This computer game features the voices of Paul D and Jacqueline P.
The good news - it's out.
The bad news - it's rubbish. It's at least competent rubbish, but it's still rubbish. This seems to be the general opinion, and is also the opinion of a mag I mostly agree with (PC Zone). Unfortunately, it seems to have gone the way of most tie-ins. So much money and time has been spent on the music, video, voices and imagery that there was just no time for any gameplay to rear its cute little head. This is the basic gist of the reviews:
The game itself is basically an Alone In The Dark clone (or Resident Evil or Ecstatica), where 3D figures move around 2D pre-rendered backdrops. There is normally only one character, you, and you wander about picking up items and doing vaguely adventure-game-like things in a sort of sinister Eastern European circus sort of landscape. Sometimes another character appears and you have to shoot them, hampered by the unhelpful camera angles. We've seen it all before, unfortunately, but we saw it all back when 486/25s were top of the range.
Now, casual games players might like it despite this. But be warned - you'll need a fairly good PC to play it - a decent 3D graphics card and at least a Pentium 120, or a really Ninja processor (i.e. P2/300) without a 3D card. This puts it firmly in the regular gamesplayers league, and it's just not good enough for that sort of competition.
Get QuakeII, a novice friend, a dark gloomy level, and play "Orbit" instead. Get Tomb Raider II and imagine it's Soolin in those tight shorts and stretchy top. Get Longbow 2 and fly around at treetop level, like they do in "Blake". But don't buy this - it's just not worth it unless you love Queen, love PD, love JP, _and_ love Alone in the Dark clones.
Shame.
Tom Forsyth.
PS. I know it's a bit dodgy giving reviews of games that I've not actually played, but I'd like to think I know enough about games to spot a stinker like this a mile off. Gods know I've bought enough stuff like this in the past - I'm not going to blow 30 quid on it just to see if I'm right.
Introduction
The graphics are excellent which is only to be expected from a game of this quality and price. If there are any flaws at all, it is that the camera angles and lighting are not up to the required standard. A good example of this is when Dubroc, the central character, enters the arena. To gain his freedom, he has to retrieve weapons that will help him fight assailants sent by the Eye. The picture is so dark that you miss some of the ammunition that our hero requires to make his escape and to use in combat against the Eye's warriors.
Because of the dark shadows, Dubroc lacks the projectiles that he needs to defeat his enemies and is killed before the player can get him to the next level.
There is a very good introductory booklet inside the box the game comes in, which gives a very good summary of the story if you have not read the book.
Music
For those of you who are Queen enthusiasts, this will be a musical extravaganza. There is a musical introduction to each section of the game. It is like an advertisement for the band's records. They could have reduced the music just a little and put more emphasis on the game.
There is something for everyone and, of course, Blake's 7 fans have not been excluded. Several members of the cast do the voice-overs for some of the characters in the computer game. There is Jacqueline Pearce who played Servalan, Peter Tuddenham who voiced Zen/Orac/Slace, Janet Lees Price who played Klyn in the final episode, 'Blake' and, of course, Paul Darrow/Avon. If, like me, you are a Paul Darrow fan, you will have no trouble recognising his voice. This is all part of the enjoyment.