For hobbyists and avid players
alike, the favorite digital version of the Game of Kings is manifested in
the form of Fritz. It’s been more than a year since the last update, but
now we are presented with a nice sequel in Fritz 9 for the PC. It is
worth tossing the previously brilliant version #8? Read on.
Playing chess is an amazingly
complex venture. It can be a pleasant game between friends or, with the
introduction of world-wide play, can be a challenge for living-room Masters to
play against their kind without buying a plane ticket. Though I confess I have
not played every engine out there, I have noted Fritz as the best. If there are
better ones, and I am sure there are, I don’t need to play them. Fritz
has always given me more than my intermediate level can handle. It is, after
all, good enough to challenge Kasparov.
Bundled with this release is an
extra value that stands alone as "worth the cost" – one year of being able to
play on playchess.com,
where you can unlock a life’s worth of material and resources to make you better
than when you started. It is like buying one item and getting another for FREE.
However, that is the biggest item that separates it from the previous version. I
am not certain there is enough change/upgrading to warrant buying this one if
you already have release #8.
Chess is chess. It is not an
evolving, changing game. You can’t take liberties such as adding more
"characters" or otherwise alter the original rules. Thus, making updates on it
is more complicated than other games. How to you reinvent the wheel over and
over without destroying the core? By making it look and feel different. You can
add in some parlor tricks and trivial history lessons, but that’s about it. That
is about all the newest version has done as well. There is the addition of a
long, thorough hour-long video lesson in Chess Media System, as well as more of
a boot-camp training format to make you grow as a player. This setup is superb
for new or players desiring a serious workout to develop into a World-Class
player. Yes, I believe that this "video game" can be an enormous step towards
being able to sit eye-to-eye with ranked opponents. This version even allows the
simulation of such events, with printable results and a learn from your
mistakes guide.
Among the visual elements that I
like is the ability to move your board for optimal perspective. You can
digitally grab a 3D board and manipulate it so the view is ideal for your
preferences. I prefer playing in 2D, but the 3D is a beautiful enhancement –
though has always left me dizzy. Fritz allows you to tweak the board a minor
bit, or almost literally stand it on end. In short, it allowed me to get a
comfortable view without resorting back to 2D. Of course, there are loads of
pieces and boards to choose from, but I keep it simple with more traditional
pieces.
The sound is a minor feature of the
play, although the chatter is dreadfully annoying. I turned that off, quickly.
You’re left with simple sounds of pieces moving across the board with subtle
realism. I like things quiet when I play, so it’s good that nothing is forced on
your ears.
Visually, it’s as beautiful as ever.
The boards and pieces look like you can pull them right through your monitor.
There is shadow and light to make them look as real as possible. Video clips are
clean and ran without a glitch – though I recommend using a PC with more than
the minimum requirements of the software. Some of the players online confessed
to experiencing freezes and lock-ups during play at home. With all of the power
the chess engine requires, it’s logical for such things to occur.
It’s a simply great game. I had no
problems with installations and getting to know the functions. There is a decent
manual included, but also a immense amount of built-in help. Most of that is for
the sake of delving deeper via instructions and "history". I play chess– to
play chess, so many of the frills are wasted on me. However, as I mentioned
before, they have allowed you full access to some powerful learning tools should
you decide to step up your game and go for some genuine, worldwide ranking.
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Gameplay: 8.0
Assuming you know how to play chess, it is easy to jump right in and play
any style of game you wish. There are a lot of tweaks and tools to change your
experience to meet your needs. I stuck closely to traditional play, as Fritz
gives me more than enough to handle. But, it is easy to integrate the lessons
and teaching aids into a simple game if that is what you desire.
Graphics: 8.5
The human players within the game don’t "Wow" you very much, but the normal
components of the game are very nice to look at. I have played every type from
basic black and white 2D games to more like this– richly detailed works of art.
This is as good, if not better, than any board game I’ve come across so far.
.
Sound: 6.5
The commentary/talk is not much fun to hear. Every online player I spoke
with turned off the sound – quickly. Maybe it’s the nature of the game. I like
it quiet. The sounds of a piece moving is enough atmosphere for me.
Difficulty: Medium
It’s as hard or easy as you want to make it. I find it extraordinarily hard
in the "upper" levels of play. Though that range is technically more than I
should be involved with, I prefer it as I learn better by a swift whooping!
Concept: 7.0
Chess games are not going to change much – ever. Though there are variations
of the normal chess setup, as far as the standard style goes, it’s not
going to change. You can add extras and cosmetic tweaks here and there, but
there’s no need to change the game itself.
Overall: 8.0
This is a great game, but more so if you don’t have Fritz 8. I do not think
there is enough variance in the upgrade to warrant running off and getting it.
True aficionados will get it, anyway, and it will be valuable to those people.
But, if your needs are met in version 8, upgrading won’t give you much more for
the dollar. However, the year of
playchess.com is a nice bonus. It makes the value more than it appears to be
on the shelf.
