October 2003 Archives

Platform: Xbox
Reviewed on Xbox

The United States isn't what it once might have been. Or ever will have been. Crimson Skies' alternate version of United States history demands convoluted verb tenses but pays off with a sweeping tale of adventure in the skies. A fractured United States has sealed its borders, making air travel the easiest way to get around. The rise of airborne shipping leads to the rise of airborne piracy, and our hero, Nathan Zachary, makes a fine living as a sky-bound swashbuckler. But when Zachary's old friend Dr. Fassenbiender is murdered, Zachary puts aside sport to find the killer, get revenge, and save civilization in time for brandy and cigars.

It's a joystick. For the Xbox. From Saitek.

Platform: PC
Reviewed on PC
Windows System Requirements: Pentium 500 MHz, 32 MB RAM, 3D video card, 200 MB HD space, 6x CD ROM

Join the dynamic universe of Space Empires, but this time as captain of your own space-going vessel. Trade, fight for the authorities or engage in piracy – whatever you chose as master of your own fate in Space Empires: StarFury.

Platforms: Xbox and PlayStation 2
Reviewed on PlayStation 2

It's been awhile since the original NBA Jam emerged as an adrenaline-filled, fast and furious gaming experience. This incarnation offers three-on-three gameplay, as opposed to the older version's two-on-two style, but maintains its ties to over-the-top dunks, zany extras and barbecued ballers, who become, quite literally, on fire. With the addition of couple of tournament modes and the ability to create and customize a player, NBA Jam is a solid entry into the arcade-style basketball market.

Platform: PC
Reviewed on PC

Windows System Requirements: Pentium III 450 MHz, 128 MB RAM, 32 MB video card

It's time for some new blood. Kyle Katarn is now an instructor at the Jedi Academy, and you are a raw recruit pledging yourself to the Jedi order. The remnants of the Empire refuse to fade away gracefully, and a strange cult has been engaged in questionable activities in areas strong with the Force. Using the familiar first-person shooter/third-person perspective of the previous Jedi Knight games, you must learn the ways of the Force while aiding the Jedi Order in their battle against the remnants of the Empire. All the while, a new and troubling mystery faces the Jedi.

Platform: PC
Reviewed on PC
Windows System Requirements: Pentium III 500 MHz, 96 MB RAM, DirectX 7 compatible video card and QuickTime 6

Legacy delivers its second installment of the Law & Order television series brought to interactive life. Like its predecessor and the TV show, Double or Nothing rips its story from the headlines. You'll investigate the murder of a doctor involved in cutting edge biological research – the kind not everyone supports. Partner with Lenny Briscoe to untangle the mystery and arrest the murderer. But your job isn't finished there – after all, in the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate but equally important parties. Follow your investigation by teaming up with ADA Serena Sutherlyn to try the case in court against a determined defense attorney. You want the truth? You can't handle the truth!

Platform: PC
Reviewed on PC
Windows System Requirements: Pentium III 450 MHz, 128 MB RAM, 3D video card

Take control of a team of ghosts to scare the living and otherwise manipulate them to your own ends. This strategy/puzzler/simulation offers a light-hearted series of missions to be completed by a team of ghosts of your own choosing. Scare the mortals, power your ghosts, then dive back in for more. Released earlier in Europe, Ghost Master has now made its way to North American PCs. An Xbox version is in the offing.

Platform: PC
Reviewed on PC
Windows System Requirements: Pentium II 400 MHz, 64 MB RAM, 16 MB video card, 4 GB HD space

By the second half of the 21st Century, Earth is governed by the Higher Federal Government, a loose confederation of city-states that persist despite a wrecked ecology, and bountiful social ills such as unemployment, crime and overpopulation. Nick Delios started as an accomplished student who pioneered revolutionary developments in electronic transplants and medical programming. In an underhanded move, the head of Nick's team, Dimitris Argiriou, claimed the research was his own. When Nick got upset, Dimitris destroyed Nick's life by throwing him off the research team and breaking up Nick's engagement to Dimitris's sister Anita.

Nick was at a loss for what to do. After living a directionless life for a period, drinking heavily and gambling himself into debt, Nick started work as a private detective specializing in industrial espionage. Now, in the year 2063, an old friend and Police Inspector named Thanos Pekas is paying Nick to help solve a murder. The victim seems like a small-time criminal, but turns out to be Nick's introduction to a world of conspiracies heaped upon sinister schemes.

Platform: PC
Reviewed on PC
Windows System Requirements: Pentium III 500 MHz, 64 MB RAM, 16 MB video card, 750 MB HD space, 4x CD ROM

The world of Arx is a dark one. The sun has faded from the sky, forcing the people of Arx to flee into ancient mines for shelter. Humans, goblins, trolls and many others cooperated for long enough to move all civilization under the earth. With plants magically altered to grow underground, everyone settled into the tunnels prepared to co-exist contentedly. After time, factions began to splinter along racial lines, settlements armed and built defenses, and a spirit of hostility began to suffuse the underground world. Now, Akbaa, a deity of destruction, seeks to enter the mortal world – a transition which could mean the final destruction of Arx.

Platform: PlayStation 2
Reviewed on PlayStation 2

Sammy and Asmik take to the air once again in this near-future jet combat game. In addition to the slate of modern day fighters such as the F-15, F-16 and F/A 18, the skillful player will unlock some speculative planes of the future for a total of 13 playable jets. But until you unlock the double-secret future planes, the weapons of today will simply have to suffice for all your death-from-above needs.