The movie was the big bomb of the summer theater circuit. The game is a little better than the film, but not much.

Wild Wild West, the game, from SouthPeak Interactive, features really nice, highly detailed graphics that are just fun to sit back and look at. The cinematic introductions between parts of the game are nice the first time around, but like most intros, become annoying after the first few times and end up being skipped.

The game features two distinct types of play. One is the puzzle element, which is like many other games out there, especially those created by the likes of LucasArts and Sierra, where you look, pick up and use items together to solve problems. There’s nothing groundbreaking here. The problems are fairly simple to solve and maneuver through.

The second facet of the game has James West, the hero, shooting against the bad guys. Again, the graphics are great, but the controls are severely lacking. SouthPeak seemed to want to add some realism by making the guns have a little kickback, which translated into targeting being tedious with the mouse.

After firing, the gun moves from the kickback and your character swings his arms slightly. Any increase in realism is outweighed by a corresponding increase in annoyance.

Sorely missed is Will Smith as James West. The 3-D rendered character looks and sounds similar to Smith, but it’s obvious that it isn’t him. Games based on movies and shows need to have the real actors involved to make the game the most it can be. The sound-alike voice is OK, but lacks Smith’s pizzazz.

The game really looks nice, but besides that, there’s not a whole lot that makes Wild Wild West stand out.

If you were one of the few fans of the film, check it out. It does follow the movie loosely. But in terms of being a genuine adventure game, you’re better off snagging any of the LucasArts titles on the shelf.

SouthPeak Interactive
Requirements:Pentium-233.
3D hardware accelerator recommended,
Win 95/98,
32 MB RAM,
8x CD-ROM,
SVGA capable of 800×600,
PCI/AGP video card with 2MB
Rating: Teen
(animated violence, blood)
** of ****

Originally printed in the News & Observer and NandoNext.

Whenever the name Westwood Studios appears on a new game, I automatically have a desire to at least check it out. Westwood’s Dune and Command & Conquer series helped pave the way for an entire new genre of games on the PC, flooding the market with real-time strategy/action games.

The newest in the series, Tiberian Sun, builds on the already established Command & Conquer and Red Alert.

Westwood doesn’t do anything extraordinary in this newest version of the game, but like the others it’s fun and has great replay value.

Tiberian Sun is set in the future, with two warring factions, the GDI and NOD, each with their own buildings, soldiers and military units.

The game is a cross between Sim City and a strategy fighting game. Using the mouse, the player has complete control over each unit and is able to build structures, which in turn enables new options of other structures and units to build.

One of the coolest new features (but also the most annoying when it happens to you) is the added risk of harm from explosions and debris.

An attacking unit coming at my base might be stopped and destroyed, only to shower my units and buildings with debris, damaging them. It’s more realistic and a great feature, but equally frustrating.

Some of the vehicles and weapons in the game are just plain fun. The Titan is reminiscent of the huge Imperial Walkers from Star Wars, though Tiberian Sun’s units pack a little more punch.

I’ve found that once I can air-drop a Titan into an enemy base, it’s all over. The Walker fires a high-powered rail gun that can shoot through multiple units, destroying even the toughest structure with a few shots

The interface is almost identical to the previous games and game play is similar. Westwood did a lot of tweaking to make the game more interesting — it features 3-D terrain and burnt-out cities, and mountains rise out of maneuverable maps — but there’s really nothing innovative here.

For example, one new feature — units that get better as they fight longer — has been done by other game makers. Players looking for an all-new game are going to be disappointed. It’s still addictive and great fun, but like a lot of sequels, much of it is "been there, done that."

Westwood Studios
Rated: Teen 13+ (animated violence)
System Requirements:Pentium-166, 32MB RAM, 4X CD-ROM, SVGA w/ 2MB, mouse, sound board, Windows 95, Windows 98
$44.99
*** of **** overall
* of *** for originality

Originally printed in the News & Observer and NandoNext.