SSI’s Medieval Lords: Soldier Kings of Europe (not to be confused with the recent game from O3 Entertaiment) can be seen as a direct ancestor of the Paradox grand strategy games, though I can find no evidence of lineage. You serve as the advisor to a monarch, expanding power and wealth in the name of […]
More details on Civ IV: Beyond the Sword
May 17th, 2007 · 8 Comments · Firaxis, Preview
IGN has a new interview with Beyond the Sword designer Alex Mantzaris. He lets loose a lot of details that have me both excited and bewildered. * “One of my new favorite leaders is Joao II of Portugal. He’s especially fun to play because his traits (Imperialistic and Expansionist) and unique unit (Carrack) work very […]
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Ancients Wars: Sparta and the problem of scale
May 15th, 2007 · 3 Comments · Ancients, Gamesradar, RTS
My review of Ancient Wars: Sparta is now up at Gamesradar. It’s a run-of-the-mill RTS with not much going for it. It looks OK, but that’s all. Some gamers accuse reviewers of going easy on major franchises so we can pound away at the marginal titles. How, after all, are the three same-but-different races of […]
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Theatre of War: Five Opening Moments
May 14th, 2007 · Comments Off on Theatre of War: Five Opening Moments · Battlefront, WW2
1. Dual core computers are not exactly new, so why do I have to turn the second core off in order for the game to run properly? I want to use all my processing power. 2. These loading screens take forever. 3. The first campaign on the list lets you play as Poland in September […]
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What I’ve Written for Played to Death Magazine
May 12th, 2007 · Comments Off on What I’ve Written for Played to Death Magazine · PTD Magazine
Reviews Kingdom Elemental Armageddon Empires Two Worlds Overlord Rock Legend Monster Madness PeaceMaker Editorials Vivez les Niches
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Great Moments in Box Blurbs and an apology
May 12th, 2007 · Comments Off on Great Moments in Box Blurbs and an apology · Industry
Gamesradar’s Eric Bratcher has an article about the vapidity of box blurbs, but today’s mail had a new personal favorite for me. On the DVD box of 1C/Battlefront’s Theatre of War: “A spectacular engine…” IGN.COM I’m in the middle of doing a couple of indie reviews for PTD Magazine, so that explains the radio silence […]
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