Monday Gamewatch
You don't need me to tell you what you'll probably be playing this week if you own an Xbox 360 or PS3, but in case you're having none of that, this week's PC lineup should pique the interest of armchair baseball buffs and ancient warfare strategy enthusiasts. As usual, note that days listed are ship-to-store dates, and these games are more likely to be available the day following.
Tuesday
Baseball Mogul 2009. I'm not much of a traditional sports gamer, I've never participated in a fantasy league or collected the cards or memorized all the exotic info that accompanies simulations rife with miscellany like rosters, stats, ticker tapes, scouting reports, pitch-by-pitch modes, lefty-righty tracking, starting defense, batting order, and pitching rotation. But if any of that sounds like heaven to you, Baseball Mogul is the eleventh version of a storied fantasy league PC sports series, now claiming improved play-by-plays, sound effects, user interface, depth chart and pre-game screens, a new season scheduler, updated 2008 rosters and stats, and an improved "Baseball Mogul" encyclopedia. Howzitplay? Baseball Mogul 2009 lets you kick off any day of any year you choose between 1901 and 2008, then manage a 25-man major league roster with up to 100 additional minor league players. Click here for a detailed features list, or here to try the free demo version.
Thursday
Great War Nations: The Spartans. DreamCatcher isn't known for publishing critically heavy-hitting stuff. The last time it was even sort of newsworthy, Dungeon Lords (2005) was nosediving into the 7th or 8th circle of critical hell, as possibly the worst press-hyped RPG to come down the pike, well, ever. My sense for these guys is that they're largely an aftermarket outfit, taking at best better stuff like the Spellforce and Gothic series and cramming them into convenient (if paperless) slats of cardboard -- great if you need a quick backup copy of something you've loved a little too roughly over the years. Bearing that in mind, The Spartans is one of those games that's only been previewed by one or two sites, and then in a screenshot-only capacity (no text, bare minimum of information about much beyond the publisher and ESRB rating -- Mature, if it matters). According to DreamCatcher's blurb, it's a real-time strategy game set during the pre-Roman period in which Greek city-states "clashed for wealth, peace, and glory." You control either Macedonia or Sparta through two seven-mission campaigns to become "more powerful than Alexander the Great." Features: 60 "great heroes of ancient Greece," troops maneuverable in three strategic formations, weapons scavenging and outfit customization, and the ability to command and control buildings and vehicles. I can't figure out who the actual developer is for a rep-check, so caveat emptor -- it wouldn't be a cheap mistake for $40.
Re-Play
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During the wait for GTAIV, I've revisited my PC and an older title that I'd not really spent much time with.
Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth has been a bit of fun...but I'm afraid I'll never win the battle of Helms Deep...*sigh*
Oooo, the original BFME jjgard? Did you ever try BFME2? Much better game all around, the exception being the resource model, which was better as static, contestable nodes than BFME2's dynamic hoop-spacing map-chewing drudgery.
I tracked down a copy of BFME2 for Xbox 360 yesterday...but it seems to be lacking the gravitas and style that comes with authentic Gandalf voice over work. I'm also not sold on the control scheme of the Xbox controller for this sort of game. On the flip side...I hate being hunched over my PC to play games...so it's a toss up.
I never played it on the 360... I tried the demo, which was enough to keep me away. On the PC at least it's pretty terrific, though I share your desire to game from the plush "liberty" of a comfy chair.
I'm a huge fan of Advance Wars on Game Boy/Nintendo DS...have you played Batallion Wars on WII? Would it be a similar experience?