By Bill Gray
No one would have believed in the last years of the 19th
Century that human affairs were being watched from the timeless worlds
of space. No one could have dreamed we were being scrutinized as someone
with a microscope, studies creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop
of water. Few men even considered the possibility of life on other
planets. And yet, across the gulf of space, minds immeasurably superior
to ours regarded this earth with envious eyes. And slowly, and surely,
they drew their plans against us.
If you remember these words, voiced in deep
baritone by Sir Richard Burton, then fused with Jeff Wayne’s progressive
techno-rock background music, this article is for you. Here I speak of
Rage/GT Interactive’s (spelled Atari) 1998 release of
Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds (
WOW for this article) for the PC. Based on the H G Wells novel and
Wayne’s 1978 album of the same name, the game was an instant hit and today remains one of the
most requested games on GOG.com.
It featured graphics drawn directly from the album art and envisioned a
Victorian England somewhat more Steampunk and advanced than reality,
all done in period style that has carried over current interpretations
such as the BBC faux documentary
The Great Martian War and the popular miniature wargaming rules
All Quiet on the Martian Front.
WOW
was also one of the first PC games that used 3D terrain and unit
sprites, as well as missions determined by the player vice a scripted
set to follow.
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