The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
PC £34.99 Ubi Soft/Bethesda Softworks *****
Rarely has a single-player game been able to capture the sense of scale and free-form nature of online perpetual environments such as those in EverQuest and Anarchy Online: games that immerse thousands of people on a daily basis, in worlds where they can literally do anything they please while shaping their own gaming experience.
Emerging as the third incarnation in the Elder Scrolls series, which included Arena and Daggerfall, Morrowind is the most effective attempt to date at capturing a truly open-ended, role-playing experience, encapsulated in a breathtakingly beautiful world. You start the game as a recently released prisoner with the task of delivering a package to a character in the nearby town. From then on, the path you choose, whether it's closely following the main plot, or wandering into the countryside to explore every nook and cranny, is up to you.
You design the make-up of your character at the start, including the skills and spells they specialise in, but the way you choose to play the game - from the weapons to the quests you carry out, even the time you spend running - all help develop your character.
The wide-open world of Morrowind can feel intimidating, and it's not for the novice role-player. To get the most out of such a game, you have to be prepared to put a good part of your life on hold, not to mention having a powerful PC. But if you do, you'll find a vibrant world, as rich in imagination as it is in beauty. (RP)
Spider-Man
PlayStation 2 £39.99 Activision ***
The game of the film of the comic book, Spider-Man is an enjoyable action adventure romp that ultimately fails to live up to its potential.
Released to coincide with the film and published on practically every format bar the Amiga, Spider-Man casts you as the titular superhero. In your battle against the Green Goblin you find yourself in a variety of unusual situations. Spinning webs, crawling across the ceiling and swinging between skyscrapers are all in a day's work.
Mastering these moves is an enjoyable and crucial part. And, for a while, jumping from the roof on to an unsuspecting baddie or trading punches while dangling between tall buildings is as exhilarating as it sounds. Yet, somehow, the action gets stale quickly. Combat is incessant, and soon leaves you desperate to do something else with the marvellously controllable character.
A lack of freedom doesn't help, either. The problem is highlighted by the traffic streaming below you when in mid-air: it is for show only. The linear levels only hint at what could have been, and frequently remind the player that there is only one way of doing things. Yes, there is a little variety - sneaking rears its fashionably sly head on a couple of occasions - but unlike Metal Gear Solid 2, it feels a bit tacked on here.
Graphically, this game is a looker, with the characters especially well animated. The backdrops are also impressive, although an erratic camera makes admiration difficult. Ultimately, Spider-Man is the Pop Idol of videogames: good looking but disappointingly shallow. (GH)
Grand Theft Auto 3
PC £39.99 DMA Design/ Rockstar Games ****
PC gamers could be forgiven for feeling aggrieved at the time it has taken for Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto 3 - officially the biggest-selling game of the 21st century - to reach their chosen platform. After all, the previous versions of GTA debuted on the PC before being shoe-horned on to consoles. But it was worth the wait.
Not much has changed in comparison with the PlayStation 2 version: there is a new intro sequence, and you can reskin the main character (and even replace his face with yours). But the graphics are noticeably superior to those of the PlayStation 2 original, and the control system has been cleverly redesigned to suit the PC. Which means the classic keyboard movement/mouse-look combination, as seen in countless PC shoot-'em-ups, when your character is on foot. If anything, that system works better than the PlayStation 2 version's less precise gamepad controls.
GTA 3's gloriously un-PC gameplay has been preserved faithfully. As before, you can perform various missions in a non-linear manner, or even operate as a taxi or fire-engine driver. There is even a notoriously uncontrollable plane to fly. Butdo not allow children anywhere near this game.
If you have not experienced the brutal, vicarious joys of GTA 3 - which presumably means you are a die-hard PC gamer - do yourself a favour and acquire a copy. But be prepared for it to decimate your social life. (SB)
