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Carmageddon II |
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Developer: Stainless
Publisher: SCI
Price: 10$
Carmageddon. The first was a
violent pedestrian killing game that looked way too real for the faint
hearted. Carmageddon II is no different, but in a good way :)
When you first boot up Carmageddon II,
you're faced with a green screen containing a picture of a car and a
list of levels. You only have one car, but that can be changed. Once
you dive into the game, you're set into a crowd of revving engines
inside a wierd looking turd on wheels, called the Eagle 3. But screw
that. Quit the game, go to Driven To Destruction on my links page, and
download all the C2 cars that look appetizing to you. Install them, and
then download the savegame from C2 Scientist's page, also in my links,
and then install that. Get carstockalypse and install all the cars. Now
you're ready. Boot up Carmageddon II, and select a car. Now a track.
Then go.
Graphics: 4 out of 5 - The
graphics aren't bad, for example the car models arent too simple, but
there aren't any reflections. The pedestrians look fairly good, and the
ragdoll physics are excellent. The blood looks just as greusome as in
the first Carmageddon, but you won't see any bones jutting from their
bodies in odd formations. Just every body part imaginable tearing off
in hard collisions. The environments are well rendered and big, and the
textures do the job pretty well. They are pretty immersive and
well-done, earning a 4 outta 5.
Sound: 3 out of 5 - 200 sounds make up this game. Only 200.
The car engine sounds are extremely generic and simple, as well as the
crash sounds, which sound hollow. The tires do squeal, but it also
sounds a bit flat. The only really believable sound effects are the
effects you hear when running down pedestrians. The screams, the punts,
etc. They sound pretty good. But overall it's just some generic crap.
Gameplay: 5 out of 5 - The
cars handle very well, almost realistically, and they accelerate
smoothly too. But most of all, the damage stands out. Hoods crumple,
windows smash, doors open, bumpers fall off. It's just amazing how well
done the damage model is, excepting the fact that a lot of crashes
leave the car unrealistically distorted. The opponents are fun to drive
around with, and the huge variety and number of levels is great. And
each level has plenty of car flipping jumps, too, so you'll never get
hungry for a huge wreck. Wonderfully done, despite some quirks in the
damage.
Replay Value: 5 out of 5 -
The game can be played over and over and over again, because of the
huge amount of levels and cars. Nothing much to say, just a really wide
and open game, with stunts and smashes that never get old and tons of
new addons coming out every couple days.
Overall: 4.5 out of 5 -
Carmageddon II is great in so many aspects, and not so great in not so
many aspects. It's fun, it never gets old, and there's always something
new to do in it, always something fun. There's just not much to hate
about the game. Overall, it stands out from the crowd as a must buy for
anybody with a love for wrecking and blowing stuff up.
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Hot Rod American Street Drag |
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Developer: Canopy Games
Publisher: Valusoft
Price: $20 or less
Hot Rod: American Street Drag is a game where the object is to turn a rusty old junker into a roaring hot rod oon the cover of Hot Rod Magazine.
Graphics: 4 out of 5 - The graphics are pretty good. The cars are well detailed and the drag strips look realistic. The reflections are cool too, although they don't reflect their surroundings. Although the quality is good, for some reason, it looks corny. I don't know why, but it looks corny.
Sound: 3 out of 5 - The sounds are alright. But why would a 180 hp junker sound just like an 880 hp monster? I don't get it. Every car sounds the same! And the revving up engine sound sucks. It's just vrooom.... vrooom.... every time you rev it, always the same sound. The skidmarks are well done, at least.
Gameplay: 2 out of 5 - There isn't really much to this game. Every car drives and handles exactly the same. The shallow career mode is boring and impossible at the same time. It is fun to pull a wheelie in a supercar off the line, though.
Replay Value: ? out of 5 - Because the game is always the same all the way through, if you like the game, it has plenty of replay value, and if you don't, well, it doesn't.
Overall: 3 out of 5 - The game isn't terrible, but I can't really recommend it.
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Hard Truck II |
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Developer: Softlab NSK
Publisher: Valusoft
Price: $20 or less
Hard Truck II is a truck driving simulator with the premise of delivering cargo, racing your truck, buying new ones, and eventually owning a cargo delivery company, ultimately ruling the market.
Graphics: 5 out of 5 - The graphics are stellar, with well detailed and textured trucks and beautiful mountains to drive though. Raindrops pelt your windshield like real ones would and the interiors of the trucks feel cozy and comfortable at night or when it is raining. This game really scores high on atmosphere. Highways are well detailed and roads curve realistically. The snowy mountains are gorgeous during a snowstorm in which lakes become icy plains and roads become slippery white wonderlands. Overall, the graphics in Hard Truck II never fail to impress.
Sound: 4 out of 5 - The sounds are pretty well done but sometimes sound a bit generic. The sound of raindrops pelting your windshield is fully recreated and the depth of sliding in the rain sounds great. The engines are pretty much the same but they do sound sufficiently powerful and husky. Overall, the sound is of high quality.
Gameplay: 5 out of 5 - The gameplay in Hard Truck II is incredibly enjoyable. The trucks handle realistically thanks to a host of patches and the variety of traffic is just right. I dont get why cops drive a BMW M5, but whatever. Speaking of BMW M5, you can buy one in the game and drive it. It's extremely difficult but I can safely say I found one at North Point and used all of my money on it. The damage in this game is great. Obliterating a Bimmer with your truck is nothing short of fantastic. Hoods crumple, tires pop, chassis bend, gas tanks explode, and fenders fly off. This can all be repaired at a repair shop with ease. Refueling after a long cargo haul is also easy and quick. Just cruising around in this game is so much fun! I can't even express it in words. BUY THIS GAME!
Replay Value: 5 out of 5 - Cruising around the 15 miles of road never gets old, nor does obliterating traffic cars. The races are enjoyable thanks to a host of hazards in the racetracks. Delivering cargo is interesting because different cargo type have different wieghts and fragilities, thus affecting how you choose to drive and how your truck drives. You can pick up stray trailers that are placed at random to start delivering cargo, too. In all, Hard Truck II never gets old.
Overall: 5 out of 5 - Hard Truck II is an amazing game with precise attention to detail and stunning graphics that kicks the ass of any other driving game of its type. I cant stress this enough: BUY THIS GAME! IT'S ONLY 20 BUCKS!
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