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                      <p><b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#0000FF"><i><font color="#904C10" size="2">The 
                        Top Shelf: </font><font color="#904C10" size="4"><br>
                        Septerra Core</font></i></font></b><br>
                      
                      <div align="right"> <font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">By 

                        <a href="mailto:hb@loonygames.com">Noel &quot;HB&quot; 
                        Wade</a></font></div>
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                  <td width="45%" align="right" valign="top"> 
                    <h5 align="right"><b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#00025E">Vol. 
                      2, Issue 5<br>
                      December 9, 1999&nbsp; </font></b></h5>
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              <h5 align="right">&nbsp;</h5>
              
            <p align="left"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><loonystart></font></p>
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                <td height="43"> 
                  <div align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="http:/home/loonygames/loony.timedoctor.org/content/cgi/image.pl?image=/content/2.5/shelf/images/septerra1.jpg&amp;w=640&amp;h=481&amp;back=/content/2.5/shelf/index3.php&amp;name=The%20Top%20Shelf"><img src="images/septerra1_sml.jpg" width="96" height="73" border="0" alt="click to enlarge!"></a></font></div>
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                <td height="18"> 
                  <p align="center"> <i><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="1" color="#000253"><ignoreme>Glom 
                    them pretty backgrounds (100k)</ignoreme></font></i></p>
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            <p align="left"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The fate 
              cards themselves bring up an interesting point about this game that 
              I want to talk about for a moment. The game developers created this 
              whole world, a legend, and a compelling back-story to the game. 
              Other games in recent time have done this as well; but where they 
              diverge, is in the continuity of the world / universe that they&#146;ve 
              created. Games like <a href="../../2.1/shelf/index.html"><b>Outcast</b></a> 
              (since its still fresh in my mind) have a game manual that explains 
              how to work things; and then different items and elements are explained 
              to the main character in the game &#150; in alien terms. Where things 
              are too cryptic, the designers often managed a way for your character 
              to weasel more information out of the alien. In <b>Septerra Core</b>, 
              however, the game developers don&#146;t do this at all. They tend 
              to explain how to do things in plain human English &#150; and they 
              explain them as if someone were telling you how to play it on your 
              computer . I&#146;m sorry, but having someone in-game mention mysterious 
              forces like &#147;the seven winds&#148;, and recite lore &#150; 
              and then turn around and tell me how to move a card (spell) into 
              a spot on my screen... I want to jump up from my chair and say &#147;Wait 
              a minute! I know he knows all about Marduk and Gemma and the forces 
              behind fate cards; but how the hell does he know about my mouse 
              and my computer screen? He&#146;s talking to Maya (my character), 
              not ME!&#148;</font></p>
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                  <div align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="http:/home/loonygames/loony.timedoctor.org/content/cgi/image.pl?image=/content/2.5/shelf/images/septerra2.jpg&amp;w=640&amp;h=480&amp;back=/content/2.5/shelf/index3.php&amp;name=The%20Top%20Shelf"><img src="images/septerra2_sml.jpg" width="96" height="72" border="0" alt="click to enlarge!"></a></font></div>
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                <td height="18"> 
                  <p align="center"> <i><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="1" color="#000253"><ignoreme>It's 
                    clobberin' time! (85k)</ignoreme></font></i></p>
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            <p align="left"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I've said 
              it earlier in this review, and I&#146;ll say it again &#150; I&#146;ve 
              highlighted a lot of bad parts of this game; but underneath them 
              its still a decent experience. And as far as bugs go, the game is 
              pretty darn solid. The problem is that you&#146;ll run along having 
              fun for a few minutes &#150; and then invariably hit one of the 
              afore-mentioned snags or issues; and gnash your teeth for awhile 
              before getting back to having fun. Taken in total, <b>Septerra Core</b> 
              is a game that would&#146;ve been a lot better a couple of years 
              ago (and indeed, I&#146;ve heard that it was delayed due to publishing 
              problems). However, its problems disrupt the game experience off 
              and on all along the game (especially combat); and in the end my 
              feelings for it are merely tepid to lukewarm. There are far more 
              compelling games out on the market &#150; especially as we enter 
              the holiday crunch... However, if you&#146;re looking for a game 
              to complete your perfect collection of every RPG title ever sold; 
              then pick this game up. Otherwise, if you&#146;re still curious 
              about the game &#150; my advice is to wait and buy it when it hits 
              the &#147;$19.95 bargain bin&#148;. I&#146;ll be looking forward 
              to the next attempt by these developers; and hopefully they&#146;ll 
              deliver a great product, break some new ground, and show us that 
              they&#146;ve learned from this game.</font></p>
            <p align="right"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><i>- Noel 
              &quot;HB&quot; Wade is a regular contributor to loonygames. Basically, 
              he just wants attention. </i></font></p>
            </loonystart>
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<p><i><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-2">Credits: Illustration 
  &copy; 1999 Dan Zalkus. This review is &copy; 1999 Noel Wade. All other content 
  is &copy; 1999 loonyboi productions. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited, 
  goldarn it.</font></i></p>
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