a fully exposed actor in the play. Unlike some games, there are no evident all powerful players or limits on the number of winners, which makes everyone potentially a winner. A well-done twist on the ordinary methods. Third, the setting is fascinating. They've used the old "limited resources" theme carefully, and added a set of hints that somewhere out there or just beyond the players' reach there might be unlimited resources and power waiting to be tapped. Like the better games on the circuit, this one always has openings for players at any level. Currently, they are a bit limited in the total number of players since the playing field is limited, but I've heard rumors that the developer is working on expanding the number of simultaneous players. Even now, the wait for a new position is short. I've already put my name in for another round. This time, besides the normal play, I'm going to spend some time with the "flowers" and "butterflies" the developer put in. It's the small extras like this that separate the really top games from the quick fingerplays of the angels, and I think the developer did a pretty good job on these. Check it out. I think you'll like it. See you on Earth! Reviewer: One of the Heavenly Host [VHR - Virtual Heavenly Reality] ----------------------------------------------------------