'Tis the season to buy games...fa la la la la...la la la la! Just be thankful you only have to read it and not listen to me sing it. Yes, it's the Sharky Extreme Game Guide, but this time around, it's the Sharky Extreme Holiday Gift Game Guide. We're here to show you what's hot and what's not in games today so that you can tell everyone who's buying you gifts and they'll get you what you deserve (good or bad). First, check out our recommended games and their stunningly well written reviews and see if any of them strikes your fancy. Second, take a gander at our list of games we wouldn't touch with anything but a sledgehammer or an acetylene torch. We detest these games so much, we'd rather watch the Pokemon movie than play them. And third, check out what Mr. Sharky himself (the man, the myth, the legend!) and I (the boy, the pitiful, the anonymous!) are playing and looking forward to.
This November through December, like every other year, is the hottest time for games. It's the holiday season, which means big sales and big releases. Not only have Quake III Arena and Unreal Tournament, two of the most anticipated titles ever, just been released (we're working on reviews, but we're not going to rush it), a whole host of other blockbusters have come out vying for your holiday dollars. Recently released titles include: Half-Life: Opposing Force (a wonderful game and now on our recommended list!), Delta Force II (excellent in every way but graphics, which makes it hard to love), Age of Wonders (turn based strategy and exactly what Warlords II should have been), Interstate '82 (Road Warrior meets Flock of Seagulls in this mediocre yet hilarious satire), Ultima IX: Ascension (the last of the classic Lord British series, and possibly the best), Grand Theft Auto 2 (more politically incorrect fun), Wheel of Time (Unreal Tournament powered fantasy), Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine (a Tomb Raider version of Indy that fails to please), Tomb Raider IV (contrary to good taste, the franchise continues) and countless more. If you're not spending way too much time in front of your computer playing games, it had better be because you're waiting to get some of these games as gifts, otherwise you have no excuse. Please read on to see our recommended games:
The ultimate hardcore deathmatch game for purists has arrived, and it will blow your mind. Beautiful graphics, intense and balanced play, fine-tuned maps and killer bots with personality make Quake 3 Arena the ultimate expression of deathmatch play. Its intense action will hone your mouse reflexes to Neo like levels. You won't dodge the bullets, they'll dodge you! It's everything we expected it to be and we expected a lot. There are already several games based upon its engine in the works, and with an engine like that, they'll have no excuse not to be great. It may be too straightforward for some, too violent for others, and there may not be enough multi-player modes to please everyone, but Quake III Arena is pure adrenaline pumping multi-player fun and we love it.
[ Read our review ]
If Quake III Arena is deathmatching for purists, Unreal Tournament is capture the flag for innovators. Unreal Tournament takes the old concepts of first-person shooter paradigm then puts it through the idea mill to create a more complex game with a variety of multi-player modes. Game modes like Assault, where your team attacks an enemy base, and Domination, where your team battles to hold objectives, will keep you entertained and coming back for more. Stunning graphics, furious play, creative weapons, wickedly accurate bots and a wider variety of levels than you can shake a stick at just add to Unreal Tournaments amazingly good game play. We love Unreal Tournament too.
[ Read our review ]
Read on for more recommendations...