The Wheel of Time PC game
Created by
Legend Entertainment Company, Published and Distributed by
GT Interactive Software Corp. in 1998.
this game received a
Teen rating by
ESRB and a
General rating by the
Australian Office of Film and Literature Classification.
Requirements:
Note:These requirements are contradicted by the game manual in some cases. ( see 'Problems'
Minimum-
- CPU: Pentium 200
- Memory: 32 MB
- Available HD Space; 500mb
- Distribution Media Drive: CD-Rom
- Audio System:Windows 9X Compatible Sound Card
- Video System: PCI Local Bus Video Card
- O/S: Windows 9X
- Network and Internet Play: TCP/IP
Recommended-
- CPU: Pentium II 233
- Memory: 64 MB
- Available HD Space; 500mb
- Distribution Media Drive: CD-Rom
- Audio System:Windows 9X Compatible Sound Card
- Video System: 3D Accelerator
- O/S: Windows 9X
- Network and Internet Play: TCP/IP
Outline:
The Wheel of Time is marketed as a 'First person action/
Strategy' game, with graphics is based upon an extended/enhanced version of the
Unreal 3D Engine, but with a lot higher strain on system resources.
The storyline takes place within the same world as the book series, but is set 100yrs prior to the events of The Eye of the World ( iirc ). because of this, the game can be played without having read the books, and without spoiling them for any future reader.
Features:
As far as first person shooters go, this one ranks up there.
Use over 20 ( more like 40 ) artifacts to use for offense, defense or puzzle solving.
Be a part of a decent, well -written storyline.
Create the defenses of your own citadel.
Take your fight online with 3 multiplayer game types.
Play with 'state-of-the-art' graphics and environmental effects.
And fight have a variety of enemies, each with its own weaknesses, strengths and individuality.
If it was just a first person shooter, it would be well worth the $20 or so that you would pay for it these days, and with the advances in the home PC, the strain on your resources would be negligible for anyone with a middle-range machine.
Bonus:
The best part about this game is only available to those that have read the series by Robert Jordan from which this game is derived. If you have followed the characters through the world, then you know the horrors that await within the game, and with the exceptional music and sound effects, creeping through the streets of say.. Shadar Logoth.. is a truly nerve-wracking experience.
Mashadar Awaits...
Problems:
There are a few problems with the game however. A few points that should be made clear before anyone goes and purchases this game.
Inside the game manual, inside the sealed box, on Page 44,45, it states...
"This game uses MP3 music playback. While the music adds a lot to the game experience, it also imposes a 5% CPU hit and consumes eight megabytes of memory. Simply put, music saps performance. Turn music off on any system with less than 128mb of RAM. It is also advisable to keep music off for machines with lower end CPUs ( anything under a PII/300).
This goes against the recommended system requirement of 64mb of RAM and if they had even mentioned the music score on the box, they would most likely be in trouble, but they didn't mentioned it, and the game can be played without the music.
Note: The MP3 files can be moved to the hard drive for a smoother ride
Finis:
A great game for anyone who wants more to a game than Quake 3 or it's clones provide. Ideal for a fan of Rovert Jordan's 'Wheel of Time'.