PC Gamez - Software Reviews

Being an avid gamer, I don’t need cable TV to keep me majorly entertained. All I need is my delectable XBOX 360 and trusty PC to make me satisfied. Save for some TV programs like Lost and um, Lost, you can say I am perfectly happy living without the boob tube.

When I heard that Lost: Via Domus the game is coming to the PC and XBOX 360, I was ecstatic. Couldn’t decide between the PC or XBOX 360 version, but I was lucky that my friend, a regular Amazon.com shopper, pre-ordered the PC game and got me to try it out before he returned from his vacation.

Loading the game, one thought came into my mind: “Amazing. This is just like watching the series!” From the ever-familiar Lost logo hovering upon the black screen, the recognizable cast (Ha, Sawyer still has the knack of delivering all those great nicknames!) to the familiar narrator’s line “Previously on Lost…”, as well as the abrupt ending, Lost fans can attest that this game is definitely worth playing. You play the part of Elliot, a character (obviously) not found in the TV series. The intrigue got me on the edge of my seat, and I must say exploring the island and seeing so many familiar landmarks (fuselage debris, anyone?) is rather euphoric for a diehard fan. What’s NOT likable is the bad lip-synching and short, nearly non-existent replay value.

Oh look, Lost is starting on TV. Ta!

I grew up playing and loving SimCity games. Simulation games can really make the time go by faster than you can say, “Will Wright is god!” I can personally attest to that, since nothing gets me going more than being an almighty entity who’s in charge of building and managing your own city. Every aspect from your people’s wellbeing, employment and the complete (functional) infrastructure has to be attended to. If this isn’t gratifying, I don’t know what is!

Being an ardent fan of next-gen consoles, I was disappointed to find that there aren’t any notable city-building games to be found. Luckily, I’ve got my trusty PC at hand for when good SimCity-like games are released. That’s when I stumbled upon City Life 2008 Edition.

Not really bothering to buy last year’s World Edition add-on, I took the liberty of preordering my copy of the standalone City Life 2008 Edition. I quickly found out that this game deserves better reviews for the good things that come with it, save for some bad aspects (we’ll get to that later). Elements like building your city to cater to six different classes and a super-enhanced editor for you import satellite photos and build actual cities are cool. Graphics-wise, visuals appear more enhanced (think, reflective water!). My only gripe is that the scenarios are unlike those in SimCity games, where players are given actual historical situations to deal with.

I guess you can’t really have it all, eh. It’s back to the console for me, and to hoping for the much-anticipated release of Spore, THE god game to end all god games!

I must say I’m not much of a PC game player. Having recently jumped onto the XBOX 360 bandwagon and finding myself preoccupied with games like Rainbow Six Tom Clancy’s Vegas and Call of Duty 4, I’ve pretty much left my PC games to rot in the shelves (save for my collection of The Sims 2 and its expansions, which are perpetually displayed on my desk).

Then along came The Experiment. I was intrigued when a friend of mine showed off his latest Amazon.com purchase, and I thought, “Heck, why not, I can afford to take a break out of the usual FPS games and try this one.” And so, full of anticipation, I popped in the CD.

I quickly found out that while the game play IS rather different from the usual adventure games that I’m accustomed to, The Experiment (a.k.a Experience 112) is indeed your typical “I-woke-up-with-a-bad-case-of-amnesia-so-WTF-am-I-now?” game. You wake up in this high-tech boat with a slew of innovations at your disposal, and this scientist chick called Lea Nichols just happened to be in the same predicament as you are. No worries, just let her take the lead and after countless puzzles, problem-solving and password-digging, you eventually find out where and who you are, but at the expense of your own sanity, IMHO. I have no love for the erratic controls, bad in-game language translations and choppy SFX. Plus, no one likes being stuck with no direct control over your very own character.

Looks like it’s back to killing tangos in R6V for me.

Undeniably, The Sims is one of the best virtual life a.k.a god games ever created. I must reiterate that I’m a HUGE fan of this genre, and most of my childhood, teenage and adulthood years are spent playing these games. When The Sims 2 was released, I was more than ecstatic. Since then, I’ve never missed a single expansion pack, so I don’t see any reason why I should let the latest EP slip out of my fingers.

Like Makin’ Magic in The Sims game, The Sims 2: Free Time is the seventh EP to incorporate amazingly excellent changes in the original game. In this EP, you’ll find a new neighborhood, Desiderata Valley and a slew of new hobbies at your disposal. Think dabbling in cuisine, filming and drama, science, arts and crafts, and even gaming! From these pastimes, you get to create something new and earn money off it! Sorta like real, honest-to-goodness life, eh? That’s the whole beautiful point about playing this game.

Greatest addition is the Lifetime Aspiration meter. When your Sims achieve something pivotal in his or her life, the meter will gradually be filled and if it’s maxed out, that Sim will be in a perpetual good mood… FOR THE REST OF HIS OR HER LIFE! To add, you’re given five new careers to dabble with: Intelligence, Oceanographer, Entertainer, Architect and Dancer.

Most fans would probably know this by now, but if you didn’t, there’s an Easter egg in the game that gives a sneak preview of The Sims 3! Whoo-hoo!

I love games that fall under the Music Action genre. They’re riveting and almost ANYONE with reasonably good hand-and-eye coordination can play. More often than not, these games allow me to let off some steam and they’re great when chillin’ at a party. Plus, playing these games can and WILL impress chicks (when’s the last time your girlfriend gave you a standing ovation when you performed your Smackdown moves). If Guitar Hero rocks your boat, I’m sure Audiosurf will tip the whole ship right into the ocean!

Costing only $9.95 (USD), this game is like, Tetris meets Guitar Hero, only snazzier, more futuristic, CHEAPER (ZOMG I love cheap games) and minus the old rock geezers (think Aerosmith). What I absolutely adore about this game (have I mentioned that it only costs 10 bucks?!) is that you can load up your own songs into the game, pick a difficulty level, and ride along a vibrant track and hit similarly-colored blocks that represent different values. Match three or more, and the blocks go POOF and disappear. Create combos and get the most points, it’s THAT simple. How fast the game proceeds depend on the songs you upload. You can even create your own songs and see what happens when you load them up. How’s that for value and replayability??

Watch out for the Double Vision mode, where you can partner up with a friend either on the keyboard or mouse. My favorite has got to be the Mono mode that boasts of a crisp and clean ambience.

Now excuse me while I go unearth my entire MP3 collection!