Homeworld 2
PC, £34.99 Relic/Vivendi ****
Truly landmark games have a habit of spawning underwhelming sequels, with the likes of Quake, Doom and Red Alert, all more fondly remembered than their younger relations. But Homeworld 2 looks fantastic. The interface is a joy to use, allowing control over research, mining and combat from the same display, even in the height of battle. There is a plethora of tactical options, making every mission hinge on striking the right combination of power, speed and research.
The storyline sweeps along nicely, blending moody cut-scenes with excellent scripted surprises - often in the middle of levels. However, a total of 15 missions is a little on the slim side. By comparison with its predecessor, Homeworld 2 is workmanlike, polished but somehow less than the sum of its parts. If you love good games, this is certainly one of them. However, if you were waiting for the real-time strategy bar to be raised to new heights, Homeworld 2 continues the more predictable trend of failing heroically at the second attempt.
Mike Anderiesz
Tiger Woods Golf 2004
PlayStation 2, Xbox, £39.99 EA Sports ****
It seems only days since the release of the 2003 edition, but Tiger Woods 2004 is already here. This is the best serious golf game around - Mario Golf targets a different market - and does enough to warrant a purchase for owners of 2003. Frustratingly, though, the flaws remain.
These include the erratic camera that makes it nearly impossible to gauge spin control, and the hit-andmiss putting system. Luckily, the majority of the game is a treat, offering armchair golfers the chance to compete in all the tournaments.
The control system is only marginally refined and remains wonderfully simple. Players swing by pulling back and forth on the analogue stick and there is a huge variety of shots.
EA has added one trick - the chip - and new courses. Also, players can create a character from scratch and there is something pleasingly anarchic taking an ill-dressed loon around the more rarefied courses.
Win tournaments and you'll earn money to spend on new clubs and upgrades, although improving drive distance and accuracy is still the easiest way to succeed. EA pulled online play in Europe, although multiplayer around the telly is still enjoyable.
Greg Howson
Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo
PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, PC, £39.99 Frontier/Bam ***
Considering how easy it is to make games characters look as though they are made of Plasticine, it seems strange that nobody has thought to turn the immensely popular Wallace & Gromit into a game before. Project Zoo comes from a very unlikely source: the all-but-defunct publisher Bam which, with help from Acclaim, has been clinging to life to get this project out.
Bam deserves a revival in fortunes, as Project Zoo is a decent effort. It is a 3D platform game, in which Wallace & Gromit seek to rescue a polar bear cub they sponsor at the zoo from the clutches of the evil Feathers McGraw.
The process involves rescuing several baby elephants and completing levels that often pastiche more famous videogames, notably Metal Gear Solid, Tomb Raider, and the mine-cart level from Donkey Kong Country. That device cutely brings variety to the gameplay, which otherwise consists of jumping, climbing, shooting bananas and solving puzzles - generally achieved by collecting tools so that Wallace can fix broken objects.
The involvement of Nick Park and Aardman Animations has ensured an abundance of the gentle humour that adorns the TV programmes (naturally, Peter Sallis provided Virtual Wallace's voice). Project Zoo does not break new ground (although its kitchen-sink approach does stop boredom setting in), but it should still satisfy fans, particularly young ones.
Steve Boxer
