PC Game Review
Diggles: the myth of Fenris
You have to play this game to believe it. Heralded in the early promotion as a cross between Creatures 3 and The Sims, this is awesome. You control a bunch of dwarves who each have unique settings for each trait - giving them personality. Some are cuddly, and some are not so! This is the AI side of the game and its hilarious. Then unlike The Sims, they have children and in time, die. This is more like it! You can nurture them (feed, sleep, drink, play) and create a family that has an end date - just like the real thing. Its not quite the same "god-like as in Black and White, but its as innovative.
When it loads, you can still see some German file names - giving away the developers nationality. And you gotta see the sword fight "slow motion" that takes a leaf out of The Matrix! But the strange thing is that the defeated (dead) enemy dwarf simply gets up and walks away - well it is the tutorial. This might be the next Black and White - that is until the new Black and White gets going with the new version with hundreds of warring town folk yapping at the Creature's heels (we will have to wait for this though!) This IS the game to get. Gorgeous graphics and hilarious interaction between the dwarves. Even more hilarious - spot the "stick up" dwarves planted all over the place!
And here is a screen shot of the family gathering.
My current Top PC games (as of 3/12/02) are (potential for "emergent" characteristics in play):
| Lst | Wks | ||
| 1 | 15 | 4 | Diggles, Strategy First, RTS AI Dwarve's with Attitude (cross Creatures 3 with Sims) (high) |
| 2 | - | 2 | Dark Planet, what C&C and Total Annihilation should evolve too.... |
| 3 | - | 3 | Warrior Kings (demo) (Awesome graphics, immersive 3D 360 world god-like population management (better than AOE) |
| 4 | 1 | 35 | Black and White Creature Isle add-on, EA Games - god game (Awesome graphics, innovative format, just boatloads of fun) (high) |
| 5 | 2 | 9 RE | Capitalism II, ubisoft |
| 6 | 5 | 31 | Tropico, PopTop Software, RTS economic sim managing a remote island, industry and holiday, seeking re-election in order to remain in power (and the game) (medium) |
| 7 | 4 | 41 | The Sims Vacation add-on, EA Games (and all the add-ons, bonus packs) (high) |
| 8 | 3 | 18 | Return to Castle Wolfenstine (with Quake III engine), id Software (what can I say?) |
| 9 | 12 | 12 | Rails across America, Strategy First, beyond Railroad Tycoon |
| 10 | 6 | 31 | Shogun: Total War, Warlords add-on, Electronic Arts, (RTS combat) |
| 11 | RE | 21 | Monopoly Tycoon (fun Capitalism type, at city block level) |
| 12 | 8 | 18 | Europe Univeralis II, Strategy First - real-time strategy |
| 13 | 7 | 21 | Pool of Radiance, ubisoft, D&D with awesome graphics; more like 3D |
| 14 | 9 | 22 | Commandos 2, Eidos, Action Strategy (like Desperados, but WWII |
| 15 | 10 | 14 | Civilization III, Infogrames/Fireaxis |
| 16 | 17 | 6 | Stronghold, Firefly Studios |
| 17 | 11 | 13 | Championship Manager Season 01/02, Eidos (manage a Premier Soccer Team) |
| 18 | 13 | 25 | Startopia, Eidos Interactive, RTS sim mixed races of aliens on a space station (high) |
| 19 | 16 | 16 | Patrician II, Strategy First |
| 20 | 18 | 10 | Sea Monkeys (AI on your PC), Creature Labs |
Most innovative game formats:
- Majestic, EA Games: like playing "The Game" for real; highly interactive game with email, phone, fax and Internet
- Black and White (EA Games), preceded by Sacrifice, and followed up by Warrior Kings: massive 3D worlds with complete freedom of movement often with "god" like control
- Tropico, and now Cultures: RTS games typically where you mine goods and build cities, towns, etc., but where each "person" in the game has their own personality...like little bots with cute AI
- Mankind: massively multiplayer format with longevity, promotion, persistent universe
- www.Lineagethebloodpledge.com
- The Sims Online (massively multiplayer, persistent, Sims for real)
- Creatures 3, and then Sea Monkeys, and now Diggles: AI enhanced god-like population management
Most Promising Games on the Horizon
Games worth the demo maybe, not the $20 or more
Game Sites worth following: