DreamCatcher Interactive

Salammbo
$9.99
I was drawn to this game because I so much loved Druillet's original SALAMMBO "bandes dessinee", which were published in France by Dargaud, roughly between 1982-94. This brilliant "comic book" was a retelling of Flaubert's original story, transposing it onto a distant future on a distant planet - a planet with a decadent but effective technology and an alien ecology.

In this environment Druillet flung reincarnations of two of his ongoing heroic figures - "Lone Sloan", a version of C L Moore's Northwest Smith, and "Vuzz", a filthy and violent rogue. These were respectively and very suitably incarnated within Flaubert's transformed book as Matho, the chief of the barbarians, and Spendius, the cunning slave/serveant who aids him in his love for Salammbo.

My enjoyment of this PC game comes principally as a reader of these books. I am not equipped to criticise the game engine, the plotting, or the software, though I have definitely enjoyed the game: but what I really appreciate is the chance to immerse myself again and in a different way in Druillets' utterly wierd, utterly beautiful, dream-world.

Yes, it's just a computer game: it's not perfection. But however flawed it may be, if you have read and loved Druillet's original books you owe it to yourself to buy it.

SuperPower 2
$29.99
1) The game application doesn't function well. There are problems ranging from installation to hanging midway through a game. Do google through to get a FULL spectrum of the problems you may encounter.

As stated by other reviews, this game has a good overall concept. But there are many areas to improve to make the game more multi-dimensions and parallel the complexity of the real world.

2) Generally it is divided into Military, Economics and Politics. For this, I can't help feeling, the developer emphasis on the Military part, turning this into a possible world conquest game, should the player decides.

On the 2 tutorials, it captured mainly on map scrolling and military actions. Nothing is mention on the Economics and Politics. However another important educational value of the game should be getting the player to balance the budget!

On this count, the developer could have made a few more tutorial sections covering Economics and Politics. Alternatively, the game could have introduced a Cabinet to double up as an on-the-job tutorial and provide policy advisory to make the game more realistic.

Playability wise, it allowed player to research and customize your own weapons on the Military aspect. On the Politics front, it allowed player to create their own groupings (e.g. like EU), base on some criteria of membership (e.g. proximity). I thought these were pretty cool.

3) Had it been developed properly capturing the complex world and function as expected, it would be a good place to burn some time. However it severely did not perform as such. Therefore, this is only good enough to be called a POOR BETA.

Lastly, this game reminds me of an old simple DOS game called "Shadow President", which I had the good fortune to play. I feel that this Superpower 2 is trying to emulate this old game.

THOSE WHO MAY BE INTERESTED IN SUCH STRTEGY GAME, YOU MAY CHECK OUT THE AMAZON LINK TO "SHADOW PRESIDENT"

Shadow President (DOS)

On the whole, I gave Superpower2 two stars not for the bugs and crashes. It has been given 1 more star for the promises of the prospects it could have been.

Riddle Of The Tomb
$19.99
It started out boring and stayed that way. Puzzles included spelling names out with greek letters, and testing powders by trial and error to find out what they are. I never felt immersed in the game.

The voice acting was annoying. The game was kind of short (I was happy when it was over). It may be worth it since the price is quite low.

Lightbringer
$19.99
Lead the First Manned Mission to MarsProduct Information?Your mission is to travel to Mars...the setting is the year 2012.? Assumethe role of three astronauts sent to Mars to explore the mysterious CydoniaMensae region best known for its mile-long land formations thought to resemblea humanoid face.? Upon entering the Martian atmosphere however yourspaceship is severely damaged by an unexpected force field.? With your shipcrippled and fellow crew members critically injured your journey becomes astruggle for survival.Prepare yourself for an exhilarating adventure with seamless 360 degreenavigation challenging 3D puzzles over 70 hours of non-linear game playenhanced with dynamic directional sound and fascinating multiple endings.The next giant leap for mankind.Product Features Completely Immersive Gaming Experience This epic journey opens a whole new world that will capture your imagination.? Immerse yourself in in over 70 hours of stimulating game play. 3D Realism Magnificent environments are created with remarkable detail and ingenuity.? Game content includes mission data taken from actual NASA and Russian space programs. Fascinating Expedition Travel to a time when life existed on Mars and master the advanced technology of an ancient martian civilization.? Complete with multiple endings and enhanced with dynamic directional stereo sound. The Face On Mars Debate over the validity of these photographs has fueled major controversy in the space science community.? As the controversy mounts the mystery remains. Explore Mars Roam freely across the planet's landscape.? Travel to the much debated "Face on Mars" the mysterious Pentapyramid and other fascinating locations. Intriguing 3D Puzzles Use your genius to solve engaging situational and tactile challenges such as The Warrior Puzzle. Outstanding Graphics Enjoy the realism created by over 5