Spectre

Enter the Cyber-War. In Spectre, you see a virtual world from the point of view of a battle craft - a 'Spectre'. Roaming around computerized arenas deep inside a massive cyber-net, the object of the game is survival. Shoot your enemies, collect ammo and flags, avoid mines, and race on to higher level arenas. In the two-player game, battle with a friend or ally against the denizens of the Cyber-net. Arm your tank and launch yourself into hyperspace in a battle to see who is the champion of Spectre.

This is like the old arcade classic Battlezone. Using a first-person perspective, you zip around and fire at targets. One major problem it's you can take several hits before even getting the enemy in your sights.

If most video games are right, the future isn't going to be much fun. There will be invading aliens, and Earth will be populated by weapon-laden vehicles. Spectre makes the same forecast, and makes you responsible for saving the world from the seat of your tank.

Tanks for Everything

Much like a twisted version of "Capture the Flag." the one- player port-over from the Mac requires that you grab flags while avoiding enemy fire. As you progress from level to level, things get more intense: The opposition is more relentless, and it takes more shots to destroy them. Also, there are obstacles around the flags.

In the two-player game, each player has a split-screen view of the action, which features competitive and cooperative contests. Working with your tank is easy and intuitive. When you're driving, all the feedback you need comes through the tank's windshield, thanks to a heads-up display that shows where you're going and provides other status updates. The hardest part is learning which button does what -- but don't worry, that's a snap.

Don't Tread on Me!

The through-the-windshield perspective shows a checkerboard battlefield that's simple, striking, and smoothly animated. The terrain is speckled with basic shapes, like spheres and cubes, and different-colored enemy tanks are scattered around in your path. It's a bit bothersome when you're very close to enemy craft, because they pop in and out of view. But that's a small flaw.

The music is subtle, but it creates an ominous mood for the game. What really shines are the sounds of otherworldly combat, which you can set up two ways. The first gives you the "classic" audio accompaniment of Spectre for the Mac. The second has spacier effects. Both are extremely cool, and they signal different events, like extra lives, recharge pads, and nabbing a flag.

The only problem with the game -- and it keeps Spectre from being perfect -- is that the difficulty curve rises too quickly. Just the same, it pushes you to try again -- and compete harder.

The Way We War

Spectre is a strong simulation that increases your stress level by leaps and bounds. When a shot comes at you, you'll find yourself moving to get out of the way. While the game has a few flaws, they barely affect your enjoyment. Spectre is one wild ride!