Monopoly Tycoon – PC – Review

When you see the name Monopoly on a
product, you expect a certain level of game play and challenge.

Monopoly Tycoon, a PC release from
Infogrames and Deep Red, provides exactly that. Yes, there are some drawbacks,
but the game play is excellent, and – regardless of the difficulty level you set
– the challenge will keep you thinking ahead of the game.

Tycoon is set in a city bearing the
street names and some of the attributes of the original Monopoly game. What
players are tasked to do is create a business empire by building apartments and
businesses to attract the citizens of the city. How you accomplish that task is
the key. Each game is built upon a 24-hour period, after which the play advances
in five-year increments for another 24-hour period.

Click on the city block known as
Indiana Avenue. There may be a building or two already in the lot, more than
likely owned by the city. You can purchase the building, but you had better
watch your cash outlay. If your cash goes into the red at the end of the first
business day, you will survive to the next day. But if your cash remains in the
red, it’s game over.

Once you have clicked on the block,
you can lease that block and gain the building rights. However, in order to
‘own’ the block (which means all your businesses are rent free and businesses or
residential buildings owned by other players will earn you a rental fee), you
will have to go to auction. Each character in the auction bids until the
property is leased to the winning bidder.

However, while you don’t need to ‘own’
the block, it does come in handy in conducting surveys to find which businesses
the city’s inhabitants want or need. A clothing business is always welcome, but
you also have to take care of amenities such as furniture stores, food stores,
eateries, and health complexes.

If you own utilities, you will gain
income from those businesses as well. There is a chance that you will draw a
card (much like the community chest or chance cards of the original board game)
that will have you paying customers for inadequacies.

Then the game takes off. The little
folk scurrying about the city will visit your businesses (which can be built
anywhere within the city at any time) and you will receive income. In the
evening, daytime businesses will close their doors and the evening’s businesses
(like cinemas, theatres, ballrooms, restaurants and bars) will open to continue
adding to your income.

The control elements of the game are
very good, and once you learn how each operates (a window which opens on the
sides of the screen), you will have a great chance at success.

The graphics are also very good. There
was a bit of video breakup in areas off to the sides, but this happened very
seldom. The animation of the city is otherwise remarkable. The lighting of the
town changes as the day progresses, with little cars zipping around, and
streetlights and building lights coming on as the day wanes. This game combines
three-dimensional elements with two-dimensional ones very nicely. Even the
latter gives the appearance of being 3D through the use of the camera angles,
which are easily manipulated.

The sound of the game – what little
there really is – is also well done, though it consists mostly of a music score
and the same building sounds.

Where the game falters is in the
methods of play. You can play single person – which isn’t open-ended but
consists of a variety of scenarios, each with a goal to be achieved – or
multiplayer. The problem with these modes is that more than one person cannot
play on the same computer at the same time. The only way to play a multiplayer
game is either through a LAN or modem, or through the GameSpy network. Part of
the reason that a family can’t compete together as individuals is that this game
is not turn based. It has a constant flow. In the single-person game you can
pause time, but you can’t in the multiplayer game. You can also speed up time in
a single-person outing, but not in the multiplayer setting.

Make no mistake, this is a well-done
program, and it presents a nice twist not only on the original Monopoly title,
but on the economic sim genre as well.

This game is rated for Everyone.

Install: Easy

The maximum installation is 200 megs
while the minimum is 140. The game installs quite quickly.

Gameplay: 8

The continuous time element is
excellently done, and moving around the city (whether to take in the sights or
to build your empire) is a breeze. If there is any drawback – and this is
understandable – it would be that multiplayer means multiple computers, not more
than one person on the same machine. And yes, that has to do with how the game
is played.

Graphics: 7.5

A few little breakups on the periphery of
the game knock down this score a bit, and the citizen animation consists of the
same figures all moving exactly the same. However, the city graphics are very
well done.

Sound: 7

This program is low on audio variety, but
what there is supports the game well.

Difficulty: 8.5

Three difficulty levels will give any
player the challenge he or she is looking for. Even at the easiest level, as you
progress through the scenarios, the game becomes tougher without a solid game
plan, and an eye on what the citizens of this city want or need.

Concept: 8.5
This game is very well done, and presents
a nice twist on the Monopoly line of games as well as taking the economic sim
genre, simplifying it a bit and making it accessible to anyone.

Multiplayer: 8

Up to five players can compete in six
multiplayer games through a LAN or the GameSpy network. GameSpy installation
comes with the package.

Overall: 8

A well-done program, featuring wonderful
animated graphics in a nicely stylized city. This will be an addictive program,
holding players’ attention and making them plan strategies. This is not a
reflexive game, nor does it rely on luck (in spite of the random ‘chance’ card
element). Monopoly Tycoon is a terrific family-style game that, unfortunately,
will only allow one player at a time (per computer) to play. But if you enjoy
the challenge of Monopoly, the basic game, you will enjoy this variation.