There are over 1,000 downloadable games at pcgameworld.com, one of the major sources of PC Game Demos. My goal for this column is to provide the reader with a guide to these demos. Specifically, I will tell you which ones are worth your time and your hard drive space and which ones are not.
All demos will be rated on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest. Five different points will be considered in the evaluation process:
Playability
Graphics and Sound
Computer Specs
Fun Factor
Overall
Testing system: PII 350, 128 RAM, Voodoo 3000 PCI, 256K DSL Internet
Hitman: Codename 47
Hitman is one of those games that looks good on the drawing board and looks great on the the screen and sounds really cool, but then the damn game play quashes all of it and relegates the demo to one of two places: Recycle Bin (so I never have to play it again) or: Desktop, where I will invest the better part of two solid days trying to master it.
For the sake of science, I opted for the latter, and found that if a few things were improved, this could be a good contender for a new style of FPS games, which combine strategy and stealth along with the hardcore killing part. However, due to simplistic design issues, like 3rd-person views with separate look and shooting controls, this game turns out to be nothing more than a pain in the ass.
I like the graphics and I think they have a great concept here, with the total "Hitman Philosophy." Nothing pleases me more than the idea of getting a detailed dossier of my target and then embarking on the hit. However, in the demo, if you start out with with the friggin' Mossberg shotgun on your mission, you'll incite the anger and terror of numerous enemy factions, even though you (should?) have that damn thing tucked away in your coat. You can't get 2 feet before people start firing at you. And like most weak games, the second that once guy starts firing on you, you've got the whole damn map wanting to kick your ass.
If you play the game the way they want you to, you can do some fun stuff with the garroting wire. It's a pretty good rush when you choke the friggin' life out of some limo driver who is urinating in the alley (it's all part of getting his clothes so you can infiltrate the rest of the map). That's if you can figure out how to do the killing maneuver. This game has all kinds of kooky controls and stuff, and it makes it difficult to play.
With all of those gorgeous screenshots, though, and a very cool environment,
I had to try. Trust me on this: take the 3 hours you're going to spend
on this demo and do something else with them. Go for a walk, take your
wife to dinner, buy another game, whatever. Just save it. There are plenty
of other things on the planet worth your time.
Playability: This game is tough to figure out, even when you map the keys to your specifications. Playing in 3rd person mode is hard as hell. The AI in this game is a friggin' nightmare, but that's also what makes it challenging.
Graphics / Sound: Nice work on the graphics and the sound is okay.
The voice interactions are entertaining (you are a bad-ass as you will
discover, but your character just does the talking without any input from
you) but the weapons and other stuff (explosions) are scrappy junk.
Computer Specs: PII 300 / 64MB RAM / 400MB Hard Drive Space. Nothing
too serious, but without a 3D card or Glide features, you're SOL.
Fun Factor: Depends on your level of determination. I wanted to beat the damn game, so I invested a boatload of time into it. I won, but not without getting my ass kicked for several hours. When you master the controls and figure out how the weapons work, it can be entertaining, but do something else for fun before you pull this one down.
Overall: Great idea. Make it more user-friendly and you've got a hit, Hitman!
TOTAL SCORE: 5.5
HITMAN: CODENAME 47
Demo Size: 35.4MB
System Requirements [P300/64MB/Win95/98/ME + DirectX + 400 MB system space]
Download Time: 56K: You're still on 56K?
DSL/Cable: It's yours in 8-10 mins.
Download Here: HITMAN
35.4MB Eidos Interactive
Greg A. Bruns is a freelance writer residing in Phoenix, Arizona. His monthly column "Straight Up with a Twist" appears in the Arcadia News. His first book, Tales from the Scenic Route, is currently unpublished. Greg also pens "Ask the Faceless Assassin" - an "advice" column.
Note: Featured
author in October
E-mail: greg@gregbruns.com
Writing interests: Humor, Strange News, Nonfiction, Short Stories, Memoirs
I.D. Theory articles:
Your Guide to College,
Instant Gratification,
Survive This!, Letter
to the new President, The
Things We Do For Love, Seattle:
Emerging Character
PC Demo Game Reviews: HITMAN: Codename 47,
Project IGI (I'm Going In), Diablo
II, No
One Lives Forever, Deus
Ex, Delta
Force Land Warrior, Motocross
Madness, HEAVY
METAL F.A.K.K. 2
Links: GregBruns.com,
Tales from the Scenic Route,
Ask the Faceless Assassin,
More alphabet zen
Screenshots
from
HITMAN
(click to enlarge)
Casual scene about to get disrupted by the MAN.
The HitMAN.
Gotta love the Kinky Cafe.
