Quake 4

Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap…

Why do I do this to myself? I’ve decided that in order upgrade myself from gaming outcast to sociable gamer I’m going to learn to play FPS’. Why you ask? I just told you damnit!

Anyways, moving on… I bought Quake 4. No, I did not realise it would be as gruesome as it is. No, I did not think that it would toss you head first into the game without a nice walkthrough to help you going with it. No, I did not realise that if your num-lock is on, you can’t use your keypad. So of course, I ended up dead… fast.

I’m going to give the game another try before I comment on it.

In the meantime though, here are some wise words that I found for those of you, who like me, are very new to FPS games.

Keep moving.
Do not stand still during a fire fight, it's suicidal.
Move all the time, find a safe place, and reload.

Reload.
(Key "R" default)
Keep an eye on your ammo level. When low move away to a safe area and reload. If exposed when reloading... you die. Click and weep.

Know your Strogg.
Bigger the Strogg, more powerful the weapon needed to kill. No, surprisingly a comparatively light weapon can do more damage.
If you’re having problems change weapons. Your armoury always has a weapon for the Stroggs you will meet.

This game (Quake 4) is visually spectacular, second to none. You will also have to listen; sound will help you especially in later levels.

Enjoy the game; it will take a good few hours to complete. There is absolutely no point in trying to complete the game as fast as you can. Take some time to look around and enjoy the environment. Good luck!

SPORE

To be honest, I don’t really have much to say about Spore.

I think the downward spiral of the game, for me, began right in the beginning when the game wouldn’t see my internet connection. After much frustration I eventually clicked cancel, and the game launched. No, I have no idea what happened either.

The game, visually, is very entry-level (on my pc, of course). Although, I do think that the EA took the whole ‘minimum spec requirements’ to the extreme. My pc just meets the specification requirements, except for my graphics card, which is slightly better. The graphics quality, although adequate, leaves much to be desired.

The concept of the game is good. Create a creature and evolve it. The execution of that concept is not good. Yes, you create a creature and evolve it, but I find myself asking where the finesse is? Where is the part where I can turn my creature from a ghastly looking alien into a cool human (or at the very least, humanoid type creature)? Why can’t I get the eyes to look the way I want, and what the heck is up with the mouth?

Once I’d gotten through the cell stage and was onto the creature stage the game became repetitive quickly. Initially I started out creating an herbivore. This lasted all of 2 hours. I then scrapped my creature and started again as a carnivore. It would seem that survival of the fittest is the way to go. Perhaps it’s my personality, or perhaps it’s just the way the Spore universe works, but my anti-social, kill everything in my path attitude seemed to be effective and after repeatedly performing the same actions (charm, spit, attack, bite, etc…) I got to the tribal phase.

Defending my meat was the end of the game for me. I switched it off and went back to playing Bratz. Although, I have to say, watching paint dry would also have topped the excitement factor of the game.

I keep asking myself, were my expectations of the game too high? Was I expecting it to be on the same level as The Sims2, of which I am an ultimate fan? I don’t know the answers to those questions. What I do know is that Spore did not ‘wow’ me in a way that I thought it would.




My Spore Creatures:

Visit the Spore.co.za website

Bratz the Movie

Ok, I admit it! I bought the ultimate in girly-girl games. I just couldn’t help myself. It’s… so cute… and well… when cute calls, I tend to go galloping off after it.

Bratz is based on the live-action movie of the same name. The story follows the 4 Bratz girls; Cloe (Angel), Yasmin (Pretty Princess), Sasha (Bunny Boo) and Jade (Kool Kat); as they try to put out a magazine, manage school and their new teacher Burdine Maxwell (Editor-in-chief of the rival magazine ‘Your Thing’) and deal with the ‘Tweevils’ Kaycee and Kirstee; twin sisters and Burdine’s interns.

The game is a collection of mini-games, some are required to move through the story and some are there to help you earn “blingz” to spend and other rewards. The required mini-games help you fill your magazine, which you can view at any point in the game by returning to the Bratz office.

As you move through the game you get to buy or create your own fashions, pick up a pet that you can enter into competitions, take photographs, pick up tasks from your mobile phone, hold a fashion show, and a whole whack of other little things that all help you in your quest to put out the best fashion magazine on the market.

The controls are simple. Using only the remote (no Nunchuk required) you point your character in the direction that you want her to move in, and hold down ‘B’. I found the camera controls to be a tad iffy though, and when your character is on her inline skates, the remote isn’t as intuitive as it should be. Meaning, you end up getting stuck in corners and heading off in the wrong direction.

The graphics, although not terrible, are not as good as they could have been. However, this is all forgiven thanks to the bright, rich colours and cuteness of both the towns and the characters.

This is definitely a game for your girly-girl up to the age of 12, although, this girly-girl is enjoying it so far.

Jade on her way up to the design table to create those awesome Bratz fashions:
Cloe with her pet at The Mall:
Visit the Bratz website!

View the 'Bratz the Movie' game trailer