3rd Degree

"Sorta "Scruples""

3rd Degree

Philips and P.F. Magic, for CD-i, does not require digital-video card

PROS: Good production values and interface, excellent conversation-starter

CONS: Too cute for its own good, small database

CUT TO THE CHASE: If you wanted to humiliate yourself and your friends, would you buy this disc? If you can get it for under $20, sure!

Maybe there's a better conversation-starter than cajoling your friends into admitting they'd keep a million dollars if they found it, or wouldn't rule out having an extramarital affair. In fact, maybe it's a board-game called ''Scruples''. But this being a CD-i review, we'll settle for this ''Scruples''-wannabe.

Third Degree is yet another game-show-style title for the CD-i, one clearly aimed at the adult market that already plays such group-oriented games as Jeopardy, Joker's Wild, Name That Tune, and Clue. But it's not likely those games will provoke the delighted outcries of this social accident-waiting-to-happen.

Three to six players select names, appropriate genders, and funny pictures (from Joan of Arc to the ''FBI Guy''), then take randomly-selected turns sitting in the ''hot seat'' in three rounds of game-show play.

The hot seat player sees a social dilemma acted out in posed photographs by the hammiest actors in Foster City, California. Questions cover love, money, family, career, and of course ''potpourri''. Once the situation is explained, the player sees three options displayed on the screen, each with a corresponding controller movement. In the first two rounds, ''do something else'' is also an option. The player decides what he or she would do in the situation, and indicates their choice with the controller.

Next, a randomly-selected challenger gets the controller and tries to guess what the hot-seat player has done. If he or she guesses right, they both score points. If not, another player is selected to act as a ''judge'', allow the two to argue their cases, and give all the points to one player.

The rules change slightly from round to round, increasing the point values throughout and eliminating the judge in round three, but gameplay is hardly affected.

Overseeing all the action are the voices of two hosts who seem cute at first, but after about five minutes you'll want to take a pick-axe to their addled brains. Think ''Regis & Kathy Lee'' here.

Still, the producers have done a nice job with the production values. The visuals are attractive, the transitions are slick, and the game seldom pauses to spin the CD. Maybe it's just a bit too slick -- the leering hosts and cutey-poo questions can be off-putting at times. After all, there have got to be better questions than ''you're really hot for this gal, and she's got breath that could peel the paint off the wall.''

Also, there don't seem to be very many questions in the database. My second game featured many questions I'd seen in my first. This won't be a problem if different players get the same question, but sooner or later, you're going to answer a question you've done before... hopefully, your challenger will remember what you said last time!

It's hard to be particularly enthusiastic or harsh about Third Degree. As a specialized title that you'll only pull out to entertain guests, it fits in a very specialized gaming niche. That said, it fills the role nicely, especially when couples play. Just don't blame me or Philips if you and your sweetie break up afterwards!
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©1995 Chris Adamson

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 04/01/01, Updated 04/01/01