Shock Wave caused me a problem back in 1994 and 1995. Its name. Type 'Shock Wave' into a search engine back in 1995. It was Altavista back in those crazy pre-Google era days by the way. All that it came up with was Macromedia Shock Wave. Incidentally, type in 'NFS' and something significantly less exciting came up than the seminal Need For Speed on the 3DO.
Don't get me wrong. I played all the Shock Wave games from the H.G.Wells inspired Shock Wave 1, to the add-on disk, to Shock Wave 2. All from beginning to end. Every game. When I finished playing one game, did I feel the need or the burning desire to play another? I'll be honest. No. No I did not. But I did play them.
It's not that they are bad. But they aren't that good either. And so of a mediocre lot, Shock Wave 2 is the best. Without a doubt. With more craft to pilot, more weapons, more locations - Go on then, even better graphics.
What is shocking is that even by the time Shock Wave 2 emerged at nearly the end of the 3DO Multiplayers life, no-one had had the decency to tell Electronic Arts that inter-level full-motion video wasn't an essential. It is amazing to think that no-one in Electronic Arts, even in senior management, played one of these games and thought to themselves - "You know what, it would be the same stupid game without all these cheesy actors."
The story takes off where the add-on disk left off. Some relic is stolen by some sneaky aliens posing as humans (humans with red eyes mind you) and then its cavalier space scavengers and star gates ahoy me hearties. For another gallivant around space. Shooting aliens.
The game-play difficulty is well balanced. Shock Wave 2 is tough but not that tough. Also, for your £40.00 you also got variety; for example the opportunity to be a cannoneer rather than just piloting a space-ready stealth fighter is one of the enhancements that makes, yet another why-did-they-bother-to-make-this-? Shock Wave less of a chore.
Plus also there is a menu system which offers some freedom of choice as to which mission you are to under take.
Other than that its more of the same. Yes it is Shock Wave Jim, just as we know it.
Rarer than its predecessor.
3DO Kid.
