Frontline

Allo mes petits sossisons! I was much disappointed by the lack of libel suits, threats against life and limb, etc. resulting from the last FRONTLINE, so this issue I’m going to be tightening up and telling the real truth about some more strategy turkeys. Actually, I must tell you that CRASH has been told that its review of a certain game, should have been upgraded and we have risked losing the advertising from the company that produces it (money we get from advertising pays a large proportion of running costs, so it keeps the cover price down). I’d just like to point out to these cowboys that this kind of petty blackmail produces, if anything, an even more negative approach from writers. It’s about time some of these people realised that a reviewer is paid to write what he or she feels about a game, and not what the game producer feels about it. For the record, as I didn’t write the review, I’ve reviewed this particular game again and found myself in total agreement with the previous reviewers. You’ll have to guess which one it is, but I expect that even those of you with really short memories will get it.

And while I’m having a gripe, I spent a knackering couple of days at the PCW show recently, and were there any decent strategy games there? In a word, no. Good old Lothlorien were there, of course, and there was one other excellent strategy game which I can’t tell you anything about (ahh, conflict of interest...) but I was very rapidly reduced to discussing the moribund state of the industry with a nubile young cocktailperson in leopardskin shorts. Actually, I can’t stand exhibitions you know, but when duty calls...