Reviews

GAMES

Not Baaaaaaaaaaaaad!

Sheep (Empire interactive, PlayStation and PC)

Oh, just think of all the parallels with faith you could come up with, with a game called ‘Sheep’, images of the shepherd caring for his sheep and knowing each one by name. Unfortunately it’s very hard to draw such comparisons with this game.

The story behind the game involves the ancestors of the modern sheep, being sent from their own planet Ovis Aries, many many years ago to Earth, to pose as quiet, stupid animals, while learning about their surroundings.

However, they enjoyed their role so much that they forgot all about their mission. So now, the current dwellers on planet Ovis Aries have sent back ships to Earth, to pick up their lost flocks, taking two people and a couple of dogs hostage to round the sheep up for them.

This game is very much in the same genre as Lemmings, the ever popular PC classic game, the idea being to guide as many of the sheep through the seven different worlds of the game as possible.

It sounds easy enough, but controlling the wild woollies with your chosen shepherd is enough to make you tear your hair out in frustration at first! Let alone getting them past all the hazards put in your way, like bailing machines and sheep-eating crabs.

That said, this is one of those games that is easy to pick up after a while, and impossible to put down. It works so well because, like Lemmings, although there really isn’t that much to the game, you can easily find yourself having used up hours playing it.

It's probably more suited to the older gamer – teens and upwards – because although the younger generation would enjoy playing it for a while, I could see them getting fed up with not bringing enough sheep through a level to progress any further.

All in all, great fun and guaranteed to have you flocking to your console or PC for hours. (And at time of writing, it was in the WH Smith sale at £14.99!)

Rating: 8 out of 10.

The Little Prince (Tivola, PC and Mac)

Enchanting is a word you rarely use in the context of a computer game review, but The Little Prince really does deserve it.

The first ever CD-ROM adaptation of the classic international best-seller from Antoine de Saint-Exupery, it combines storytelling, games and activities with first class animation and music to create a genuinely memorable package. First published in 1943, some 25 million copies of the book have been sold worldwide, translated into more than 100 languages.

And as a bonus you get actor-director Kenneth Branagh taking on the role of narrator. There's too much to the tale to give you more than the barest outline, but essentially it's a magical story about a little prince who has come from another planet, travelling far and wide to unravel the mysteries of the universe.

It's not at heart a Christian tale, but there are plenty of virtues which Christians would applaud, from care for the Earth, to the value of patience and friendship. As the little prince says: "One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes."

And there's plenty to do. You can listen and watch an animated version of the story, complete with many original watercolours from the book; there's a fox-taming game to play which ends with the reward of a secret on-screen notebook and illustrated stationery you can print out; various planets move around the screen which you can click on and discover more about them ... and you can also take charge of Asteroid B-612!

It's highly absorbing for eight to 10-year-olds upwards. Recommended.

Christian Herald review team

© Christian Family Network
is run by CPO, supported by
Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting,
Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.


		GAMES Not Baaaaaaaaaaaaad! Sheep (Empire interactive, PlayStation and PC) Oh, just think of all the parallels with faith you could come up with, with a game called ‘Sheep’, images of the shepherd caring for his sheep and knowing each one by name. Unfortunately it’s very hard to draw such comparisons with this game. The story behind the game involves the ancestors of the modern sheep, being sent from their own planet Ovis Aries, many many years ago to Earth, to pose as quiet, stupid animals, while learning about their surroundings. However, they enjoyed their role so much that they forgot all about their mission. So now, the current dwellers on planet Ovis Aries have sent back ships to Earth, to pick up their lost flocks, taking two people and a couple of dogs hostage to round the sheep up for them. This game is very much in the same genre as Lemmings, the ever popular PC classic game, the idea being to guide as many of the sheep through the seven different worlds of the game as possible. It sounds easy enough, but controlling the wild woollies with your chosen shepherd is enough to make you tear your hair out in frustration at first! Let alone getting them past all the hazards put in your way, like bailing machines and sheep-eating crabs. That said, this is one of those games that is easy to pick up after a while, and impossible to put down. It works so well because, like Lemmings, although there really isn’t that much to the game, you can easily find yourself having used up hours playing it. It's probably more suited to the older gamer – teens and upwards – because although the younger generation would enjoy playing it for a while, I could see them getting fed up with not bringing enough sheep through a level to progress any further. All in all, great fun and guaranteed to have you flocking to your console or PC for hours. (And at time of writing, it was in the WH Smith sale at £14.99!) Rating: 8 out of 10. The Little Prince (Tivola, PC and Mac) Enchanting is a word you rarely use in the context of a computer game review, but The Little Prince really does deserve it. The first ever CD-ROM adaptation of the classic international best-seller from Antoine de Saint-Exupery, it combines storytelling, games and activities with first class animation and music to create a genuinely memorable package. First published in 1943, some 25 million copies of the book have been sold worldwide, translated into more than 100 languages. And as a bonus you get actor-director Kenneth Branagh taking on the role of narrator. There's too much to the tale to give you more than the barest outline, but essentially it's a magical story about a little prince who has come from another planet, travelling far and wide to unravel the mysteries of the universe. It's not at heart a Christian tale, but there are plenty of virtues which Christians would applaud, from care for the Earth, to the value of patience and friendship. As the little prince says: "One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes." And there's plenty to do. You can listen and watch an animated version of the story, complete with many original watercolours from the book; there's a fox-taming game to play which ends with the reward of a secret on-screen notebook and illustrated stationery you can print out; various planets move around the screen which you can click on and discover more about them ... and you can also take charge of Asteroid B-612! It's highly absorbing for eight to 10-year-olds upwards. Recommended. Christian Herald review team © Christian Family Network is run by CPO, supported by Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting, Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.