Personal Compuer Games


Psi Warrior
By Beyond
Commodore 64

 
Published in Personal Computer Games #14

Psi Warrior

Psi's, Id's, surfboards, net projectors and remote viewing may all sound complicated but the wondrous plot and theory of this game surround a straightforward enough task.

You are in a 60-level ex-missile silo which has been taken over by psychic energy forces intent on destroying the human race. The Psi's and Id's are psychic entities which are controlled by a Source at the bottom of the silo. You have to destroy the Source and thus banish the forces.

Your only weapon in this battle for survival is a Psi-net projector which traps the Psi's and Id's so that you can drain their energy. The nets and the energy are also vital for your battle against the Source since to beat it you have to have a massive store of energy and the ability to hit it with three nets.

Psi Warrior

Your own energy comes in four varieties: a main type, which ticks away as a time limit in which you must destroy the Source; board energy, which runs your surfboard and can be replenished; and Psi and Id energy which are obtained by draining the equivalent monsters.

Board energy is replaced by entering a teleport gate, several of which are dotted around the silo. Psi and Id energy must be kept roughly equal as an imbalance will cause problems with control.

To help you traverse the silo there are lifts, slides and bouncemats (to break a fall) but hindering you are turquoise lines which you cannot normally pass.

Psi Warrior

To get down the whole silo you will need several psychic powers which can only be used when you have enough Psi and Id energy. Teleporting will take you back to a teleport gate while levitation allows you to move over gaps or obstacles.

Remote viewing allows you to view away from your body in black and white while invisibility confuses the Psi if they are pursuing you.

All these skills take Id energy to fuel them and Psi energy to control the use of Id. This may all sound complicated but basically it is a matter of zapping monsters most of the time so that you can gain the powers to reach and overcome the Source.

Psi Warrior

The graphics are excellent and the 'feel' of the surfboard is terrific with great sound effects accompanying the skid of your board or the crackle of an approaching enemy.

Chris Anderson

This game has a superb feel to it. The way your warrior skis around on his surfboard is very impressive and the game has an intriguing, futuristic look all of its own.

I didn't go for the intricate ideas on which it's all based - just a wee bit pretentious I thought. But the game itself is what counts.

Psi Warrior

Despite the fact that it's basically just exploring and shooting, there are enough tactics and a big enough playing area to give it plenty of depth and keep you going for hours.

Peter Connor

The game was immediately impressive, with its superbly smooth movement. The animation of the surfboarding hero is a joy to behold, especially the way his head turns around.

But although the game is complex and demands skill I really wasn't convinced of its lasting appeal: there are many levels but they all resemble each other pretty closely, as do the monsters.

Steve Cooke

Psi Warrior

Forget the psychological Psi-Id nonsense, I enjoyed this game simply because of the really beautifully smooth action and graphics.

The other thing I liked about it was the strategic element - having to balance your energy forces meant having to think a little more than usual when it came to pressing the fire button.

My only slight quibble would be that the action is very slightly too slow, given the fact that you'll need to play for quite a while to get to the Source.

Bob Wade

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