I was editing Michael Wedge's review of Bladestorm today and when I saw it was from KOEI it made me think of an old DOS game from them that was released about 10-12 years ago. I couldn't remember the name for the life of me but I knew it had to do with Celts. Thanks to Wiki I found it:
Celtic Tales - Balor of the Evil Eye
There's a good write up on it at this abandonware site.When I saw the screenshots memories came storming back -- to before college graduation, when playing games was very very different than what it is now.
1995. Heroes of Might and Magic. High Seas Trader. Jagged Alliance. FPS: Football. Master of Orion. NHL 96. Championship Manager 2. Steel Panthers. Whiplash. X-COM II. The original Command and Conquer. Discworld. Crusader: No Remorse. TIE Fighter on CD-ROM.
Folks, that was a good year.
I'm usually not one of those "back in MY day" people. But I looked at games differently then compared to today. Budgets are now through the roof, developers under enormous pressure, designer creativity stifled by people who hold the purse strings and even with today's seemingly great games there's a certain degree of sameness to it all. As is my usual reaction: I blame the PlayStation.
I mean look at that ancient looking screenshot. I spent hours and hours playing that game. (Don't ask me why I couldn't remember the name...maybe it is in fact an age thing.) Part of me wishes the industry had never left the days of Balor of the Evil Eye. In truth, I don't know if I have simply changed with age or if the games just aren't as good today as I remember them being back in the days of DOS and DIP switches.
I remember playing Panzer General back in the mid 90s and getting so hopelessly addicted to it that I missed 3 consecutive days of classes in order to take Berlin. Why is it that I can't get that feeling today? Is it me? Is it the games? Is it both?
All I know is that Hellgate London sucks.
