System Shock 2, PC CDRom, £34.99
On its release about three years ago System Shock got critical acclaim for introducing new elements to what was becoming a tired genre. First-person shooters invariably had one objective - to run around shooting anything that moved and move on to the next level. While there are fine examples of this genre (such as Quake), System Shock was one of the first to make the player put the brain to work.
In System Shock 2, Looking Glass Studios and Irrational Games have used the game engine also used in Thief: The Dark Project. What sets System Shock 2 apart is its strong role playing game (RPG) element, and Ultima Underworld fans will spot some similarities. Weapons are modifiable, configurable and breakable, necessitating repair.
Choices begin at the start - when the player must choose a speciality: navy, marines or OSA. Choosing the navy offers better technical skills, the ability to hack into computers, and perhaps thereby to hack into a gun turret and turn it on enemies. The marine is better with weapons and can shoot his way through a crowd of enemies with greater ease.
The OSA probably offers the most interesting experience, with greater "psionic" powers - which can range from eliminating kickback from weapons to detecting nearby creatures or even to "neural restructuring", which compels an enemy to become hostile to all non-humans.
System Shock 2 is an inspired, atmospheric game that engrosses you in its world and compels you to play. Gripes include guns that seem to break far too often and the lack of multiplayer games in the initial release (although mutiplayer is available in a 5MB patch from www.sshock2.com). [Recommended: Pentium II 300/64MB/Win 9x]
Darkstone: Evil Reigns, PC CD-Rom, £34.99
Anyone who enjoyed Diablo is waiting eagerly for its sequel but this offering from Delphine might do in the meantime. It has many similarities - and some subtle differences - but it is very much the same concept.
Unlike in Diablo, you control not one but two characters. The player can choose from one of four castes (warrior, wizard, priest or thief) before embarking on the quest for the seven crystals to save the land of UMA from the grip of Draak the evil one.
Darkstone is an uncomplicated game of swords and sorcery. The player controls the two characters and slashes a path through enemies and towards pots of treasure. The more enemies killed, the more experienced the player becomes. Chests and urns contain money, weapons, spells and so on. Of course enemies get stronger and nastier as well.
Darkstone features some very nice cartoon-like graphics, which suit the nature of the game. It is fun, undemanding and very easy and enjoyable to pick up and play for 10 minutes or two hours - although it is more suited to those who enjoy playing a game every now and then than to the hardcore gamer.
[Recommended: Pentium II 350/64MB/3D card/Win 9x]
Microsoft has released version 7.0 of DirectX the application programming interface (API), designed to give software developers quick and easy access to peripherals such as joysticks, graphics and sound cards.
The new version, according to Microsoft, will enable games programmers to improve graphics, sound and speed in games. It also provides increased support for 3D processors. It can be downloaded from www.microsoft.com/directx/homeuser/downloads.
games@irish-times.ie