NET: Zone review by Al Giovetti

 

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By Al Giovetti, 06/06/97
Price: $45
Genre: adventure
Release:
Developer: Compro Games
Lead Artist:
Programmer:
Producer:
Publisher: Game Tek
Phone: 415-289-0220
Website: www.gametek.com
Requirements: 486 DX2, 66 MHz for DOS 5.0, Pentium needed for Windows 95, 2X CD ROM, 1MB SVGA , 8 MB RAM, 20 MB hard disk space


NET: Zone

History

Company Line

Game Play

This is a first person perspective, three-dimensional adventure game. The interface which Compro Games calls a True View Reality (TVR) interface is easy to use. The cursor is context sensitive, pans in 360 degrees, and is basically a point and click affair. A personal digital assistant or PDA keeps track of the inventory, game map, and electronic mail received. The PDA can be positioned anywhere on the screen and used anywhere in the game.

You can explore and solve the puzzles in any order due to the non-linear arrangement of the plot. Like most adventure games exploration, puzzle solving, and character interaction make up the game play. The lack of auto travel and object management systems makes the game somewhat repetitive when you have to backtrack to pick up an overlooked, but essential, object.

Another amusing aspect of the game are the viruses. You must eliminate the viruses to protect your character. The puzzles are easy and there is no difficulty setting to make things harder or easier to fit the varied skills of game players.

Plot

in 2016, Large Corporations have taken over the world. Similar to the cyber future of William Gibson 's Neuromancer, everyohn is jacked into cyberspace. Cyberspace does not look very different from Disney's view in their film . Like in the Disney film, a human being named Zel Winters, the head of the mysterious CyCORP Corporation, disappears into the computer.

You take the role of Newton (not Jonathan - Ed.) Winters, Zel's son, who conducts his own investigation into his father's disappearance. Newton must hack his way into cyberspace using the CYCORP conputer system and a neural interface. Newton must traverse five areas of cyberspace which have to do with the design and construction of artificial life forms.

Graphics

The graphics are three dimensional rendered graphic backgrounds with two dimensional inhabitants who appear pasted upon the 3D backgrounds like pictures from a magazine.

Animation

The animation is smooth but poor since most animated objects are two dimensional.

Voice Actors

Music Score

Sound Effects

Utilities

There is no auto-travel or quest management system.

Multi-player Features

There are no multiplayer features.

Cheats, Hints, Walkthrough

Journalists

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References

Doug Radcliffe, Computer and Net Player, volume 3, number 12, May, 1997, pg. 88, 60%.

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