Time Gate - PC, 25/3/96
Time Gate - PC
Do you know, it's exactly a year since Dark Forces came out! We know that because we employ a secret "letter" system to file Digitiser, copying over reviews from 12 months ago.
We say this here because Dark Forces took 3D gaming onto a new couch of advanced graphics, leaving the angular likes of Alone In The Dark floundering.
And Time Gate is, in almost all ways, Alone In The Dark 3.
Time Gate may be left vomiting in the graphical wake of most current 3D games, but this does at least mean it will run on a 486/33.
Instantly familiar to AITD fans, it expels Carnby in favour of a lovely Frenchman whose fiance has been kidnapped by some 14th century wizard.
This paves the way for the usual AITD blend of dark music, headbutting, funny camera angles, puzzles demanding mindlessly precise positioning and not having an auto-save.
As a barely-cloaked Alone In The Dark niece, Time Gate will, like a gathering of naughty bears, arouse love and punching in equal measure.
You will either, as we do, delight in some of the most satisfying combat ever seen in adventure games and cope with some of the most irritating controls, or you'll give it a great big hissing.
Maybe a shame that little seems to have been done to update a two-and-a-half-year old concept - but maybe not!
Time Gate - PC CD-ROM - by Infogrames
Req: 486 8Mb RAM
Graphix: 75%
Sonix: 83%
Gameplay: 88%
Lifespan: 82%
Originality: 47%
Uppers: More Alone In The Dark
Downers: Same old graphical engine
Overall: 82% - Spine plate
Do you know of any important moments from the annals of Digi history that have been omitted? If so, then mail me (superpage58@gmail.com) right now, man. Credit will be duly given for anything that gets put up.
