Amiga Power


Warzone
By Core
Amiga 500

 
Published in Amiga Power #2

Warzone

There aren't many 'full price' Amiga games coming in under the £25 mark these days, so it's nice to see Core putting out an unashamedly simple game at a price that acknowledges that fact. And games don't come very much simpler than Warzone, for - yes! - it's another clone of the well-worn Ikari Warriors.

You (and a chum, if you want) march up eight scrolling levels of slaughter and violence, violently slaughtering anything that gets in your way - as well as a few things that didn't but you felt were worth making a detour for anyway. There are power-ups to collect, big armoured vehicles to pump lead into at the end of every level, and a never-ending supply of cannon-fodder bad guys. So that's enough about Ikari Warriors, what about Warzone?

This is a nice-looking game, not perhaps as pretty as Mercs, but more cartoony and with a bit more character to it. The sound is completely unremarkable, and badly needs a rousing tune, but what effects there are perfectly satisfactory. Some of the later levels constrict your freedom of movement quite severely, and on top of the doesn't-really-work-at-all 3D, this can spoil the feel of realism somewhat. Play is fairly slow, but no more so than most games of the type, and the amount of shooting required to dispose of many of the tougher baddies seems pitched just the wrong side of high to make the game really enjoyable. Difficulty generally is good - even the first level is fairly challenging - and it'll take a pretty mean player to finish the game quickly (if indeed at all).

The over-riding feeling though, is that this, like the similar Mercs, is competent without ever being all that exciting. If you must have another Ikari game, it's as good a bet as any, and £5 cheaper than most, but that's the most positive thing I can find to say about it.

The Bottom Line

Core set themselves a high standard with Chuck Rock, and Warzone doesn't live up to it (not that it's really meant to, probably). Good in a 'So what?' sort of a way.