The Final Word game review

Return Fire -- Prolific/Silent Software

Drag out the heavy artilary for the ultimate game of capture-the-flag. Choose from tanks, choppers and jeeps as you attempt to outwit and outmanuever your opponent before he outwits you. Two-player head-to-head warfare and CD-sound highlight this overhead action-strategy game for the 3DO.

Ferrari Man
This is not a razzle dazzle 3DO game, but it is loads of fun. From the full surround Dolby sound to the multi-stage levels, this game rocks. It is a throwback to the old Amiga generation games when fun was valued over graphics. If you need great graphics to get you through the day, look elsewhere - otherwise this is one hot title.

E.Phoenix
This is the coolest 3DO title I have played in a while. Return Fire is a military "capture the flag" that is heavy on action and light on strategy. You get the choice of controlling a chopper, a tank, a jeep, and a heavy attack vehicle. Gameplay consists of: 1) blasting everything that moves, 2) finding the enemy's flag, and 3) returning to the base, with the flag, to claim victory. The victor is rewarded with a FMV parade sequence. Music consists of excellent classical pieces, the funniest being "Flight of the Bumblebee" when you deploy the unarmored jeep and when you capture the flag (you may only capture the flag with the jeep). Graphically, this is an impressive game; the only problem I have with the graphics, and it is a major problem, is the indiscriminate use of scaling (scoring would be higher if a fixed camera angle option was available). The screen scales in and out at the most annoying moments, making it hard to exactly see where things are when it scales in, and hard to see what is going on when it scales out. This "feature" is an enormous problem in two-player mode where the screen is split in half. Another problem with the game is that the map on your control panel is very small, with no option to look at it closer. Aside from the problems, it's a pretty cool game, but could get boring fast if you are the only one playing. This is definitely a party game, as playing a human opponent can become hilarious. Rent it before you buy it.

R.I.P.
Hey! I recognize this game... It's Firepower on the Amiga, one of my favorite two-player Amiga games in fact. Not only is this game great, it's even better than it's predecessor. A tip for a successful game is use your helicopter to scope out the enemy HQ and take it out to check for the flag, then use the tank to clear a path between your base and the flag... and of course the jeep to retreive the flag... Personally I think the armoured car is a waste of time. The camera view of the playfield is the only anoying thing about this game and the one factor that will keep me from playing this game more. It's almost as if the view was being run by someone stone drunk out of their mind! ...and it constantly annoyed me to boot. Oh yeah, and what's with the Army recuiters information on the pause screen? Get that out of here!

Salamander
Guns, guns, guns! If you ever have the urge to pummel everything you can see out of existence, this is the game for you! A little too easy against the computer, this title is great for two-player action. Lots of fun.

>>>>> 74.5/100 <<<<<		Ferrari Man	E.Phoenix	R.I.P.	Salamander
Graphics		1.5	3.5	4.0	2.5
Sound		4.0	4.5	4.0	4.5
Gameplay/Control		4.0	4.0	4.5	4.5
Longevity/Playability		4.0	3.0	2.0	4.0
Overall		4.0	4.0	4.0	4.0
Total		17.5	19.0	18.5	19.5

(04/95)