NEW SHOTS! STAR WARS BATTLEGROUNDS(io~CT THE REAL QUESTION 78 RENWICK ST REDFERN NSW 2016 AUSTRALIA PHONE 02.9659 0335, Aare eet omen ter crepotanes Pax02.930 015 this month was realism, Perspectives ranged across why realise games are superior to why realistic ames ae inferior, with the odd discussion EDITORIAL ofthe hoary old link between violence and realism. Ieproved sufficient motivation to throw my own Cond Whine Peron? {hough it the ring. carat Perhaps necessary to iether fr the teen fear antenforeconae debate can proceed What mats» game els ?70 srrwnren cet degree the ck the ge son mpotant Starone naomeconae clement east are coh atleast resemble real word in alters. 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Unt hathappens, realistic games ae only ever realtito a point Few games acuely deal with the wanacewent talc encaqvencs ofa por eons Sec Forune dees inmedecoseqvenc ot tng cer ences Seon ileal MARRS eRe Pe en Serve scr br oer rated Wi ive ree dhe Aas ohtoge bron dom te oirond eas paces cove Dees xs he goethat oes the furthest nt eee eee clang tng wr omnes a aa Php babble oon one Ree eee oe pee eae ‘Top 100 feature is assured for the foreseeable Future. SUBSCRIPTIONS david@next.com.av ‘copys are reseed by PCPP 34 ale Ne VA Ra ME Comer ate eT eePowentHeny ISSUE 64 SEPTEMBER 2001 ty Carlyle ace eer eae This month we powertest input devices Bei Gaming news from all quarters of the globe 06 Heroes of Might & Magic IV 300's most enduring anche repaes ora fourth tng 08" Spiderman Never perfect the console prt wh Tony Hawk Can happen again? 10 Battlfea 1942 ltd taelong othe fist Cperation Flashpoint one. 18 Mod Life 12 Deathmatch Classic Spoonman's download coletion \vererwents Quake Now an you 20. Developer Diary getbackto Team Fortress, please? Thelateston Freedom Force 14 Teething Problems 22 DWDA Thefuture of gaming deals with the James Cotes eday views on film harsh realty ofthe present 24: Australia's Most Wanted 16 Why no Max Payne? Can Red Faction preva? Remedy lays thard 25 érclaw PiNPREVIEW COE The shape of games to come 32 State of Play Weline-op the nex frstperson shooter viet nour eri crosshair 34 Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds The Fpl Strike Back! 36 Morrowind Bethesda brings usthe mest eraphicaly ‘stunning BPG in development 62 Arcanum 74 Gangsters 2 Fallout designers return to topplether Be the Mo's accountant former comanions 76 Tropico {66 Operation Flashpoint ‘Ivey Canbbean holiday Thistethefist genuine contenderfor 78 Leafoot Game ofthe Year Ratbag can do no wrong 70 Mech Commander 2 79 Offroad Redneck Racing An overlooked mina dsscrecewesa Nice soundtrack sald dose ofthe update 80. Elite Force Expansion Pack ‘2 Half: Blue Shift We wate a year fortis? Tecames wth Opposing Force but's 81 Merchant Prince 2 ths real value for money? Macciavel urs in is rave 100. The Beast The ultimate PC game's ig Nore Nathanael has the cure REGULARS 26) Buse 82 i eon 82 Subscribe and win! nd Save upto 454 off your fovourte 106 CD PowerPlay magazine! And win @ Philips 19° HO Hall of Fame monitor nd lt rew soundcard 12 Flashback whleyou'e att 114 Yellow Boots PP 5 |aa Te) Heroes of Might & Magic IV VENERABLE STRATEGY SERIES GIVEN THOROUGH REVAMP.le the Fst three episodes Inthe oughttoshittheemphasis vay froma__producion and the most powerful creatures Heroes of Might & Magi series creature's speed being is mest tal asset-itTheHavens another iteration ofthe steadily evolved the formula, adding mayevenmakelirgestacs of peasants rational Castle, whilethe other fourareall ‘more units, spells, heroes and towns usefulinafight! ew. ‘each time, the fourth is gearing upto Magichas been tweaked, thanks tthe ‘adieally alter a host of gameplay Keeping company decision to abandon the elemental seho0l ‘mechanles. t's stil recognisable as 2 Herces arenow active partcpantsin (re, Earth, ister and Ar and place them Heroes game, but sucha ruthless bate rather than jst siting backto cast wth thehematc choos of Order, ite ‘overhaul should make ita refreshingly spls and add various combat bonuses. OF Nature Chaos, Death, and Might. How many ‘ew experience course the stil do both, yetthe option to. ofthe old pels wl return and ow many “The mast immediate change’ the wade nto melee combat ads an intriguing new ones wl fates unknown a this viewpeint provided of the world map and tactical wit Ther’ so th potential stage. Combat ceen. venting: gone zometrc|__band herces together, and even move Inadiontothis cosmetic akeraton the creature around the werld map unescorted. Revitalisation \workdmap now allows forelevated train, Thelttercapsctyenends tonevtral armies In recenttmes, 300 hasbeen helbet Wwhlethe combat seen hasbeen enlarged aswell soerpecttoencountergenvine on ting the Might & Magi franchise with te make room fr even greater armies. fagle- wandering monsters nearenial epsedes i the coreRPG ‘eyed readers wl azo noethe construction Town ype are diferente to Series and several rather lame spr ‘featle was surrounding sometownsin_greterestent There arestinall Asylum, However, on this edence. t appear that thescreenshts Necropts Stronghold, Haven Academy and Heroes eins untouched by such 9 Thebattl system functions dfeenth, Preserve TheStrongheld full themight mental; a concerted effort has been made too.Ina significant departure from the equation ofthe game's tke ons own: hereto rewtals the series ater than rehashing previous str tun-based formula, each theplayerwon'tbeabletobuid amage Needless to say, were quite keen to pay stackis now met with acountecattak Ths gull al reying instead upon faster unit Davia Witdgoose WHY HEROES OF MIGHT AND MAGIC IV DEMANDS A SECOND LOOK... B mimetist Heroes was 2 mL Heroes lias rather good Ml Heroes ll was even better, So the new stuff means this ji rest game. aswell. surprisingly, ‘shouldbe the best ofthe otSpiderman EEA re Says eSJe tend to cringe atthe term por. ‘More often than not, signals 3 slapped together reworking of great tile that should have stayed on 2 familiar platform, thank you very rich However, sich was the power of Tony Hawk 2, tnt only united wating African nations on the brink of starvation but proved that a successful ort was a possibilty, IF nota certainty. These asthe adventures ofthe all acon sseb-sangi' Spiderman the star of man 2 spider ad a love that could never be The renous link between Mr 900 and Spidey 203 Further, a Neversoft has used heavy modified version ofthe Tony Hawk engine ForSpiderran, Gaming senses tinging. Street cred Spiderman aks to the streets. righ bovethem rather nfl 3. The 1 strong port pecaree thidperson perspectives tthe thing to ‘enjy the ru charisma and pain nasty moves of Spiderman. Naturaly hel need all the sls hs horble acedentessed hin with in ode to make ight he things that are wrong, The Amazing (ris terse?) Spiderman is able to cat webs from his wrt forall manner of uses. He can sing From wall ledge ona wad of web; pecan use the stuf sa projectile weapon or ven as ashi. Thestickiness as allows cur Spider hero to cmb wal: Lucky for Peter Parker that he an do all of hese mraclus things, since in spandex