Gamepressure.com Staff Picks 2001

Sportowe 12 October 2001

Championship Manager 2001/2002 is a football manager produced by Sports Interactive studio, allowing players to lead their own football team. The game allows, among other things, setting pre-match strategies, player transfers and expansion of the club infrastructure. The game database contains information about over 100 thousand players playing in 26 leagues and national teams.

PC

Akcji 26 July 2001

Max Payne is a third-person perspective action game developed by the Finnish studio Remedy Entertainment. The protagonist is an undercover DEA agent whose task is to locate the source of Valkyr - a deadly new drug. Personally, Max is also seeking revenge against the murderers of his family. He falls victim to a conspiracy and gets accused of killing his supervisor. The creators were inspired by the crime stories from the 1940s and 1950s, Pulp novels, and the movie, The Matrix. The gameplay focuses on very dynamic sequences of spectacular shootings. An innovative gameplay mechanism is the bullet-time effect which allows the player to slow down the passage of time for a short while in order to perform quick movements, such as jumps or dodges.

PC

RPG 29 June 2001

Lord of Destruction is the first official expansion pack for Diablo II. It was developed by Blizzard North. The expansion allows the players to fight with the third Prime Evil, Baal, who gathered an army of demons and besieges the Harrogath fortress, which is located at the base of Mount Arreat. The titular Lord of Destruction tries to find the legendary Worldstone. Our job is to stop him before he manages to do so. Along with the new storyline, Diablo II: Lord of Destruction introduces two no classes, Assassin and Druid. The expansion also comes with new weapons and armors, new Horadric Cube combinations, and with items that have a chance of casting a spell when being used. Our item inventory has increased in capacity and we can change the game's resolution from VGA (640x480) to SVGA (800x600). Lord of Destruction's soundtrack was composed, like in the base game, by Matt Uelmen.

PC

Strategiczne 21 September 2001

The sequel of the popular turn-based tactics game from 1998, developed by Spanish Pyro Studios. In Commandos 2: Men of Courage we take over a squad of well-trained commandos, sent to complete various missions behind enemy lines. The group now consists of a green beret, a sapper, a spy, a driver, a sniper, and a diver, with occasional appearances of Natasha, a seductress, and Whiskey, a dog, which is a completely new addition to the series. Each of the characters has his own set of skills, which are often indispensable for the mission to end with victory. The game contains 10 complex levels taking place all around the world, and divided into a number of smaller segments. Our commandos can now move around interiors (including a submarine), and have new skills and movement options. The game is powered by an improved graphical engine that offers various zoom levels, and four different camera shots (every 90 degrees).

PC

Akcji 16 November 2001

The first adventure game based on the best-selling novel written by J.K. Rowling about a young wizard – Harry Potter. The main protagonist is trying to develop his magical potential in Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

PC

Strategiczne 28 March 2001

An unusual strategy game with RPG features, developed by the British Lionhead Studios under the lead of a legendary developer, Peter Molyneux. Black & White takes us to the world of Eden, where a long-standing harmony and balance between the humans and the nature is disrupted by the appearance of many deities, whose untamed craving for power leads to countless conflicts and wars. We take role of one of such gods, with our task being to teach and guide our followers, as well as raise a familiar - a powerful creature that will assist us in fights and help control our tribe. Depending on our preferences, we can become a god loved by our people or a merciless tyrant ruling through fear. Our choices will also impact the growth of our familiar, which can turn into friendly and helpful entity or a fearsome monster.

PC

Strategiczne 13 November 2001

A real-time strategy developed by Stainless Steel Studios, consisting of the creators of the famous Age of Empires series. We play the role of the leader of a given nation and we have been leading its development for over half a million years. The game has a very nice audio-visual setting, many gameplay options, extensive multiplayer mode and a convenient user interface.

PC

RPG 22 August 2001

A classic, isometric cRPG, set in an original world combining traditional fantasy elements with nineteenth-century industrial era. Title was developed by the team of Troika Games studio, founded by former employees of Interplay and co-authors of the iconic RPG, Fallout. In Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura we play the part of a simple mortal, who, after having managed to survive the disaster of the world's first airship, becomes widely recognized as a deity due to an ancient elven prophecy, bringing him a whole lot of adventures, troubles, and dangers. The game develops in a nonlinear way, offering, in addition to the main plot line, a whole bunch of extremely complex side quests. Just as in the aforementioned Fallout, the game has no rigid class system; hence, our character can specialize in magic, technology, or freely combine both elements.

PC

Akcji 22 June 2001

The hard-working communists against reform are trying to restore the "old order", and it is you who must prevent them. Operation Flashpoint is a tactical, war action game that allows the player to act with almost no restrictions.

PC

Strategiczne 27 April 2001

Developed by Spellbound Entertainment, the game is a tactical strategy western-style game based on the mechanics of the popular Commandos series. The action of Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive takes place in the Wild West and during the game we control a team led by gunslinger John Cooper and consisting of six cowboys with different skills. In the team there are: a simple bandit, an expert in explosives, a barber who can heal minor wounds, a poker player and an experienced gambler.

PC

Akcji 21 February 2001

Centuries after the creation of the Sun, Moon and Earth, evil awakens on earth, spreading terror and havoc. You need a chosen one who will bear the holy sword to victory and eventually defeat the enemy.

PC

Akcji 31 October 2001

The second part of the cult series of FPP shooters, in which we play one of the three races: Alien, Predator or Marines. A fictional campaign dedicated to each of the characters is a unique experience and a completely different combat system. This made the production go down in history as one of the most interesting games of this type. The solo game is complemented by a multiplayer.

PC

Sportowe 15 October 2001

The next adaptation of the 2002 edition of the popular football simulation allows you to play in the most important leagues in the world and participate in the World Cup 2002 qualifiers. More than 75 licensed national teams and 16 leagues are available, including the English Premier League, the German Bundesliga, the Spanish Premier Division, the French LNF and the American Major League Soccer (MLS).

PC

Akcji 23 November 2001

Another tactical action game promoted by Tom Clancy's name. This time its heroes are members of the elite unit of soldiers "The Ghosts", who can be found everywhere where there is armed conflict.

PC

Przygodowe 22 June 2001

Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare is a classic survival-horror. We play one of two different characters (Edward Carnby and Aline Cedrac). During the game we solve not too complicated puzzles, and we fight spectacular duels with terrifying creatures.

PC

Przygodowe 21 November 2001

Sequel a well-known action game with a little different title Soul Reaver: Legacy of Kain. Again we play the role of a vampire named Raziel, who, still in the pursuit of revenge on his former lord Cain, moves in time to the past and continues his crusade there.

PC

Strategiczne 18 October 2001

A medieval strategy which combines, in a rather unusual way, a castle builder simulator with a Settlers-like economic game. The player assumes the role of one of medieval lords whose task is to transform a small settlement into a powerful and well fortified stronghold and then protect it from the invaders. The castle can constructed by using various premade elements such as walls, towers, bridges or moats. Economical infrastructure is important as well since it provides constant income of resources and food as well as job for the peasants. The game is divided into two main modes: the economical one in which the most important part is to expand the settlement; and the military one where during epic fights one must defend his castle or siege enemy stronghold. The game also has a multiplayer mode for up to 8 players.

PC

Przygodowe 30 January 2001

Action game created by Bungie Software team. The player plays the role of a special agent named Konoko - her task is to infiltrate the criminal syndicate and annihilate it from inside. The game focuses on direct clashes with enemies, during which we use not only a rich arsenal, but above all the heroine's advanced hand-to-hand combat skills.

PC

Wyścigi 09 November 2001

Historic Rally Trophy is a car race in which we will be able to sit behind the wheel of such wonders as: Ford Cortina, Fiat 600 Abarth or Morris Mini Cooper and chase the picturesque trails.

PC

Symulacje 21 November 2001

Contemporary airplanes are mainly electronics, in machines dating back to the Second World War, man was the most important. Il-2 Sturmovik gives the player the opportunity to play as a pilot of planes from this period and to fight great heavenly battles.

PC

Strategiczne 12 October 2001

The next installment of the Patrician series, which originally appeared in Germany as a stand-alone extension to the second part of the game. The action takes us back to the historical realities of 14th-century Europe, where we witness the development of the famous association of commercial cities, known as the Hanseatic League.

PC

Strategiczne 31 October 2001

The third full-fledged installment of the popular series of turn-based strategy games. The Firaxis Games studio, founded by Sid Meier after leaving Microprose, is responsible for its creation. As in the previous iterations of the cycle, in Civilization III we take the wheel as the leader of a selected civilization, and our task is to guide it through the subsequent eras of development, from 4000 BC to the present day. Our duties include e.g. systematic expansion of our lands, foundation and development of new cities, training of military units and settlers, development of new technologies and either leading our nation in war or establishing good diplomatic ties and relations with other nations. There are several roads to victory, aggressive expansionism being only one of them. Sid Meier's Civilization III features 16 playable civilizations, each of which is distinguished by a unique character and skill set. The third installment introduces army commanders, as well as rare resources essential for the production of specific weapons and technologies. Graphic design has been improved significantly, and the gameplay experience is further enhanced by a professional soundtrack.

PC

Strategiczne 25 April 2001

Tropico is the first installment of the popular cycle of economic strategies. The player plays the role of a dictator on one of the islands of the fictional archipelago. Its task is to bring a small state to bloom. Developers from PopTop Software studio took care of humorous approach to the subject and climatic visual setting.

PC

RPG 15 November 2001

Wizardry 8 is the eighth installment of the valued cRPG series produced and published by Sir-Tech. This time the action of the game was set on the mysterious planet Dominus, and the team led by the player has to face many dangers of the omu Space Lords. The non-linear storyline allows for different game ends.

PC

RPG 19 June 2001

Add-on to Baldur's Gate II cRPG. It is a continuation of the main thread from the campaign of this game and at the same time it crowns the story started before the first edition of the series. Enlargement brings new lands to explore and tasks to complete. The list of spells and special abilities has been extended. In addition, the maximum level of experience has been increased.

PC

Strategiczne 17 December 2001

Sequel well-known economic strategy published in 1995. Again, it allows players to transform themselves into a great shark of world finance and take over the international economy in the comfort of their own home.

PC

Strategiczne 20 November 2001

Unusual turquoise in which elements of strategy, cRPG and cards were combined. The game is divided into two main parts: the first strategic one, in which we move troops all over the map, discover new territories and manage castles, and the second part, the so-called battle, where we directly command the actions of our troops and heroes in combat.

PC

Strategiczne 20 November 2001

A sequel to the extensive real-time strategy game by Paradox Interactive that lets us lead the development of the biggest European superpowers throughout hundreds of years. Europa Universalis II is much bigger and spans across not three but four hundred years of global history (1419-1820). Contrary to its predecessor, the sequel lets us lead one of 180 actual countries, including such ones as the Chinese Empire or African tribes. Gameplay-wise, the developers adjusted all key mechanics like economy, politics, and diplomacy to match the global scale and introduced a myriad of enhancements, including a scenario editor. The game map was expanded with 120 new provinces. The role of religion was also recreated in greater detail. The improved graphics faithfully reflect the design and uniqueness of the available nations.

PC

Akcji 29 March 2001

Tribes 2 is a sequel to Starsiege Tribes action tactical action game, released in 2008 and maintained in the climates of science fiction. The story shows the struggle of the once conflicting fractions of Blood Eagles, Phoenix Children, Diamond Swords and Star wolves against the mutated BioDerm race. The game was developed by Dynamix studio for multiplayer online gameplay, in which over 50 players can participate at the same time.

PC

Przygodowe 05 March 2001

Runaway: A Road Adventure is a classic adventure game produced by the genre's specialist studio Pendulo. The player directs the actions of a young physicist, who is entangled in a dangerous crime intrigue. The creators took care of a large number of puzzles to solve and eye-catching cartoon visual setting.

PC

Symulacje 17 September 2001

A realistic simulator of an atomic submarine, in which, playing the role of a captain, we can perform a number of dangerous combat tasks taking place all over the earth's globe.

PC

Symulacje 07 November 2001

In the new edition of the flagship flight simulator of Microsoft aircraft, we can pilot almost all the most popular passenger aircraft, and even play the role of an air traffic controller in multiplayer mode.

PC

Przygodowe 08 May 2001

Myst III: Exile is the third part of the highly acclaimed adventure game series, which dates back to 1995. This time the axis of the plot is the revenge Saavedro wants to make on Atrus and his sons. The player takes on the role of an unnamed hero who tries to thwart the villain's plans. Developers from Presto studio took care of properly complicated riddles and implemented a new graphical engine allowing to generate 3D image.

PC

Strategiczne 03 May 2001

He is the successor to the well-known and liked Sim Theme Park, in which our goal is to acquire a majority of shares in a large international consortium and take over the position of President.

PC

Przygodowe 02 November 2001

Continuation of the flagship series of adventure games by the French band Cryo Interactive, whose plot focuses on the archaeologists' search for the lost city of Atlantes.

PC

Przygodowe 05 September 2001

Schism: The True Challenge is a classic adventure created by the Polish development studio Detalion. The action of the game has been set in the near future. The player directs the actions of the Angel spacecraft crew, who are trying to unravel the mystery of the disappearance of the inhabitants of the planet Argilus. The plot is the responsibility of well-known science fiction writers Terry Dowling and Tomasz Kolodziejczak.

PC

RPG 27 June 2001

Another project of Ion Storm, the creators of the critically acclaimed Daikatana and the magnificent Deus Ex. It is a production for the RPG genre taking place in the distant future. Despite the American production team, the whole gameplay mechanism resembles Japanese games of this genre rather than their western counterparts.

PC

RPG 17 April 2001

A combination of a tactical strategy game with an action fantasy RPG. The game was developed by Nival Studios. The player assumes the role of Zak, a man who starts a journey through unknown, magic realms. The protagonist encounters plenty of fantasy characters, creatures, items and spells. The game features very nice graphics and a multiplayer for up to six players.

PC

RPG 09 October 2001

MMORPG type game, set in the realities of the Middle Ages filled with magic and fantastic characters. After the death of King Arthur, there is a conflict in which three parties are involved: Albion, Migdard and Hibernia. We create a character, speak one side by side and set off on a journey through a mythical Europe full of tasks, challenges, spells and objects. Together with other players we can create groups and covenants.

PC

Strategiczne 22 August 2001

Imagine a game from the Command & Conquer series in which you can play online with a hundred of your friends at the same time, on one battlefield directing several of the hundreds of units in battle ... Nice truth, that's what Shattered Galaxy looks like.

PC

RPG 27 June 2001

Set in the climates of science-fiction MMORPG, which takes place on a distant planet, torn apart by conflicts between the powerful Omni-Tek organization and independent clans who want freedom. First we create a character, and then we set off to look for adventures. The fight takes place in real time.

PC

RPG 15 April 2001

EverQuest Deluxe Edition is a full version of one of the most popular massivelly multiplayer online cRPG games made by Verant Interactive, in addition to the basic version of the game containing two additions, The Ruins of Kunark and The Scars of Velious.

PC