I have loved chess since
my Dad taught it to me on a fancy clear-plastic board (with game scenario board
overlays and move combos) when I was a small child. In fact, it spoiled me from
ever wanting to play checkers or other board games that my peers were playing. I
was the nerd that wanted to capture Rooks and find that unseen grab of my
opponent’s Queen. So, my play was very limited. I longed to own one of the
electronic versions found at Radio Shack and the Sears catalog, but I could not
afford those. I started a chess club in my high school, but found that there
weren’t many aficionados in my deep-Southern school system. Years later, along
came home computers and variations of the game such as "Battle Chess" and other
such whimsy. Still, I finally had a means to play and be challenged without
pestering my neighbors.
The Chessmaster series
came along years ago, and for many, has been the standard for home play on
various platforms. I have been using it since version 2 or so. I cannot bring
myself to discard any of the old, out-dated versions because they taught me so
much. Now, we have the 10th Anniversary Edition, and it is slick. Ubisoft went
all-out on this one, and made sure they tried their best to incorporate as much
depth as possible. The title is not cheap compared to other board game offerings
out there, but this is a much more detailed game than "Celebrity Poker". That is
not to say that CM 10th is flawless, but the game is very nice to play, and one
of the best versions they have yet to produce. There is so much to this game
(the manual is almost 60 pages long!), it is impossible to cover it all in one
review. I’ll hit mostly on the highlights and items that affect gamers the most.
The bells and whistles are just icing for this multi-layer cake.
For starters, they have
Josh Waitzkin (watch "Searching for Bobby Fischer") back on board
(pun intended) helping you out by teaching, tutoring and mentoring you into
becoming a stronger player. From the sound basics of the game, to deeper
attacking strategies, he is there to help you grow as a player if you should
desire such help. Heck, the guy is a Master player, so why not let him show you
around? There is also Grand Master Larry Christiansen, whom I am not as familiar
with. Both real-life players are available if you want to get more insight
and/or just plain want to LEARN how to play it from scratch. You can literally
sit someone in front of this game with no prior knowledge, and have them tutored
on how to play by the best teachers around. Excellent for young players.
The actual play has many
options. The standard "vs computer" mode, online gaming and various ranking and
Tournament offerings. As you begin playing, you must setup your personality
which can include an avatar of your choosing. They were nice, and reminiscent of
Sierra’s format of characters. You can even place your own face in there
using the advanced options. Once you have entered your personal information, it
will assign your skill level. Depending on how you answer the questions, it
could be in the low 100s, or over 1,000. After that process, you can jump in and
play against the computer, utilize the tutorials or go online for real-life
play.
The board and visuals are
very nice. You can choose flat, 2-D boards that look like the early days of
computer gaming (and some still prefer that perspective to this day), or get a
high quality, three-dimensional board and gleaming pieces. From basic wood
texture to futuristic sculpted pieces, you are going to find something you like.
In fact, choosing your setup is as challenging as playing the game itself! Did I
mention the 3D glasses??!!! Yes, they come with the game and enable you to feel
like you’re playing on a real board with shadow and depth to the pieces and
board. THAT was new to me!
In the actual play, there
are such options as "blunder alert". It is what it sounds like– a warning
system that tells you about potential pitfalls or mistakes you’re stepping into.
I like to turn off such things, as mistakes are my best teacher. The online play
(from Ubisoft’s site) is almost
null. I tried many times since getting the game, but the attendance is poor. Is
that the game’s fault? I doubt it. If you don’t want to go online and play,
that’s not the fault of the maker. I played and lost. If there were more people,
the options for skill levels would be greater. Instead, I was a lamb offered up
to the hard-core chess players to toy with. Online, you also sacrifice selective
ability with appearance and setups, but that’s a minor concern unless you
absolutely MUST play with Deco pieces or fancy boards.
You must have a disk in
the machine to play the game, and your processor had better be beefy. It’s a
3-disk game, and it’s doing a zillion calculations– constantly. For lesser PCs,
I envision crashes and frustration. Maybe not, but I did hear my Duron processor
groan in pain at some point. Or, maybe that was me.
Visually, the game is
nice. More than nice, it is lavish and grand… or simple and non-dimensional if
that’s your preference. Point is, it offers tons of options for your viewing
needs. The 3D glasses perk was a nice surprise, though I rarely made use of
them. You can adjust little things such as how fast the player’s pieces move.
Some like to see them slide, while others may prefer they "POP" into position.
The sound is good, though
music and etc are a distraction if you’re playing a serious, ranked game. Some
may like it, but I don’t. Again, a preference thing.
Of all the Chessmaster
offerings up to now, this is one of the three best. The depth alone is worth the
experience. If you’re an ultra hard-core player, you can stick with a Fritz or
Kasparov model, but for those of us that do not eat, breathe and sleep chess,
this is an excellent game. It’s basic enough for the novice, but allows the
seasoned Pro enough challenge to test their meddle. I am somewhere in the
middle, and liked what it offered. By the way, in case anyone is still looking–
Bobby Fischer is in Japan, trying to get political asylum. Just a trivia
note for my fellow aficionados.
Review Scoring Details for Chessmaster 10th Edition |
Gameplay: 8.5
Sleek and
powerful, the AI here is a challenge and a blessing. The active help available
from Josh and Larry make it an interesting and educational experience. You can
get prompting if you get stuck, and should you make a terrible mistake, you can
"bend the rules" and reverse your move. But, that would be cheating, wouldn’t
it?
Graphics: 9
Small selection
of 2-D setups, but there are plenty of 3-D ones to choose from. Also, the 3-D
glasses enhancement is fun to play with, though distracting for a serious game.
The pieces and boards are lavish and smooth. There are options to play with
silly, or serious, pieces.
Sound: 7.5
Great sound is
not a prerequisite for great chess playing. So, there is not much to brag about
here. Nor, is there anything to apologize for.
Difficulty: Medium
Depending on what
you do and with whom you play, this is an easy or extremely hard game. It’s
geared to ease the novice, or frustrate the experts. I would not pretend that it
is capable of stumping Grand Masters, but I would imagine it is challenging
enough to give seasoned players an afternoon of sweat and titillation.
Concept: 8.5
Ubisoft has taken
the Chessmaster series a little further this time, as they try to do with every
release of the chess favorite. Offering Josh and Larry, as well as the
online gaming and 3-D icing, is a fun way to bring an ancient game to us again-
without it being too stale. Remaking a board game and keeping it interesting is
a challenge, but Ubi has done pretty good with this one.
Multiplayer: 8
I am sure the CM
online community will grow. At least, I hope it will. Right now, the world of
playing against people from all over the globe is small, but the potential is
there.
Overall: 8.5
Could this have
been better? Probably; but not for lack of trying. The shortcomings in online
play are not the fault of the designers. It is also extremely demanding on your
PC, and will downright frustrate a laptop user for the constant processor usage
and potential heat issues. Otherwise, it is a lush game with extras (look at the
Fun Area– made mostly for kids) that keep it fresh. I imagine the disk will
stay in my drive for a long time. That’s the sign, for me, of a game that’s
worth playing a lot. I would like to grow as a player and in my ranking, and CM
10th Ed. provides that opportunity for me. I can play the tournaments (where I
keep getting smashed) or just work more with Josh and Larry to learn more about
how to think about gameplay. The options here are plentiful and not
wasted disk space. For a three-disk, large manual game, that’s quite a
statement. You get what you pay for, here. The best name in electronic chess–
for those of us that play for fun— delivers a worth-while edition to the
legacy.
