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Barrage
Reviewed by: Greg
Carson, send
e-mail
Published
by: Activision & Mango Grits, go
to the web site
Site 2: go
to the web site
Requires: Pentium
133, Windows 95, 98 or NT4, 32MB RAM, quad speed
CD-ROM drive, a supported 3D accelerator (with either Riva
tnt,
Rendition V2200, Matrox G200, or Permedia 2 chipsets - Voodoo
Graphics
3Dfx card and 2D card, or Voodoo Rush 3DFX 2D/3D card fit the
bill),
98MB of uncompressed hard drive space, 33.6 modem
MSRP: US$24.99
First
of all, I'm not much of an arcade-style flight sim fan. I've
never really liked simulation games. The Barrage storyline
is straightforward and moderately appealing however. Basically,
the story behind the game is that a fighter jet of the future
has been created. It's meant for all-out war. You (the player)
being in the military, have been given one of the jets to use
on missions. The mission levels vary: from destroying submarines
(you can submerge your jet to fight or avoid enemy fire) and
flying through power buoys to deactivate them while under attack,
to flying underground. Barrage was created by Mango Grits and
is published by Activision.
I tested Barrage on a Pentium II/266 MHz machine with 64MB
RAM and a 4MB Matrox Millennium graphics card. Installation
was flawless. There are plenty of options available for configuring
the game controls. You can also set the game to be less stressful
on your computer so that it runs better. Barrage was not
tested in multiplayer mode.
In a high-speed hover fighter aircraft you can fly freely
anywhere in outdoor, underground, and underwater 3D environments.
Blast away at the military targets, watch out for their return
fire, race to locate the portal, and activate the gateway
into the next world before the clock runs down and your fuel
runs out.
Barrage can be beautiful with a fast processor, lots of
RAM, and a good 3D accelerator. If you don't have one of
those spectacular machines the game may not look the greatest,
but it's still not bad and the game play is still fast. The
explosions are still fantastic and the array of weapons just
as tantalizing.
The game controls were kind of confusing. I was using my
joystick, but I found that after using and configuring all
the joystick buttons, I had to go to the keyboard for basic
maneuvering controls. Using the keyboard alone is a better
idea because all the controls reside in one place.
I said at the beginning that I don't really like sims.
Well, this one is different. Although it did get a bit repetitive
after a while (shoot, kill destroy, shoot, kill destroy,
etc.), the excellent graphics and different game levels (underwater,
top-side canyons, etc.), kept me going.
Barrage provides different cockpit views, and you can experiment
with them to determine which one suits you best. Your viewpoint
is important in Barrage, because your enemies can be anything
from a turret-mounted plasma gun, to a helicopter hovering
above you. Even on the 'Easy' game play setting, Barrage
finds a few ways to challenge you. The views are important,
especially when battling in Grand Canyon or Downtown Chicago.
On a
scale of 1 to 5, I rate Barrage a 3.5. People who aren't
as prejudiced as I am against flight sims might even
give Barrage a 4.
Cons: Needs a fast PII system with 3D accelerator. The
weapons selection is tantalizing, but there should still
be more weapons. Sound and music are OK but not great - the
'recorded' quality is reasonable but the music itself is
not that inspiring.
Pros: Great graphics. Fun and mostly exciting game play.
Lots of game levels and the action is great. Recommended.
Letters
to the Editor are welcome and occasionally abused in public.
Send e-mail to: whine@kickstartnews.com
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