It's not a game you really want to finish either, as the earlier stages are far more enjoyable than the later ones. The opening scene, which is a rip-off of Black Hawk Down in which Hayden and his team have to extract themselves from an African town and the subsequent firefights in the Congolese jungle are the best of a pretty mundane bunch.
Syberia
Local distributor: Digital Extreme
Platform: PC and X-Box (PC only in Taiwan)
Taiwan release: Already available
Released globally in English in 2002, the first Chinese-lang-uage version of the hugely popular adventure game has recently been released by local PC game manufacture Digital Extreme.
An instant hit with adventure-game buffs two years ago, the game follows an American lawyer, Kate Walker on her quest to find Hans Voralberg, the owner of a toy factory who has disappeared.
Graphically enchanting and with an easy to use and, more importantly, understandable interface, Syberia is a relaxing
adventure game that is full of fantastic twists and turns and pleasing landscapes.
As an adventure game that asks players to solve a series of puzzles rather than tote heavy weaponry, Syberia is not a game that gets the blood pumping and the temperature rising. There's no time pressure and the puzzles, while far from taxing, are interesting and elegantly thought-out.
Walker's adventures take her through France, Germany and finally into Russia.
Athens 2004
Local distributor: SCEA
Platform: PS2
Taiwan release: Already available
If the rather lackluster manner in which local television stations have taken to airing live coverage of events in Athens is getting you down and you own a PS2, then SCEA's Athens 2004 might console you for a few hours at least.
Although far from perfect, the game is entertaining and graphically and atmospherically the closest you'll get to Athens without purchasing an airplane ticket and flying off to the home of the Olympic Games.
Players can participate in 25 events and choose their athletes from 64 countries. The stadiums are detailed and, according to the manufacturer, have been based on the actual architectural plans. The game has a TV broadcast feel to it thanks to the way in which the system switches to different camera angles throughout events and makes full use of its instant-replay mode.
Athens 2004 is not for gamers looking for a cutting-edge gaming experience, as the crux of sending your athletes speeding along track or vaulting over the high jump simply entails hitting one of two buttons at varying speeds. Needless to say, the nauseating fun of doing this wears off after about an hour. The game is perfect, however, for those looking to spend a few fun hours in front of the TV with friends.
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