In Cold Blood
Score: 95% ESRB: Teen Publisher: Dream Catcher Developer: Revolution Software Media: CD/3 Players: 1 Genre: Adventure
Graphics & Sound: If you have ever played the Resident Evil games for console systems, you will feel right at home playing In Cold Blood. Instead of the camera following your character as in typical adventure games, In Cold Blood's cameras are mounted in different areas of the environment (usually in the upper corner of each room). The camera angle changes as you round corners, each placed in just the right location to accent important items in the background. The environment looks pretty good graphically, although the actual characters could have been greatly improved upon. In Cold Blood's sound is great! Throughout the game, your character and those he interacts with will speak everything you need to know (there is also text displayed on the screen). I loved this feature as there's nothing I hate more than to sit down to an awesome game, only to fall asleep with boredom as I'm reading conversations on the screen. The music and sound fx are equally well done. Cut-scene movies will pump you up with a great attention to dramatic music and blasting sound.
Gameplay: In Cold Blood is kind of a cross between many games. It has the look and feel of Resident Evil, interaction with the environment and puzzle solving like Tomb Raider, and the covert feel of Metal Gear Solid (going undetected is essential). In other words, In Cold Blood will have your mind running at 110% trying to figure out what to do next, while avoiding conflicts with the bad guys by waiting for the opportune time to sneak up behind them to knock them out. Hint: Only fire when fired upon!!! Get ready for a great balance of action and mind-tingling adventure. The basic premise is that you are British Agent John Cord, infiltrating the enemy concentration camps, trying to help the Americans and your friend Kiefer at the same time. Your goal is to collect info, save the day, and make it back alive. (How's that for vague? Can't spoil it, now can I?). To do so, save often, and don't overwrite your previous save (just in case you need to go back and do something over again). In Cold Blood has multiple save 'slots' just for this purpose. In Cold Blood has got many situations in which one wrong move is a matter of life and death, literally. If you choose to rush into a room with guards, you're dead. However, using patience, you may find out that after they are done talking, the guards will leave or turn their backs to you, allowing you those few crucial seconds to take them out one at a time. I LOVE THIS GAME! Many adventure games fill you with a load of info when talking to neutral characters, and In Cold Blood is no exception. The difference is that most of the info is very important, so pay attention, and you may just come out alive.
Difficulty: In Cold Blood hasn't any difficulty settings to speak of, so you will have to get used to it quickly or run home with your tail between your legs. Although the game is not overly difficult, it can be, at times, very frustrating. Some of the key pieces to the puzzles are very well hidden, almost too much so. but if it were completely straightforward, the game would be way too short and way too easy. There is a good balance between difficulty and gameplay. Most of the time, just sitting back and taking a moment to think will allow you to figure out your next course of action toward victory.
Game Mechanics: In Cold Blood has actually got a lot more depth than it appears to have on the outside. Within the game there are many puzzles, and doing things in a particular order will always be better than any other way (even though the same goals can sometimes be accomplished in different ways). You will also have to learn to use your communication devices to keep in contact with the people that will help you. Finally, don't forget to think about the things that they say, as there is usually some pretty good advice. One of the things about playing In Cold Blood is that I strongly recommend the use of a gamepad. Yes, you can use the keyboard, but the use of a gamepad is so much easier, and all of your agent's abilities can be programmed into the pad within the game. The only real problem I had at all with the game was that controlling your agent seemed a bit too 'loose' - where he turned too easily. Once you get used to this, however, you shouldn't have too much difficulty in maneuvering him. I can't promise that you will get tons and tons of hours out of In Cold Blood (that will depend upon how easily and quickly you solve puzzles), but I will guarantee that if you give the game a chance, you will not be disappointed. The game's overall feel and playability is outstanding, and in my mind, you can't go wrong with a US street price of only 30 dollars. In Cold Blood is scheduled to hit store shelves on March 26, 2001. (Please note that a 3D Accelerator Video Card is required.)
-Woody, GameVortex Communications AKA Shane Wodele
Minimum System Requirements: Windows 95/98/ME; Pentium 166MHz (200 recommended); 16MB RAM (32 recommended); 4x CD-ROM (8x recommended); 3D Accelerator Video Card   Test System: Pentium II 400MHz CPU; Windows 98 (upgrade version); 256MB 100MHz SDRAM; Creative's 32MB 3D Blaster Anihilator 2 3D-Accellerator AGP Video Card; Ensoniq AudioPCI sound card; DirectX 7.0a; using Hewlett Packard CD-Writer Plus 9100 (reads 32x, writes 8x, rewrites 4x) as main CD-ROM; 1 gameport; 2 USB ports; ThrustMaster FireStorm Dual Power Gamepad (USB connection); 56K Modem
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