LAUNCH 2/LAUNCH.BIN/pc/pcreview/gamerev.txt

Text File | 1995-03-30 | 8KB | 157 lines

Glider 4.0 (PC)
[Casady & Greene]
By Martin Dio
    Casady and Greene have taken a good thing and made it twice
better.
    But "better" is a relative word, of course, and in the case of the
good thing in question-Glider-Mac users have the distinct advantage.  In
short, while PC users finally have a Windows version of Glider 4.0-a
favorite of Mac owners since its introduction in 1991-the game has also
been  improved upon, and made even more maddeningly addictive, via
Casady & Greene's new Glider Pro for Macs.
    Both games operate under essentially the same premise: You must
pilot a  paper airplane through a house with a seemingly limitless
supply of rooms, all the while avoiding harmful objects that will ground
you.  As the game's name implies, the main propellant is air:
strategically-placed heating ducts, fans, candles and more supply the
thermal lift you'll continually need to combat the inevitable effect of
gravity. In other words, get some wind beneath you're wings, or you'll
sink like a stone.
    What sounds relatively mundane isn't. Part of the fun of both
Glider games is its learning-curve aspect of play: If at first you don't
succeed, fly, fly again.  You'll master each room, one by one, and move
on to the next-all the while devising new strategies to conquer the
unknown perils awaiting your glider in the next.
    For Windows users, Glider 4.0 will be an absolute treat; for Mac
users, it's already been a treat  for nearly four years. That's why the
new Glider Pro will seem like a godsend. Among the improvements: It's
now Power PC native, it features 256-color support and over 100 new
household objects, and boasts the new ability to fly upstairs,
downstairs, and outside the house-which, by the way, now has over 400
rooms. Other new features include an easier-to-use interface, 2-player
ability, and an integrated room editor.
    As new Windows users will discover, that abilty to create your own
rooms remains one of the most fascinating aspects of Glider. Creator
John Calhoun estimates that he's seen over 100 different houses created
and uploaded on various online services; that it's even easier to create
new houses (filled with dozens more household objects) with the new
Glider Pro should guarantee fans will, in Calhoun's words, "find houses
to satisfy their Glider urges for many, many years."  Hopefully, by that
time, future Windows versions of Glider won't be trying to play catch-up
with Mac's very obvious lead.


GLIDER INSTRUCTIONS


*Select New Game from Game menu to play a new game
*Press ALT+F4 to go back to Launch
*Press ALT+G to activate menus during game



Relentless: Twinsen's Adventure (DOS)
[Electronic Arts]
By Kevin Christopher
    A fascinating, otherworldly adventure boasting some of the most
captivating game graphics to date, Relentless is compellingly different
and, always, great fun to play.
    Given that the majority of today's games often seem like too-
obvious clones of other much more successful ones, Relentless deserves
points for originality alone: You've never seen anything like it.  Part
of that stems from its point of origin-it was developed in France by
Adeline Software-and part from the game's overall feel, which, as a
result of its superb 3D graphics, is strikingly eerie.
    The player takes on the role of Twinsen-a member of the Quetch
people and resident of the planet Twinsun, which is ruled by the evil
dictator Dr. Funfrock. The goal of the game, ultimately, is to overthrow
that dictator; obtaining what's needed to do so is what Relentless is
all about.   Twinsen's quest takes him to nearly 40 different
landscapes, where he must search for a number of magical objects that
will eventually help him defeat Funfrock. Along the way, players
encounter an intriguing array of planet inhabitants, including both
friends and foes. There are many of the latter-including Groboclones,
Sewer Snakes, Slime Molds, Spheros and more-and each will do its best to
stop Twinsen in his tracks.
    A major part of the game is spent avoiding Dr. Funfrock's various
cronies, and in doing so, players will have to learn how to best handle
Twinsen. The twist: Relentless allows control not  only of Twinsen's
actions, but his attitude as well.  The character behaves differently in
each of four behavior modes, which can be assigned instantly with
function keys: Normal, Athletic, Aggressive, and Discreet.  Choosing
which Twinsen you want to be, and when, is the player's call-and part of
the key to winning the game.
    What may sound vaguely complex becomes less so with play. Like the
very best games, much of Relentless unwinds naturally, and intuitive
first-time players can pick it up very quickly. As they do, they'll
witness unusually appealing landscapes, some truly unforgettable graphic
design-and a game that subtly, but persistently, keeps calling them back
for more.


RELENTLESS INSTRUCTIONS

THE GAME
You are Twinsen,  a young Quetch, on a quest to restore peace and
harmony on the planet Twinsun. You will do so by overthrowing Dr.
Funfrock, the evil dictator, whose brutal ways have enslaved your world.
You begin your adventure imprisoned in an asylum from which you must
first escape--and then your journey begins. You must travel far and
wide, seeking help from others you encounter on the planet, and locating
magic objects that will help you along the way.  There are four main
species on your world: the Quetches, the Grobos, the Spheros, and the
Rabibunnies. Not all of them are friendly.  You can trust no one but
yourself in Relentness; only you can put an end to Dr. Funfrock's reign
of terror.

HOW TO PLAY:
1)To begin the game, type "relent" at the C:\RELENT> prompt.
2)Following the logo, title, and introductory dream sequence screens,
press ESC and the Game Selection menu will appear.
3)If this is your first time playing the game, select NEW GAME from the
menu.
4)Enter your name upon theCharacter Grid screen that appears. Use the
SPACEBAR to confirm the name you have entered.
5)An introductory sequence next appears, providing background
information on Twinsen and Dr. Funfrock.  To skip the sequence, press
ESC. The game will now load.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
1)Twinsen can be moved by using the arrow keys on your keyboard.
2)To center Twinsen in a scene, press ENTER.
3)Twinsen has four distinctly different Behavior Modes, each of which
can be engaged strategically when encountering other objects or
creatures. These modes can be changed by pressing and holding CTRL  and
moving the highlight box to any of the four windows that appear.
4)Behavior Modes include:
a)NORMAL, the default mode, in which Twinsen moves at normal pace.
Pressing F1 will also engage this mode.
b)ATHLETIC, in which Twinsen runs quickly. Press F2 to also engage.
c)AGGRESSIVE, in which Twinsen becomes wary and ready to fight. Press F3
to also engage.
d)DISCREET, in which Twinsen sneaks around quietly, arousing little
attention. Press F4 to also engage.
5)Action Commands are activated by pressing the SPACEBAR.  Actions will
vary depending upon which behavior mode Twinsen is in.
a)In NORMAL mode,  action commands can be used to make Twinsen talk
and/or use, move, open  or shut things.
b)In ATHLETIC mode, action commands will make Twinsen jump.
c)In AGGRESSIVE mode, action commands will make Twinsen fight. The
AGGRESSIVE mode has two play control options: Auto and Manual.
d)In DISCREET mode, Twinsen will crouch down and occasionally become
invisible to his enemies.
6)In the course of the game, various magic items such as Hearts, Keys,
Clovers and Money will provide assistance along the way.  Your inventory
can be accessed by pressing the SHIFT key. Use arrow keys to highlight
any item in the inventory, and a text description of it will appear on
the lower screen.  To select an item, press the ENTER key. Press SHIFT
or ESC to exit at any time.
7)To pause the game press P; pressing any key thereafter will resume
play. Pressing ESC will also pause the game; select the CONTINUE GAME
option to resume play.
8)To quit the game, press ESC. Choose the QUIT GAME option by using the
arrow keys and then press ENTER. When the Game Selection screen appears,
select QUIT, and then press ENTER to return to DOS