Platoon
PC £29.99 Strategy First * While there aren't many periods of military history that remain unclaimed by game developers, the Vietnam War is one.
Things are changing, with two releases on the horizon. Out now is Platoon, a real time strategy game. Ostensibly based on the Oliver Stone film, it is a terrible disappointment. Issuing commands is an inflexible and unfriendly process, not helped by a useless camera.
Strategy becomes a pointless exercise, with most missions little more than glorified seek and destroy affairs. Then there is the total lack of AI as your boys remain prone while under fire from one of the regular surprise attacks. Then there are the slow-moving, heavily armoured troops who make progress such a chore. Lack of save spots, amateurish grammatical errors on screen text, and a general lack of polish only compound the agony.
The graphics aren't bad, though, with nicely depicted jungle, villages and rice paddies. But when further compliments can only involve the box cover art, it's time to stop. (GH)
Impossible Creatures
PC £29.99 Relic/Microsoft ****
Microsoft seems to be making a concerted effort to corner the real time strategy market. Impossible Creatures is another inspired effort - a flawed but still impressive template for sequels. IC's big idea is genetic splicing. There are 51 beasts to collect, each of which can be combined with any other, creating a possible bestiary of more than 2,500 (body parts can also be interchanged.) This leads to a game of near infinite possibility, as you find the ideal combination of eagle and hammerhead shark while hoping your opponent has not found a better one.
This is a genuine challenge: somewhere around the mid-way mark, it goes from easy to "Are you kidding me?", as the number, of enemies increases, and hoards of mutations stream in from every direction. The armies are restricted to 50 units, a limit that would not be a problem had controlling your beasts not been so frustrating. For example, each has a special attack mode, and although these can be linked to hotkeys, they must be triggered manually - something difficult to do in the heat of battle, especially as some moves cause damage to your own side.
As you wrestle to control an army of relatively primitive intelligence, the title Impossible Creatures begins to sound increasingly ironic. This is not to detract from a highly imaginative and well-designed game. As the story plays out in animated cut-scenes, you are sucked into a world that is part Tin-Tin and part HG Wells. (MA)
Virtual Skipper 2
PC £29.99 Duran Duboi ***
The arcane world of yacht racing is about to enjoy another brief period of limelight, as the America's Cup is due to take place in New Zealand next month. Thanks to this yacht racing simulator, enthusiasts can now enact their America's Cup fantasies (after a fashion) without stirring from their PCs.
A light breeze of trepidation prevailed when installing Virtual Skipper 2; we had no idea whether yacht racing would translate into a compelling gameplay proposition. But it proved surprisingly addictive, and should prove a hit among the yachting crowd.
Duran Duboi has sensibly kept the game focused: you can compete in regattas involving four types of yacht (the Melges 24, an America's Cup boat called the Defi Areva, a 43-foot monohull and the pumped-up Open 60 Trimaran), on courses off the shores of Cowes, San Francisco, Porto Cervo and Auckland.
All aspects of yachting bar the actual racing are deemed extraneous, but incredibly detailed physics modelling lends a startling air of authenticity. Racing is a mere matter of setting your course, ensuring the right sails are up and trimmed, then staying out of trouble with the impartial umpire.
A well thought-out multiplayer engines allows free-for-all and fleet racing with up to eight ships. A number of handy aids - notably a colour-coded arrow showing your relation to the wind - mean that novice sailors need not feel excluded. The racing experience is gripping in a similar manner to OJ Simpson's infamous low-speed car chase, especially when you start to hit little milestones, such as exceeding 10 knots or capsizing for the first time. A strange but endearing game. It is available from www.virtualskipper2.com. (SB)
