SPECTRE

If you like your gaming fast and hot, Spectre from Velocity Development may be just the action you're looking for. In this three-dimensional, first-person-view blastathon, you must pilot your battle vehicle through a “virtual-reality” landscape, destroying enemies as well as gathering ammo dumps and flags. While the ammo dumps give your vehicle a boost by repairing damage and restoring ammunition, the flags are most important, since you must grab them all before you can move on to the next level.

When you begin a game, you can choose among four different vehicles. Then it's off to the battle. As you fight your way toward the flags, you can blast a single enemy vehicle with your regular cannon or take on a pack by launching a fire grenade. Should you find yourself overwhelmed by the competition, a quick tap of your backspace key whips you into hyperspace, from which you'll emerge at a different, hopefully safer, location.

While the one-player game is challenging, Spectre was really designed for network play with human players at different computers. In this mode, you can choose from three scenarios. In Arena, players gather points by destroying each other's vehicles; in Flag Rally, players must collect the required number of flags; and in Base Raid, two teams struggle to take over the opponent's base.

With its impressive 3-D graphics and awesome sound effects, Spectre is a simple but engrossing game when played against the computer. When you get a gang together—connected via either modem or formal network—you can kiss the evening goodbye.

CLAYTON WALNUM

Velocity Development

(415) 776-8000

$59.95

$79,95 (for two-user LAN pack)

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