World War 1

World War 1 is one of those games no one has heard of.  It’s a really cheap game, similar to Blitzkrieg and Stalingrad.  It’s basically a RTS combined with some historical information I didn’t even bother to read.It was created by 1C by the way!

Stunning graphics, I was stunned from disappointment!

Game play:

Game play is pretty straight forward, control your troops, complete the objectives and earn your promotion.  You can play as a few factions like Britain, Germany and Russia with some bonus scenarios with Russia’s revolution all over them.  This game is boring.  If you want to be the British general and send mass troops on suicide missions, if you want to send thousands of Russians to their death and if you want to kill everyone else by being the German, this game is for you.

Sound:

Nothing serious, it all sounds too familiar.  Mediocre soundtrack and your average battle sounds.

Graphics:

Not something to cry about, but you’re better off with Blitzkrieg.

(Seriously) Moderately good graphical user interface

Overall:

A mediocre game only appealing for historic content and the feeling of fake progression.

Score:

Game Play: red/10

Graphics: square/10

Sound: house/10

Replay value: tree/10

Play it at your friend's house!

My top CSI games

CSI is a renowned TV series and in my book, a very nice PC game series.  The act of solving murders is in itself interesting and CSI gave everyone the platform to do so.  Here goes my favorites .

Crime Scene Investigation is hands down the first and best CSI game for me.  The cases were original, all with a twist and multiple locations to investigate. The tutorial was fun and it was one of the hardest games of the series.  The game has a hint system, but your cursor doesn't really flash green when you find something.  The examination of all the evidence was also very interesting with a good variety of tools and apparatus.

Fatal Conspiracy is the latest in the series.  It's my second favorite CSI game because of the plot.  The story just got more interesting with every level, soon you find out that almost everything is connected.   FC's graphics are mediocre and sound is the same, but in terms of originality and difficulty, FC deserves a second spot.  I could still have hours of fun with a much easier game. 

CSI Miami really provided a unique feel.  The TV series itself is my favorite and I have found the connection between the player and characters to be more profound.  Miami had interesting cases and like Fatal Conspiracy, a few things were connected.  The plot wasn't really original and game play is much the same as the other games, but Miami's sunny feel was worth the effort.


That's it folks!  A number of CSI games have been created, but in terms of originality, plots, twists and cases, these are my top favorite.

Steel Armor: Blaze of War

If the tanks succeed, then victory follows.

Heinz Guderian

Developed by Graviteam, Steel Armor promises an in deph tank simulation combined with a bit of strategy. The first impression I got from Steel Armor was, it looks like Achtung Panzer. The user interface looks much the same and everything plays out much the same.

The core of Steel Armor is tanks, but through a tactical map you can command a whole army. I was impressed by the fun and simple strategic command mode. The game allows you to play as any crew member in a series of mostly Russian tanks in the 1970s and 1980s. Unfortunately, there is no USA and you mainly find yourself fighting in campaigns and battles where you really don't care what the outcome of the war is.

The game requires some strategic and tactical knowledge as it is compulsory to command all your troops. It makes the game more interesting, but people looking for a simple simulation will be agitated by the amount of mechanics and systems you have to consider before jumping into action. It's all up to you to balance out the battles, so every strategic move on the main operation map contributes to your game play experience.

It is quite disappointing that a lot of tanks are shared by factions. You soon get bored by repetitive game play and there is no sense of accomplishment or really sense of satisfaction after you play missions. There is no real ranking system or epic music playing after you win .

The tank game play itself is very impressive. The interface and controls makes controlling the tank a lot simpler and calls for a streamline experience. The amount of options there is in the tank is very impressive and playing as any crew member is a big bonus! The AI overall is pretty intelligent. Your crew mates will take their own initiative, except if you give the wrong orders.
You can choose ammo type, driving speed, if you want to turn out of the tank, night vision view and a zoomed in view. Still, I've seen better in other tank sims, the scope and views lack a good zoom system. The tutorial consists of a bunch of pop-up messages which really irritates and the manual I got is in Russian.

The graphics are considerably good for a tank sim. A huge variety of graphical options is available to make your game play experience as smooth as possible.

The sound is very authentic and it gives an atmospheric feel to the game. The music though is repetitive and really annoying.

So what?
Steel Armor Blaze of War goes deep into tank action. It is enjoyable as a simulation game, but also a bit boring. The scope of playability may be big and non-linear, but the fact that a lot of mechanics are repetitive makes this game a misfire.

Bottom line:
Don't go Russian off to buy it, wait for discount.