Some games you know within the first half hour of playing them that you're going to get sucked in and lose day after day, only stopping play long enough to realize that another day has disappeared. Games based on movies are rarely this good, but often if you love the movie you play the game anyway. My whole family absolutely adored Ice Age, and have been waiting very impatiently for March 31st when Ice Age 2 hits theaters. So when I saw that a demo of the PC version of the Ice Age 2 video game was available for download, I was there seconds later.Lest you run off on me and disappear to play the demo yourself before reading why the game is so great, I've tucked the link to the demo further down on the page. Hey, if I had to take time out from playing the demo to tell you about it, it is only fair that you take the time to read about it before playing yourself.
In the demo that I've played so far I've only played Scrat, the adorable little "saber-toothed squirrel" who had way too little screen time in the first movie. Its probably obvious that what Scrat is after is acorns. Our little acorn obsessed friend has more tricks up his furry little sleeves than I thought possible even for such a feisty creature as he. It makes perfect sense to me that Scrat has to dig for acorns, that he can follow his little nose to find hidden acorns, and that he can sneak around Diego by playing dead in order to collect acorns. What I hadn't expected was for this little toughie to be able to use his tail end to smash through ice (a double jump combined with attack accomplishes this special move), be able to stun opponents with a wicked kung-fu type sweep of his tail, and even butt-bash his way through frozen obstacles all in the name of collecting acorns. Scrat also has an unexpectedly spectacular climbing ability, by the way, making him seem more super-heroish than misguided squirrelish.
The controls on this PC version of the game are about what I'd expect from a adventure game which was most likely designed for a console game experience first. In other words, you'll find there are times when you wish you had three hands. Camera controls are through the mouse, as are some of the action commands such as reading "hint" signs and interacting with other characters in the world. Everything else, such as jump, attack, spin, and sniff, as well as movement, is controlled through the keyboard. While you can customize some of these commands, in the demo version at least, others can't be changed. So I learned rather quickly to be careful how I set up my keyboard because you can't "sniff" and move at the same time, for example, if you use the arrow keys to move. The game is coming out on just about every gaming system there is, however, so if you own any sort of console gaming system or hand-held gaming system, you might consider buying it that way rather than on the PC and avoid the whole issue.
The bottom line here is that until you can get to the store and buy this game on whatever system you have to play it on, go here and download the demo version of the PC game. I had a few problems with the demo crashing early on in the second area that Scrat gets to, so this preview is by no means complete. The full version of the game lets you play different characters, has mini-games included, and complete little missions within the main storyline of the game. I'll be wrapping up this preview now so that I can go visit my local gaming store. I just hope they aren't sold out. (Note the download of the demo is also available at 3D Downloads, 3D Gamers, FileFront, and Worthplaying.)
I’ve played computer games since college, addicted first to story type games like Might and Magic. I have 3 children who also love computer games. My oldest son is a typical kid who loves the challenge of pressing the right combination of buttons and levers on a joystick in just the right way to make something happens, and frequently gets frustrated with mom’s slow fingers. ;) We use computers for both education and entertainment, and sometimes even bribery for good behavior.
The “glory days” of computer gaming for me were when games like Spectre Supreme, Pirate’s Gold, the Might and Magic series, the original Prince of Persia… those sorts of games were coming out on a regular basis. Back then I owned a Macintosh and was a die hard Mac fan. I was one of the first in my area to buy an iMac and on it learned the joy of playing games on the internet like daily crossword puzzle and “mind bender” type puzzles. My first online RPG was given to me for Christmas the year EQ was released, and I was hooked from day one. I played EQ for about a year. I started playing DaoC during late alpha testing, and was hooked on it.. well, to be honest I still am. I’ve tried pretty much every MMORPG I can get my hands on, from big names like EQ, to more obscure ones such as Underlight. I’ve been writing for IMGS since the first DaoC guide, and find I love the challenge of learning a game and presenting what I’ve learned (and sometimes my opinions), to other players.
I’m not a very strong player as far as learning PvE or quick reaction times, so I tend to stay away from games where I’m pitted against someone else in a way that requires physical (rather than mental) response. I still enjoy story and puzzle games, and in a way that’s how I still approach online games. I would much rather spend hours working through a quest than 5 minutes in combat against another player. I still get lost in simulation type games, obsessing over them until I’ve gotten them beaten. And I like being able to sit down at the computer when I’ve got less than half an hour and playing through a few levels of a puzzle game. I tend not to like first-person shooter type games, or anything with person to person violence, so I steer away from them unless they are fantasy based settings. All in all, I enjoy computer gaming so much that my life feels incomplete somehow when my computer is down.
