Friday, June 16, 2006

Scratch Your Niche


Sometimes you just feel
like trying out a game that's not a game.

Such was my mood when firing up Ship Simulator 2006.

It's a good, solid . . . sim. Kind of. I don't know spit about driving ships, but I'm pretty certain this product would be better described as arcadey. Unless, perhaps, they make things more complex as you progress through the different scenarios.

I was able to pick up the controls without even looking for help, which is good because there was no automatic offer to help me learn the controls.

You throttle. You move the rudder. Watch your wake trail behind your vehicle. Nod off. Throttle back, maneuver near a drowning swimmer.

I like that I felt no pressure whatsoever to do anything. You can take and deal damage, but there's really no penalty - maybe once your ship takes a certain amount you have to start over. I don't know. That's not the point.

You take control of a boat. Combined with a glass of Bailey's over ice, this is a good way to get me prepped for sleep. I don't mean any of this to be overly critical. Some people might find the game to be an insult.

The product was clear in its intentions. I bear it no ill will.

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