RIP3 - The Last Hero: A New Hero to Rip Into Company: Meridian4 RIP 3: The Last Hero is what I like to call "stupid fun." Although at first play, it doesn't match up to the standards of other click-and-kill games like Diablo, the sheer simplicity of it is still fun and endearing - at least when taken in short bursts. RIP 3 begins with an overstated story that begins with a steel-fisted totalitarian alien regime led by the "Planet Dictator." In an effort to stop this threat, a portal is opened to a magical kingdom which the dictator attempts to conquer. In response, a group of rebels from the conquered Earth team up with a group of magic-users from the magic realm to defeat the dictator. Even if the story grabs at a lot of straws, it doesn't matter much when it comes to gameplay other than determining which of the six characters you are using. Gameplay is a combination of Smash TV and Gauntlet with a bit of Diablo-style player customization thrown in. Every level is composed of one screen containing a few obstacles and swarms of enemies. The object of each is to destroy a monster generator while navigating the level's obstacles and blowing through every enemy in your path. Along the way, you'll pick up weapons ranging from machine guns to laser rifles and missile launchers. There's no ammo limit, though after a few shots weapons need to reload, which takes time. As you kill enemies, you'll also earn experience which you can spend on new abilities, like special ammo shots. The concept is simple, though the control scheme does hamper the enjoyment. The control setup follows most FPS schemes with WASD controlling movement and the mouse controlling aim. It takes some time to learn and even after you get it down, it never feels all that comfortable. So far, RIP 3: The Last Hero is a fun game that has the potential to develop into a great "quick play" game for short play sessions. -Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker Related Links: Meridian 4