GunBound

"Gunbound: Addictive Gameplay, Tiresome Music"

You order your tank to fire high into the air, hoping it will hit. Your opponent yells in rage as your rocket falls towards him. And then, BAM! it hits, destroying his tank. ''Good game,'' he says, marking the end of another nerve-racking round of Gunbound. In case you haven't heard, Gunbound is Softnyx's new free online game. Actually, it has been popular in Korea for years, but it wasn't until 7 months ago that Gunbound was available to American gamers.

Speaking of gameplay, let's look at it now. Gunbound offers gamers hours and hours of addictive, challenging play -- easy to get into, but extremely difficult to master. Unfortunately, some people have managed to build up extremely powerful ''avatars'', or in-game characters, which inflict tremendous damage, are hard to kill, and usually target and destroy new players almost immediately. However, those fans of strategy games who do manage to become skilled at Gunbound will be impressed by the wide array of tanks and the many possible strategic options they offer. You don't have to be a fan of strategy to like this game, though.

Fortunately, the gameplay doesn't get old fast. It takes a while for it to become boring, and when it does, all you have to do is stop playing for a short time. You will find yourself coming back to this rather strange, colorful game when you are bored, have nothing else to do, or if you just want to have some fun. Now, onto what makes it colorful.

The graphics are, quite simply, colorful and simple. While not in 3D -- which would just make this game nearly-impossible to play -- they get the job done well. Although you can only see around one quarter of the map at once, this just means that you have to learn how to aim correctly, by learning how to estimate angles and power. The graphics may seem childish to some people, but most players learn to appreciate them. And on to the other issue of sound and music.

The music is great...the first time you hear it. It gets old quickly -- there are only twenty minutes of music, and games can take twenty minutes -- and you will find yourself wishing you could turn it off. Luckily, you can. I suggest turning off Gunbound's music and listening to some of your own. The sound is, thankfully, much better than the music. All the mobiles, or tanks, have their own sounds to represent their movements and actions. Certain key sounds, like a change in the wind, alert you to variables which affect your ability to aim.

Recap:
Gameplay - 9/10
Replayability - 8/10
Graphics - 8/10
Sound and music - 7/10
Overall: 8/10

Download or not: You should download this, since the only thing to lose is a small amount of time.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/22/04