DeVuego ES_COR

The basic concept of Beach Head 2000 shows quite a bit of promise. Sadly it falls far short of its potential, lacking any customizable features or scalability. It suffers from dated graphics combined with lackluster sound effects and a disappointing absence of music. Beach Head 2000 would have fit in quite well among such point-accumulating games as Maelstrom, back when games were simple and didn't rely upon complex stories. In modern times, however, when even simple retro-games like Frogger get massive face lifts and hordes of options, there is little room for a game that prides itself on pure simplicity and repetitive action. With so little in the way of content it almost seems as though WizardWorks rushed Beach Head 2000 out the door without pausing to explore the possibility of a truly unique idea.

We liked the game so much we decided to write a complete strategy guide to help people who were stuck on certain missions. If this game lacks one element, it's replayability. Given the nature of the game, this is not an easy problem to fix. However, Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines is unlike anything I've played before and I love it. I'll probably play the missions one more time, just for nostalgia's sake. The appeal of playing comes through in every facet of the game and once it hooks you, you can't let go. I can't say enough good things about this game. It's provided me with a month of quality entertainment and, although it was frustratingly difficult at times, I couldn't stop playing. If the most important element in reviewing the game is the "fun factor," then this game definitely earned every bit of our Reviewer's Choice award.

I really like the style and substance in this title, and look forward to a long line of Commandos games. My only hope is that Pyro takes the affectionate criticism to heart and implements the changes and fixes outlined here. This series has great potential, and while not fully realized in this product, they have made considerable progress.

The tactical wargame that remains, however, is simplistic and underdeveloped.

It is quite clear to me that Snow Wave Avalanche stands up well to its competition from X Games Pro Boarder and Snowmobile Racing. There is a lot of fun and challenge to be had in going down the slopes doing delicate maneuvers on a fragile board. While it cannot compare in its ability to grab me for untold hours of addictive play to the very best conventional racing games, and there are some disturbing issues with its interface design, vocal effects, and difficulty levels, I think it is well worth a look from the growing legions of computer racing fans.

I didn’t know what to expect when I started playing Murder in the Abbey, but I was not anticipating a plot seemingly reworked from a mildly obscure 1986 Sean Connery film. The children’s cartoon art style is at odds with the decidedly adult nature of the story, which includes some disturbingly creepy double entendres (parents, be prepared to answer some uncomfortable questions). The interface, although pleasingly simple, is filled with bugs. Any murder-mystery game that has you spending more time reading than you do playing is bound to lose the interest of its players long before the killer’s identity is revealed. With so many other choices in the adventure genre out there, Murder in the Abbey is one that can easily be skipped.

War Times struggles along and ultimately becomes a casualty of its own conflicts. The shallow tech tree, paucity of unit types, ineffective pathfinding and tedious gameplay make enjoying it a losing fight.