|
CULT GAMES are unheard of on the QL, but I've got a feeling that state of affairs is likely to change when The Wanderer hits the screen.
I've seen 3D games before - in which you must wear 3D glasses - but only The Wanderer has worked for me. The initial demo displays with their strange conglomeration of objects floating through space tell of the miracles to come. Bicycles spin past, pentagons twist and turn, and cards float lazily towards infinity.
Press Enter and the space map is displayed. Most of the map squares are blank and represent sectors. The other squares represent worlds on which you can play poker for energy and shield power, and gateways into other galaxies.
The plot revolves around some nasty looking moggies - who are on the warpath, destroying everything they find in their path through space. The 3D perspective makes it difficult to destroy them. lf you clip only the side of one of their space crafts you might get hit by floating debris, followed by a venomous attack from their laser guns.
If you were hoping for a version of Elite on the QL, The Wanderer falls far short. Although there are many types of feline battle cruiser, including one which looks like a flexi-lamp complete with domed shade and stand, the planets on the star map do not have their own economies the idea is not to trade.
You must gamble at the poker tables like Han Solo in Star Wars - and blow everything out of space.
Despite the lack of sophistication in plot, The Wanderer is the only game worthy of the arcade tag on the QL. The 3D graphics are spectacular and at times you will feel as if you are about to fall into the screen.
The transition between star systems initiated from the star map ridicules those industry pundits who say that if you want fast graphics on the QL you are flogging a dead horse. When you enter space warp your craft rushes through space. The stars swirl in a vortex and you will feel very, very sick.
Pyramide, a French company, has done wonders with its first product for the British market. Its superb packaging and documentation complement a program which shows its author to be very talented. The Wanderer puts many British software products to shame. I can only hope that such excellence will make British software houses get off their backsides and produce something worthwhile.
|
