Games section

12. Reviews

Caesar II

name of the game: Caesar II
manufacturer    : Sierra Online
requirements    : 040      8MB
available at    :

basis of testing: ( ) full version          (X) demo     ( ) other:

testet on       : ( ) 020/__   ( ) 030/__   (X) 040/40   ( ) 060/__
graphics board  : ( ) yes       (X) no      which: ________________

emulator        : (X) Fusion   ( ) ShaShi   ( ) with Emplant ( ) real Mac
mac system      : ( ) 6._      ( ) 7._      (X) 8.0
Mac ROM         : ( ) 128k     ( ) 256k     ( ) 512k     (X) 1MB

introduction :

Caesar II is a strategy game which at first sight inevitably reminds you of the cult game Sim City and its sequel and its' clones. The only difference is, as you might guess by having a closer look at the name, that it takes place in the time period of flourishing Rome.

game's description :

The player slips into the role of a Roman town councilor with the task to create a metropolis out of nearly nothing and in addition this metropolis has to thrive economically and to advance culturally.

In order to achieve this goal the player may choose from a wide range of buildings. Besides dwelling-houses and industry right at the beginning of the game there are several buildings wit different tasks such as arenas, bathes, temples or barracks which you may erect in order to embellish the city's look.

Not only the right choice of buildings but also the best place for them is important because they have a limited field of activity. With the  info function  you can determine which field fulfills the specific needs such as water support, entertainment or security best. Furthermore you can check if a lack of one of these needs handicaps the growth and the development of one of those fields.

Sim City like you build something by click'n'drag: the building's type can be chosen in the menu and by dragging the mouse you can place it with variable size. This way you can easily erect city walls because automatically the shortest route between the point of beginning and the point of ending is chosen.

Even the most enthusiastic house builder is going to get to the end of his motivation and for this case Caesar II also offers a province mode. Cities may be connected to each other, battles can be hold and you may expand on a whole new level. Unfortunately the demo version only offers the city mode so I have to guess that the province mode raises motivation additionally.

The game's graphics are considerable, you will take a pleasure in the buildings' diversity and representation and there has been an affectionate care for details. Only the sound is a little bit monotonous in my opinion but you may deactivate it in the menu.

game's speed :

It's pleasing that you hardly recognize that the game is set upon an emulation. It supports a PPC but probably only the animated sequences which you can find in the full version benefit from that option. Altogether the swift gameplay is convinving.

results :

Even in the demo version the game is very convincing. People who just want to build a city out of nothing quickly will soon realize that there are some strategical obstacles.

If there are no weaknesses in the full version which are missing in the demo then I can really recommend the game.

The Dig

name of the game: The Dig
manufacturer    : Lucas Arts
requirements    : ?
available at    :

basis of testing: ( ) full version     (X) demo     (X) other: Mac magazine

introduction:

Besides cult games such as  Day of the Tentacle  or  Full Throttle  Lucas Arts is also responsible for  The Dig . I'd like to mention before the review that it does justice to the high expectations.

game's description:

As you might guess when hearing the manufacturers name  The Dig  is a ponit&click adventure so you can move your playing character easily by clicking and let it act easily as well. The first thing which you may realize is the fact that there's no command bar. It has been replaced by intelligent actions being performed corresponding to the object cliked at.

The story, which is being told in an animated and spoken introduction: A giant asteroid is going to collide with the earth. NASA veteran Brink (whose role you play) and two experts try to prevent this catastrophe with a shuttle and two nuclear warheads. Examining the asteroid they find out that it is hollow - and that the human intruders are not the first ones who visit this place.

Knowing that it's up to you to play. You have to explore the secrets of the celestial body walking through an atmospheric drawn landscape. As time passes the plot becomes very exciting and dynamic. Even the brief demo makes you want to go on playing.

The Mac magazine praises the pompous game's soundtrack. Unfortunately it's recommended to switch it of when using slow machines because there are lot's of nasty interruptions.

game's speed :

Even on my 040/40 without a graphics board you can play fairly well. The cut scenes should be watched in a small window and the music stammers slightly but the gameplay is fluid if you don't mind a certain non-fluid scrolling. Presently some cursor errors (as found in all old Lucas Arts games) disturb a little bit but. If you want to avoid them then you should upgrade to Fusion V3.2 soon.

results :

The worst thing about tha game is that you will struggle to get it because of its age; perhaps you can find a second-hand one. I'd definitely spend a certain amount of money to get my hands on the original version.

results in Mac magazine: 5/5  Exciting, tricky, made with love.