Feature Review

Nox

* * * 1/2

In January of 1997, Blizzard Entertainment released a game called Diablo that all but revolutionized the computer game industry. While role playing games with action elements had been done before, never had they been so accessible to the masses. Diablo featured simple controls, impressive graphics, and was ready to play on the Internet right out of the box: features that were unheard of in its day. After being named "Game of the Year" by numerous publications and spawning an expansion pack, Diablo went on to sell over two million copies worldwide (an impressive feat for a computer game). A sequel is in the works, but its release has been delayed for over a year while Blizzard takes time to perfect it.

Surprisingly, for three long years Diablo has been the undisputed king of its genre, without serious contention for the crown. Other games that have revolutionized their genres, such as Id's Quake or Blizzard's own Warcraft II, have been quickly copied or cloned by competing design houses who created similar, but often inferior games. Diablo was so revolutionary that it has taken Blizzard's rivals these three years to even begin to produce products that could keep up with it. Nox, by Westwood Studios, is one of the best of these games. Though essentially lacking a plot, save the old "trailer trash in King Arthur's court" standby, it is a solid hack and slash game that can easily become an obsession due to its beautiful simplicity.

At first glance, visually, it seems that little progress has been made in the past few years, as the game is optimally played in low resolution (640 by 480 pixels). But seeing Nox in motion is a whole different story. Shadows obscure your vision, wrapping themselves around pillars as you explore dungeons, light reflects off of the snow covered swamps, and magic explosions abound.

The single player game allows you to choose from three different characters to select your on screen persona, just as Diablo did. There is the standard warrior who can charge into battle at near light speed or use a grappling hook to pull in enemies. A sorcerer is available for those desiring a more stealthy approach, and can be used not only to cast magical spells but to create magical traps into which he can lead his foes. The last option is the only one that radically departs from the precedent set by Diablo. While the "conjurer" is similar to the rogue employed by Diablo in his Use of archery, his ability to bind hostile creatures to his will and order them about leads for the most interesting experience of Nox. It is not unusual to see an army of giant scorpions, trolls, and imps tagging behind. There are not any female characters to play, which is regrettable, but with the absence of any real plot so to speak, and in full armor, players are effectively genderless, though skin and hair color can be customizable.

Unlike the randomly generated dungeons of Diablo, the locations of Nox are fixed, as is item placement with the weaponry and armament that you receive, hindering its replayability. Fortunately, your choice of character class not only alters the tactics you must employ in battle, but the very game itself: as a town that might be helpful to a sorcerer is hostile to a warrior character. Nox, in this respect, is like three games in one.

Combat is fast and furious, where you need to click the attack button with little regard of your mouse's well being, as in Diablo--but also dodge the attacks of your foes as well. In this regard, Nox feels like the spiritual successor to the old Super Nintendo hit Zelda 3. The only infuriating part of Nox's system is the way that weapons and armor deteriorate with use, forcing you to spend money in the game not on newer and better items, but to maintain old favorites.

Multiplayer is a different story, and frustratingly lacks the cooperative mode that was Diablo's claim to fame--where players could team up and explore the game world. Instead, Nox looks to Quake for inspiration and offers a frenzied death-match and capture-the-flag game where players scurry about and pick up items in an attempt to out do their opponents. Internet play is prone to lag and play against anonymous people is less than rewarding for the most part but if you can play Nox over a network you are bound to have a good time.

While Nox has largely failed in its attempt to beat Diablo at its own game, it is a solid title in its own right, and provides an excellent single player experience. The best thing about Nox, though, is that its hardware requirements are quite meager, especially in the era of Quake III. Though a computer with a Pentium II 200 processor or faster is needed to run the game, it does not require an expensive 3D video card, making this game a perfect choice for those with older systems, or a gift for a friend or family member who wouldn't normally buy a computer game.

by Richard Leader