Rise Of The Dragon

Omens of doom haunt the inhabitants of a dying Los Angeles. The year is 2053, and the Dragon — a dreaded supervillain — will soon arise to dominate the once-great city. To prepare for his return, the Dragon's followers are selling a horrible drug called MTZ that literally consumes its users.

As William "Blade" Hunter, an ex-cop and cheap private eye, you've been drawn into this deadly adventure. It started as a simple investigation into the death of the mayor's daughter. Someone slipped the girl some MTZ, but you soon discover that her death is much more than a routine homicide. Somehow you must stop the Dragon's henchmen from poisoning the entire city.

Most of the time you'll have to rely on your wits and whatever items you uncover during your investigation. However, you do receive some help from a smalltime operator known as "thejake." And your girlfriend Karyn can be a big help—she works in the records department at city hall. Then there's the mysterious Chang Li, whose advice is often couched in maddeningly abstract philosophical epigrams.

Rise of the Dragon is a stunning game, vividly depicting a futuristic world of intrigue, mystery, and violence. Dynamix (now part of Sierra) has opted for digitized screens of hand-painted artwork, instead of computer art or digitized images of real actors and locales. As a result, the game has a very distinctive look—a cross between the movies Blade Runner and Big Trouble in Little China.

Although the game is playable with a keyboard, it's much better with a mouse or a joystick. The point-and-click interface allows you to move through the game at a fast pace and is especially handy in the arcade shooting sequences. About the only time you'll need to type anything is when you save a game. Of course, you'll probably want to save quite often, since this is a game in which death truly waits around almost every corner.

If Rise of the Dragon represents the fruits to be borne of the Dynamix/Sierra union, we're in for a truly bountiful harvest. The designers have done a wonderful job of simulating a believable future world—one which should engross even the most jaded gamer.