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Dogs of War

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Dogs of War

Introduction

Dogs of War is what you can call a typical shoot 'em up game. The game is about hitting the firebutton on your joystick as fast as possible, while avoiding enemy gunfire at the same time. Elite, the software company behind the all-time classic Commando, published Dogs of War in 1989. In those days, quite a lot of shoot 'em up games was released. The question here is whether Dogs of War has something special to offer compared to similar games or not.

Playing the game

The game starts with an animation of a muscular man carrying a huge machine gun which he fires at enemy forces. After a few seconds the game proceeds to a menu, where you can choose one-player or two-player mode. If you like co-operating with a friend against the computer, you can do that in Dogs of War.

When you have made your choice, a picture of the Earth appears. On this map several blinking points are located in various countries. They represent the different missions available to you. In this game you play the role of a mercenary. The goal is to complete every mission available, and thus earn a lot of money. The missions have different plots, but mostly it is about rescuing someone or killing an evil person.

After you have made up your mind of what kind of mission you would like to try, you get to the weapons selection screen. On this screen you get detailed information about a wide range of handheld firearms. Information about each weapon include its rate of fire, type of ammunition and the firing range. Examples of weapons available to you is the UZI-submachine gun, the AK-47 and the American M-16. Weapons are expensive, and as you do not have much money to start with, you must choose your stuff carefully.

So, what is playing the game actually like? When you enter the battlefield, you move both upward and sideways, trying to kill the enemy before they blow you to pieces. Since you can have many weapons in your arsenal, you can choose which one to use by using the keyboard. Each weapon has its advantages and disadvantages, so try to find out which one will suit the different situations in the best possible way. A problem however, is that the game is very difficult to complete. Getting through a level is very, very hard. If you get shot one time by an enemy (or you just bump into an enemy soldier) you loose a life. You do not have many lives, so be prepared to die quite soon. Sometimes the bullets fly all across the screen, and trying to avoid the enemy fire is quite difficult. However, after playing a while you should be able to manage better.

Different than the others?

Dogs of War is a bit different compared to games in the same category. The weapons selection screen and the wide range of missions available makes it a bit more fun than other shooters. As you make your progress through the game you can buy better firearms and more ammunition. In this way, you are making the character you are playing better and better, and more able to handle the different situations. On the other hand, the game is like most other shooters. You walk, you shoot, you avoid fire, you either die or survive.

With these kinds of games, you either like it or hate it. People whose passions lies with The Secret of Monkey Island and Sensible Soccer will probably not like it so much as a person who enjoys Commando and The Chaos Engine.

The Verdict

Graphics 5/10

The graphics are ok, but more detailed characters would be nice. Nice intro animation and mission selection screen.

Sound 2/10

The music is repetitive. It is ok in the beginning, but it gets annoying after a while.

Gameplay 5/10

The game is very hard to get into. To complete a mission can cause frustration. Once you get the hang of it, things gets better though. The possibility of playing in two-player mode is a positive aspect.

Lifespan 4/10

For the diehard shoot 'em up maniacs, yes, but no for other people.

Overall 4/10

Dogs of War is an ok game, but it lacks better music, a bit more detailed graphics, better playability and it should be easier to complete a mission (at least in the beginning of the game). The game can get a bit repetitive after a while too.

The game is worth a try though; You might like it!

Overall rating:		4.0
Graphics:		5.0
Sound:		2.0
Gameplay:		5.0
Lifespan:		4.0

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