Gamepressure.com Staff Picks 2000

Akcji 15 December 2000

A tactical FPS with strategy elements, developed by Interloop. The action takes place in the former Soviet Union, where, as a SAS officer, we have to find and capture American nuclear warheads and prevent a catastrophe similar to the one that happened in Chernobyl. The gameplay combines elements of tactical FPS and strategy game; before each mission we have to devise a detailed plan with the aim of staying undetected for as long as possible. The planning is of great importance because the game has no save feature and each, even the slightest, mistake can cost us dearly. The advantage of Project I.G.I. (which stands for “I’m Going In”) is realism, authentic depiction of SAS equipment, and the option to interact with various vehicles such as tanks, jets, or helicopters.

PC

Wyścigi 23 March 2000

Another installment in the Need for Speed franchise. As the title suggests, the game focuses around Porsche, offering eighty licensed car models belonging to the German brand. The game includes such classics as the first 356 from 1950 or 911 Turbo from 2000. The player races in locations such as crowded urban areas, winding mountain roads, or never-ending highways. When playing the Evolution Mode, the player will observe the evolution of the famous car brand over nearly half a century. Cinematics, slides shows, and statistics prepared by the creators contribute to the experience. In the Factory Driver Mode, the player becomes a member of a group of drivers in order to learn about this profession. Additionally, the game offers Quick Race and Multiplayer Mode. When driving on European roads, the player has to avoid different dangers, such as collisions, traffic, or the police. Thanks to the new engine utilized by the game, Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed offers better physics and more accurately designed car models.

PC

RPG 29 June 2000

A sequel to one of the biggest hits by Blizzard Entertainment. The plot of Diablo II follows the events of the first installment. The victory over Diablo turned out to be merely an illusion. Having possessed the body of his conqueror, Aidan, Diablo plans to unleash his brothers – Mefisto and Baal – with the purpose of enslaving the human kind once and for all. The player’s objective is to thwart the demon’s dreadful plans. The mechanics are very similar to those featured in the first part of Diablo – the game still emphasizes dynamic hack-n-slash combat as well as skill and psycho-physical attribute development by gaining experience points. The visuals in Diablo II combine 2D and 3D elements and the soundtrack was composed by Matt Uelmen.

PC

RPG 22 June 2000

A cyberpunk first-person perspective action RPG developed by Ion Storm, studio led by the legend of the video game industry, Warren Spector – co-creator of such cult series as Ultima and Wing Commander. Deus Ex takes place in the middle of XXI century, in a world filled with terrorism, corruption, poverty and a mysterious disease called the Gray Death. The player assumes the role of agent JC Denton and discovers that a secret organization named Majestic 12, which eventually intends to rule the world, is responsible for the deadly virus. The gameplay mechanics of the game combine FPS, stealth and RPG features. Thanks to special nanotechnological augmentations the protagonist has inhuman abilities that can be gradually improved as the game progresses. Denton can use various weapons which can be also modified. The story of the game is non-linear, and depending on the choices made by the player it might led to one of three alternative endings.

PC

Akcji 23 November 2000

Multiplayer modification of the cult Half-Life, prepared by the creators of the original from Valve Software studio. The game is a tactical FPP shooter, in which two teams face each other, representing terrorists and specialized anti-terrorist units. Each team has at their disposal a dedicated arsenal of weapons, which were prepared on the basis of original equipment of special forces from different countries (like Navy Seals, GSG9, GIGN or SAS).

PC

Akcji 23 March 2000

A continuation of the best-selling first-person stealth game created by Looking Glass Technologies studio in 1998. Once again, we play the part of a thief, Garrett, who is willing to undertake virtually any, daring or not, theft, just to make more money. Thanks to his activities, the protagonist has managed to amass not only sizable assets, but also many bitter enemies, representing three factions governing the city. Thus, in Thief 2: The Metal Age our main task will be to keep Garrett alive and explain the reasons for everyone's sudden increase in interest in his person. Concerning gameplay, the game basically does not differ from the first installment, although player gets a few new useful gadgets at his disposal, such as new types of arrows or an invisibility potion. Artificial intelligence algorithms and the range of potential reactions and behaviors of our opponents were significantly improved.

PC

Przygodowe 22 November 2000

A bloody and dark adaptation of Alice's fairy tale in Wonderland, in which Alice has to deal with the evil Queen of the Dark with a whole arsenal of deadly weapons. Fun mechanics combines the typical platform exploration of large three-dimensional levels with a combat system realized as in the best shooters.

PC

Wyścigi 10 December 2000

The second entry in the legendary racing game series that focuses on car rallies. Colin McRae Rally 2.0 was developed by Codemasters Software. The game takes the player to over ninety rally Special Stages in eight world cup qualifiers. CMR 2.0 offers thirteen cars, among them Ford Focus 2000, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI, Subaru Impreza WRC and Peugeot 206 WRC. The Special Stages are located in such locations as Finland, Italy or Kenya. An interesting feature of this title is that it offers two game modes: simulation and arcade – choosing the latter will mean a simplified driving model. Apart from single player modes, Colin McRae Rally 2.0 also includes an expansive multiplayer segment, where up to eight players can compete in a game. The game also features a split-screen mode for two players. High-quality visuals complete the game, along with an advanced damage model.

PC

Akcji 31 October 2000

An action-adventure game set in a world based on Norse mythology, in the times when Vikings were conquering the cold, grim world, and the pagan religions were widespread in the north. You play as a young warrior named Ragnar, who has to defeat mythical monsters and discover the source of evil that has been destroying his people. The game, which utilizes the Unreal Tournament graphic engine, features a mysterious world of the Vikings consisting of 25 levels. To succeed in combat, you need to react to the monsters' behavior — you have to hit and parry in the right moment, otherwise you may risk getting struck dead. You can also gather special health points, weapons, and other items. There is also an online multiplayer mode, which allows you to fight other players on a special arena.

PC

Strategiczne 26 October 2000

Sudden Strike is an extensive real-time strategy prepared by Fireglow development studio. The action of the game was set in the realities of World War II, and players can play the roles of commanders of the British, Soviet or German armies. The creators took care of complicated scenarios, based on historical sources, played out on huge boards and with the participation of hundreds of units.

PC

Strategiczne 19 June 2000

Combat Mission: Beyond Overlord is a turn-based strategy in the realities of World War II, created by Battlefront.com's development team. The creators with great care to reconstruct the historical realities of the western front - from the landing in Normandy to the capitulation of the Third Reich. Players have the opportunity to command units on a tactical level, playing scenarios based on authentic military operations from that period.

PC

RPG 07 June 2000

An original, virtual equivalent to a popular tabletop RPG known as Vampire: The Masquerade. The plot is based on the concept of two storylines separated by a period of eight centuries. The player assumes the role of a crusader by the name of Cristof Romuald, who falls in love with Anezka - a nun who has taken care of him. When the woman gets kidnapped, the protagonist discovers that he is only a pawn in an everlasting war between vampire families. Bitten by one such being, the knight struggles to find the beloved woman and save his own soul from eternal damnation. In terms of the mechanics, the game is significantly different from its tabletop predecessor, focusing on fighting with different weapons and using vampire magic - it was only a marginal part of the original Vampire: The Masquerade. On his quest, Cristof meets a variety of NPCs who can join him. Because of the specifics of the genre, each of them is described by a set of statistics, which can be developed when experience is gained.

PC

Akcji 08 November 2000

For the third time we have the opportunity to play the role of the commandos of the elite special forces of the US Force. This time the game offers a completely new, fully three-dimensional and accelerated graphical engine.

PC

Sportowe 05 November 2000

Championship Manager Season 00/01 is an extensive football manager, produced by Sports Interactive. The player plays the role of the manager of the football club, and his duties include the transfer of players, expansion of the stadium infrastructure and the establishment of pre-match strategies. The game database contains information about 50 thousand players playing in 26 leagues.

PC

RPG 22 September 2000

A sequel to the bestselling RPG by BioWare from 1998. The story of Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn continues the tale that began in the first part, in which the protagonist faced the god Bhaal himself and his own brother Sarevok. This time fate throws him to an unknown land named Amn, located in the southern part of Swords Coast, where he is abducted with his party by a powerful mage, Irenicus. The players are to search for Imoen – the hero’s childhood friend – and face the evil warlock. In terms of game mechanics, the title does not differ from its predecessor, offering vast, new locations to explore and lots of new quests and enemies. However, new characters’ classes appeared, along with previously unavailable skills, spells, and items. The visuals have also been visibly enhanced, displayed in 800x600 resolution an supporting 3D accelerators.

PC

Symulacje 30 August 2000

The first official expansion to the humoristic life simulator The Sims. The Livin’ Large expansion pack offers new career paths like musician, journalist, hacker and even a paranormal activity specialist. Thanks to the new traits and abilities of the Sims, the player can organize their time and develop their skills in new ways. The Sims: Livin’ Large introduces many new items, architecture and decoration styles. There is more than 120 new objects available, including walls, floors, windows and NPCs. Thanks to that it is not only possible to build a villa, but a palace or a medieval castle as well. Many of the new items offer new activities, like cleaning a lamp, creating alchemy potions and shooting a rocket. The enriched neighborhood screen allows us to select up to five areas, thanks to which the player can create and control am much as five times more families than in the original.

PC

Strategiczne 13 June 2000

An epic strategy game developed by Creative Assembly (a British developer) and taking the player to 16th-century Japan. As the head of a noble family, the player develops their province in order to widen one's area of influence in the country ruined by war. Gameplay was divided into two segments here, combining elements of a turn-based strategy with real-time battles. Thus the player works on their province through construction of new buildings, trading, maintaining diplomatic relations, raising successors and training an army of loyal samurai. Simultaneously however, the player takes part in epic battles in full 3D; what is noticeable, thousands of units can be engaging in the battle at one time. The game comes with a large portion of authenticity when it comes to recreating historical realities. The in-game battles are extensive when it comes to different mechanics implemented - those real-time skirmishes get affected by such factors as the player's commands, formations, morale, fatigue, shape of terrain, weather or fortifications.

PC

Symulacje 02 February 2000

A bestselling life simulator developed by Maxis, a studio that specializes in the genre (they've created SimCity, SimTown and other titles). The Sims enables the player to take care of a virtual family of Sims. During the game the player must take care of various needs of his characters – starting with typically physiological ones (eating, toilet, hygiene etc.), through social relations, to career. The player has great freedom in expanding his family’s house, which can be furnished with various items that will be useful for the Sims. The gameplay mechanics are based on very simple principles and lack any violence, making the game a good title for casual players. A specific humor and large number of funny animations of character’s reactions are worth mentioning.

PC

Akcji 07 December 2000

Giants: Citizen Kabuto is a crazy action game combining a shooter with light RTS elements in the form of raw material management and building construction. The action takes place on an alien planet, on which three sides of the war are waged: a woman resembling a mermaid, a giant monster named Kabuto, and space adventurers who had to land in this land in an emergency.

PC

Przygodowe 20 April 2000

The Longest Journey is a classic adventure game produced by FunCom's development team. The main character, April Ryan, must save two twin worlds: Arcadia and Stark. The game uses a point & click interface. Players have the opportunity to talk to 50 NPCs and visit more than 100 locations.

PC

RPG 02 December 2000

Sea Dogs is an action adventure game in which players have the opportunity to taste the life of a 17th century pirate or a brave British sailor. The title was produced by Akella studio. The game combines elements of adventure, cRPG and even real-time strategy. Its advantages include a non-linear plot and an over 60-minute soundtrack recorded by Moscow Philharmonic Orchestras.

PC

Strategiczne 30 June 2000

Continuation of Homeworld's excellent real-time space strategy. In the distant future, the Kushan race, once banished into the distant corners of the Galaxy, returns to its home planet and fights a new enemy, known as the Beast.

PC

Symulacje 27 April 2000

Space simulator, where players can try their hand at the controls of futuristic units. In the twentieth century, two divided factions of people waged an interplanetary war for the primacy of the Solar System.

PC

Zręcznościowe 02 November 2000

Airfix Dogfighter is a combination of a dynamic arcade game and a simplified flight simulator. As a player you play the role of a pilot of World War II combat aircraft models.

PC

Strategiczne 05 July 2000

Warlords: Battlecry is a real-time strategy (RTS) produced by the Strategic Studies Group's team with a blend of cRPG. The action of the game was set in the fantasy world. The player directs the actions of the hero, who has to destroy two Tears of Heaven before they bring the catastrophe to the inhabitants of Dawn Island. The title uses elements of Dungeons & Dragons feature system mechanics.

PC

RPG 29 June 2000

Isometric cRPG game based on the principles of the second edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons system. The action takes place in the Valley of the Ice Wind, located in the far north of the world of Forgotten Realms. We control a team of daredevils who have to face the ancient evil. The fights take place in real time.

PC

Strategiczne 13 June 2000

The Earth and its moon are facing a cosmic catastrophe. The only hope for rescue is to flee. Because large quantities of raw materials are needed to build evacuation units, the one who takes control of them will survive.

PC