Change Your Image
barfrog
Reviews
The Curse of Monkey Island (1997)
Highly Recommended - A Must-Play For All!!!!
I had only written one review on IMDb prior to this, as I consider most games as unworthy of the time and effort...Curse of Monkey Island is different.
Having played and been impressed by Monkey 1 and 2, I had great expectations for the third release...and was not disappointed. The first thing that hit me was the substantially improved graphics. Don't get me wrong, for games made in 1990 and 1991 respectively, Monkey 1 and 2 were ground-breaking and provided the goods well, but CMI steps up and delivers a superb cartoon-style game-play which is both fun and satisfying. All scenes and settings have been carefully crafted and well thought out, and suit this type of game perfectly. The animation/CGI is a mixture of realism and exaggeration; a fantastic combination in this case.
For me the script has been crucial in the success of the previous two games. The CMI script is clever, appropriate and, above all, absolutely hilarious. Added to this, the script is now audio unlike the previous two where speech is displayed in text format at the bottom of the screen. Dominic Armato's voice is perfect for Guybrush: witty, clear and slightly naive. All other voice talents fit their characters perfectly, especially Earl Boen who is the voice behind LeChuck. I loved every single character throughout the game: not just their personalities and wit, but the way each character is animated superbly and distinctively. Whilst on the subject of audio effects, the soundtrack is worth a mention. The soundtracks for Monkey 1 and 2 were both monotone, and despite this were very effective at giving atmosphere and representing a change in mood. CMI's soundtrack is, once again, a step up. Each scene is complemented by a catchy, subtle, playful and piratey (if that's a word) tune. With a change in setting or mood, the music also adapts, adding to the entertainment and amusement that the game offers.
The whole idea behind Monkey Island is to solve puzzles and problems in order to progress. This might sound easy, but is actually devilishly tricky in many places. Some may be put off by the level of logic and amount of thinking that goes into Monkey Island, but in reality this makes the game even more entertaining and fun, and also adds to the replay value. The option of "The Curse of Monkey Island" or "The Curse of Monkey Island: Mega-Monkey" (which involves trickier and more abundant puzzles) suits players of all abilities and also gives good cause to play the game at least twice. Whatever difficulty level you choose, you are guaranteed a different game each time you replay, with numerous speech options and other puzzles to solve that don't affect the outcome of the game, but are just there for fun. The most entertaining section of the game is Ship Combat, and the sword "fights" that follow. These were particularly well thought out and make the game completely worthwhile. Add to this a stupendous story that is non-violent and suitable for all ages which will keep you hooked and wanting more until the very end.
Finally in conclusion, a uniquely special mention must go to the designers of this game. The way each complex puzzle and problem is thought out is simply astonishing. Whilst gathering up items and objects during game-play, you can't see how each one is going to help you progress, but with a little thought and perseverance solutions present themselves, and for that the designers of CMI must be highly commended.
10/10 for the best game I have ever played (not an exaggeration)
Tachyon: The Fringe (2000)
Way ahead of it's time, fantastic!
Tachyon: The Fringe is simply the best space combat game I have ever played. The graphics and sound effects are still up there with games currently being released, even though Tachyon came on to the market almost 8 years ago, and the storyline is one of depth and quality.
The story begins with your lovable character, Jake Logan, as a mercenary space pilot working for Advanced Ganymede Techlologies. Through an unfortunate chain of events he is arrested and exiled to The Fringe of colonised space. There he is caught up in a war between mega-corporation GalSpan and mining colonists Bora, and must fight to earn his right to clear his name and return home. The twists and turns of the plot will keep you hooked throughout.
The game is layed back and open, with you deciding what missions you fly and when. Some missions will earn you lots of cash, depending on the importance and the dangers of the objectives, some not so much. One of the best aspects is the wide range of weapons and hardware available to customise your ship with. The ships themselves all have distinguishing features, some are better suited to certain missions. There's plenty to do when your not blasting space pirates or taking part in a massive fleet battle, such as listening to the Tachyon News Service, or playing the slot machines in a huge casino space station. The game never gets boring.
The graphics are stunning considering when the game was released. Beautiful nebulae and asteroid fields, plenty of big explosions, and huge awe-inspiring space stations and capital ships. The laser and missile effects are decent, maybe could have been better, but they do the job. The fighter craft are excellent, each looking futuristic and distinctive, perfect for this game. Sound effects and voice overs make the game come alive, with Bruce Campbell at the centre. The sound is not brilliant in places, but overall is very good, and accompanies the graphics well. The script is superb and very humorous in places, and makes you want to get to know and care about Jake Logan. Other supporting characters such as the evil Baron Hajod add to the depth and excitement of the game.
I do have a few minor reservations, the main one being the speed of the ships. You get the feeling that the ships you pilot are sluggish, and the game lacks pace and adrenaline in areas because of this. And as I mentioned before some of the weapons effects are mediocre.
Do not in any way let this put you off though. Tachyon is a masterpiece that was way ahead of it's time, and never received the credit it deserved. Big games designers should definitely consider reviving Tachyon using modern game designing technology, as there is definitely a market for this genre, the problem being no decent games of this type created since Tachyon itself. With the creases smoothed over Tachyon could be an epic.