May 1999 Volume 80 Number 5 "serving the protectors"
PC Games
By Colin Hand  chand@picknowl.com.au

MYTH II - SOULBLIGHTER

Myth II: Soulblighter is the new sequel to its addictive predecessor, Myth. Still, the old scenario - good versus evil - rears it head.

The aim is to destroy the minions of the evilest of the fallen lords, Soulblighter. Constant waves of soulless troops and Dark Archers flood the lands, killing all who get in their way. Establish a band of mercenaries then scour the castles and villages in search of vengeance.

Myth II is unique, particularly the third person perspective. Additionally, unlike other games, you look down on your players from high above or from any angle. Troops can be observed as they march away from you - or towards you. The screen moves in response to the mouse to any corner or side of the playing area, adding a new dimension to playability. Arrows can be targeted over structures and obstacles, which add to the strategy. Instead of just swinging a sword or axe, you can plan your attack and minimise losses to your troops.

The game is perfect for network play, with extra maps and scenarios specifically for networks. If you like playing over the Internet, then this is the game for you. Bungie.net allows for free play, so you won’t need a credit card to battle with others around the world.

The 3-D graphics featured in Myth II are quite spectacular, with realistic shadings and textures, features which significantly add to the realism. There is not much subtlety in the killing, so Myth II wouldn’t be recommended as an educational game.

System requirements include a multimedia Pentium 133 with 32 MB of RAM and Windows 95 or greater. The game supports 3D accelerated graphics and a good quality card is highly recommended. There is also support for Environmental Audio Extensions (EAX), so the game is definitely well suited to the Sound Blaster Live Card. The only other requirement is not to have a weak heart.

MYTH II - SOULBLIGHTER

MYTH II - SOULBLIGHTER

There’s no huge manual, no plot and no secret objective. Mad-Trax is a stunt-car-racer game, pure and simple. With a mixture of racing and a touch of combat, the idea is to win races by whatever means are necessary. Waste your opponents with mines and missiles (some of which are guided) on 10 brilliantly coloured tracks (two more if your fast enough). Eight stunt cars are available, and supposedly 20 weapons.

Mad-Trax utilises the latest 3D hardware acceleration to produce very impressive graphics. Jumps, dips, ramps, tunnels and canyons are depicted with exceptional fluidity. The brightly coloured scenery and spectacular lighting effects are testament to the awesome capabilities of 3D graphics acceleration. With support for Voodoo 1 and 2, one would expect the graphics to be good - and they don’t disappoint. Each track looks like no other, and the cars are all unique and very futuristic.

If games such as Powerslide and Motorhead are to your liking, so too will Mad-Trax. It may not be the number one racing game around, but it’s up there with the leaders. Mad-Trax is a fun, arcade-style game with little realism but plenty of fun. It’s impressive and will certainly entertain.

System requirements include a 3D graphics card (Voodoo preferably), a 200MHz processor with 32MB of RAM and about 100MB of disk space. RRP is $49.95.