Ghost Master

[RLacey]

I'm guessing that not many people on these forums own this game - especially as the developer went bust.

But anyways, it's a slightly offbeat, and rather enjoyable strategy/puzzle game. I can't quite fit it into either category. On the one hand you have to handle resources and plan your moves, but on the other hand you have to use specific powers in specific places to achieve unique events, in a manner not unlike puzzle and adventure games. And it's funny.

So go, get the demo from http://www.ghostmaster.com. And then buy it. You'll enjoy it, I promise...

[toblix]

You'll enjoy it, I promise...

We'll see, we'll see...

[LeChuckie]

Fairly poorly recieved actually... on acocunt of it not being very good.

(admittedly its not an awful game though)

[RLacey]

Fairly poorly recieved actually... on acocunt of it not being very good.

(admittedly its not an awful game though)

The review I read was positive...

[toblix]

I tried it some, but I couldn't adjust the mouse speed, and I dont' like games where scrolling the screen is a chore. Is there a way of scrolling with a mouse button (á la every other game)? Edge scrolling is so passé!

[Intrepid Homoludens]

I agree, I don't like edge scrolling, I always thought it was had piss poor control. Barely passable for an adventure game, but thoroughly unforgivable for a strategy game where timing is crucial. I think edge scrolling should be banished forever, just like that horrible, horrible 'virtual 3D engine', you know, the one used for that game Post Mortem, and Riven.

[toblix]

I think edge scrolling should be banished forever, just like that horrible, horrible 'virtual 3D engine', you know, the one used for that game Post Mortem, and Riven.

I assume you mean Myst III? Riven didn't have a virtual 3d engine, just static images.

But what was wrong with the virtual 3d engine? It combined 360 degree view with great prerendered graphics (still can't beat that in real-time) and nodal movement, or whatever it's called. And it didn't just have edge scrolling.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Thanks for the correction.

I consider virtual 3D engines to be the poor/lazy man's real time 3D engine. It's a sad joke, imo. It makes me feel as if I can merely look around but that my feet are nailed to the floor and the only to way to move forward is by 'hopping' from one static view to another. I hate that. As far as graphics, I agree that, done well, the images can look rich. But it doesn't alleviate the feeling of constriction in a gameworld, and it seems as if the designers were too scared to take the full plunge into true real time 3D. I say, either stick with the classic and beautiful 2D pre-rendered look (like Syberia) or go ALL the way and reinvent the world in real time 3D where you can 'practically walk into it' and explore to your heart's content, like Uru did.

[Marek]

Although I haven't played Ghost Master (just the demo), it apparently has around 80% on gamerankings.

[RLacey]

And, from what I've played of it, it does NOT require ultra-amazing timing to succeed. It's more a puzzle game, in which you have to decide what ghost powers to use where.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

That's the impression I got from the demo. But there is still a good dose of strategy involved, and resource management.

[RLacey]

That's the impression I got from the demo. But there is still a good dose of strategy involved, and resource management.

I dunno... I suck at strategy games, but seem to be doing fine .

[Intrepid Homoludens]

I think that's because Ghost Master isn't that much of a hardcore strategy.