Beach Life (PC version) is your opportunity to create your idea of heaven on a beach!The recommended minimum age is 12, but this is not simply a child's game, it can become surprisingly complex when you tackle all the ins and outs of the game.Created by Deep Red and Eidos Interactive, this game was first released in September 2002 and will work on the following platforms: Windows XP, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me and Windows 2000.The graphics are good, nothing hi-tech, but perfectly acceptable for the type of game Beach Life is.Beach life is a strategy game where you are entirely in charge of the Island you create. If you play in 'sandbox' mode, you have free reign to choose the location, size and characteristics of your island. Should you choose to play one of the many scenarios, you will be faced with many challenges which you must try to overcome - for example, raise the happiness of your visitors, gain a high revenue from food and drink establishments, etc.
The scenarios are good to start with, they range from easy to more difficult objectives, allowing you to build up your knowledge of how the island works etc without having to start from scratch each time.The game's interface is very easy to use. The 'build' and 'scenery' buttons give you all the options you need for building up your island. From installing burger and soft drinks stalls to luxury hotels, down to placing plants and statues to increase the environmental happiness of your guests.
There is a 'guest and building browser' button - allowing you to see at a glance how efficient and cost effective your buildings are, and also to view how happy your guests have become.The 'finance' button is self explanitory, providing a quick overview of what state your island's finances are in.
You can easily zoom in on or out of your game, allowing you to see, close-up events or a basic overview of how your whole island is looking. I find it helpful when designing my island to zoom right out to see where things would be best placed and then zoom in on certain attractions to see all the guests frequenting them.
Once your island is built, you must try to keep your tourists and (equally importantly) your staff happy. Staff are needed to work in all of your buildings and also maintain them so be kind to them! Pay-rises here and there can work wonders ;)
There is a built in camera option to allow you to take a photo of your island and submit it to the Beach Life website for all to see, or you can simply email it as a postcard to your family and friends.The built-in MP3 player comes with a selection of 'beachy' songs that provide a lovely listening environment for your gameplay. These include Kinobe, Alexkid, Laurent Garnier and many more. Other tracks can be added in as you choose, or if you need to REALLY concentrate, it can be switched off!
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Max Payne 2 is a direct sequel to the original and picks up after the events of that game. Max, now a detective and wearier than ever of the world, once again has his hands full as he finds himself hopelessly attached to the lovely Mona Sax, a murder suspect and part of a bigger plot that ties in to Max's own dark past. There are tons of references and parallels to the original story. Fans will undoubtedly be pleased by some of the nudging and winking, though someone starting off with Max Payne 2 would probably feel rather left out, despite the presence of an optional cutscene that summarizes what happened leading up to Max Payne 2. Still, this is a surprisingly complex narrative for a game, irrespective of the genre.
Fantastic 4 is a beat-'em-up based on a movie of the same name, which is in turn based on a comic book series created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee. The game takes some cues from X-Men Legends in that you can quickly switch between up to four different heroes and upgrade their abilities as you battle your way through Dr. Doom's legions of robots and other monstrous foes and mini bosses. Unfortunately, the game suffers from imprecise controls, a lackluster presentation, a few bugs, and other issues that make it difficult to recommend.
