|
| |
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| The most obvious improvement
over the original is new standard of realism in the
graphics. |
Game
Info
|
Publisher
Ripcord |
Developer
Ripcord Games |
Genre
Action |
Origin
UNKNOWN |
Accelerated
YES |
 |
| New visual perspectives make
the action that much more realistic and
frightening. |
 |
| With over 30 new maps, this
game's got a lot to
give. |
 |
| Attackingbases is a great
deal more challenging than in the previous
title. |
| Return Fire 2
All of the fun of the original is packed into a slick new
3D package.
November 2, 1998
The
original Return Fire was one of those games that helped break down
some of the barriers between hardcore action and strategy gamers.
Now, the team at Rip Cord has done it all over again with Return
Fire 2 -- a game which sticks to the same simple principles as the
original, but does it in a way that's even more likely to widen the
appeal of the genre. Featuring more than 30 new maps (each with a
considerable amount of geography to cover), a shiny new 3D engine,
and new vehicles to control, Return Fire 2 goes places the original
never dreamed of.
Despite the many improvements, Return Fire 2 boasts the same
simple gameplay as the original. In fact, most of you have been
playing this game in one form or another since first grade. The game
is capture the flag, and although it will require a strong sense of
strategy, quick thinking, and a lot of firepower to capture the flag
in Return Fire 2, that simple goal remains your final objective.
Compared to the deliberately understated graphics of the
original, Return Fire 2 is a visual knockout. Lush green hills,
crystal clear ocean waters, and detailed structures and vehicles all
contribute to the new look and feel of the game. Also seeing a big
improvement are the special effects graphics like the explosion of
an enemy tank or the smoke trails of an outgoing missile. All this
added realism goes a long way to draw the player into the action and
increase the urgency of the gameplay. It also makes a big difference
that, this time around, players are invited to experience the action
in a first person or ground-level perspective which only intensifies
the battles that much more.
Further adding to the appeal of the game is a variety of
multi-player options. From 16-player Internet and LAN play to
four-player split-screen action on one computer, this is a game that
screams to be played against friends. Fortunately, the one-player
mode, although strangely difficult to get to via the clunky game
interface, is nearly as rewarding as a giant multi-player match, and
features a challenging foe in the computer opponent.
Every once in a while a developer happens upon a gameplay idea
that's so easy it just can't go wrong. Such is the case with the
Return Fire series. About the only places the game stumbles at all
are in its awkward user interface, which will have you searching
through unnecessary options just trying to get into the game, and
the in-game control, which can be a little unfriendly at times.
If you never played the original, you owe it to yourself to jump
on board now and experience a game which is at once different from
anything else you've every played and yet strangely familiar and
comfortable from the very start. If you're already a fan of the
original then expect even bigger challenges with huge new maps, cool
vehicles, and an extremely flattering face-lift.
-- Patrick Baggatta
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