Audyssey Magazine May 2000.

Top honours for all these reviews goes to David Greenwood's Lonewolf. This

is the first ever game to be created for the VIP community that is not turn

based. This means that while you are sitting there thinking about whether

you should dive to escape the destroyer, or stay on the surface and get off

a shot at your target the destroyer and (sometimes) the target keep moving.

The destroyer bears down on you and begins firing, and if you don't react

you will be sent to the bottom.

The game is set in World War II, and you are the captain of a submarine.

For some reason you always get these missions that send your sub in alone

against sometimes impossible odds. You have to depend on your wits and

quick actions to keep your sub moving towards the target. The game comes

with 17 missions. The missions start fairly easy and progress up to very

difficult. First time players should definitely work through the early

missions a few times, increasing the provided difficulty ratings. Realise

that you don't have to successfully complete a mission to progress on to the

next one.

The game is fairly complex at first, and uses about 35% of the keys on the

keyboard for all the required tasks. However, the documentation is

excellent, and after a few missions players should have no trouble

understanding what is necessary. I've put probably 100 hours in to this

game, and driving the sub is second nature to me now.

So this is my top rated pick, and you would expect me to recommend you run

out and buy it immediately, right? Nope, if you have a DOS-based system,

and never use Windows then, yes, I recommend this version wholeheartedly.

However, for those

who use Windows I'll have you hold off a month or so. David Greenwood is

almost finished with the Windows-based version of this game. It will be a

full blown Windows application, and will have more weapons and flexibility.

The best feature of all is that David will be allowing the ability to

create new missions, and distribute them to registered owners of the game.

At the writing of this article it is expected that these missions will be

provided free of charge. … I would encourage teachers to buy Lonewolf, as it teaches graphing, would be

easy to work into a history lesson, and shows the relation between velocity

and distance.

- Randy Hammer.

The next review was written after the author acquired a beta copy of Lone Wolf for Windows.

Audyssey Magazine July 2000.

Last issue I said that Windows users should not purchase LoneWolf

because a Windows-based version was coming. Well, for the past month I've

been playing a beta version of the Windows version. Everything that I said

about the game is true, and more.

To get a description of the game please read my review in the previous

issue. In this review, I'm going to describe the improvements. Suffice to

say that this game, when it is released, will be better than almost anything

on the market. The game will not be produced by PCS, David Greenwood will

be marketing the game under his own label, GMA. What this means for pricing

and availability I don't know at this point.

The first thing that you will notice in the game is the easier switch

between missions. Each mission is described and the user has a choice to

accept or decline the mission before it starts.

The second thing that will be noticed is the ease of play. The use of

Windows sounds allows you to work a lot more quickly. The problems with

sound cards is gone. Continuous sounds really are, and they are overlaid

with other sounds pertinent to a sub captain. You hear every ship around

you, the torpedoes streaking out ahead, and the planes sweeping over. The

new soundscape feature gives excellent navigational information. It's

actually easy to complete some missions with just the soundscape (no screen

reader).

Other features include a greatly improved sound delay, a deck cannon,

and a mission creator. The sound delay actually works in the Windows

version. It is now easy to play the game without having to review the

screen. Just set your reader to read highlighted changes and you will have

no problems. The deck gun is an excellent weapon when you aren't being

pestered by destroyers, aircraft, or other attackers. You even have an

advantage with the gun, as it shoots further and with more accuracy than

enemy guns. The mission creator may or may not be included in the package.

I'm not certain on this point yet, but some will have it. Those who do will

be able to create and share new missions for the game. Creating missions is

fairly easy, and increases the enjoyment of the game.

- Randy Hammer.

Note: The author of this review had a question whether the Mission Builder would be provided with the game. It is included with Lone Wolf for Windows.