'Forbes' crashes in confusion

Forbes Corporate Warrior

Win 95 CD-ROM

I don't understand, and I don't care.
That's what I found myself thinking as I plowed through "Forbes Corporate Warrior." It's not the preferred, open-minded, college student sentiment, but I really found the seeming complexity of this game to be not only confusing, but unnecessary.

"Forbes Corporate Warrior" is set in the future where a scientist has developed a way to handle business and marketing transactions through virtual reality, where military weapons represent actual business tactics. For instance, the Price Slicer is supposed to represent actual price promotion strategies in the "real" world, such as coupons, price guarantees and big discounts.

And let's pretend the pen I have in my hand is a light saber. I'm Luke Skywalker, and my opponent is Darth Vader. If I want to, I can shout, "You're not my father!"

What is great about video games is that they submerge you into fantasy worlds. The best video games are the ones that present the most complete fantasy, which is why graphics, sound, speed and memory are always being improved.

When I looked at the cover and the instruction booklet, I was intimidated by how complex the game seemed, but I thought that once I understood it, the complexity of the game would be the best part. Then I discovered that all the business terms of the game were just embellishments and distractions.

"Forbes Corporate Warrior" wasn't successful in convincing me that the virtual military battles I was fighting were at all related to the business world.

Yes, your cash is your ammo, and it also costs money to move around in the virtual reality world. Yes, the goal is to raise your stock up to the top of the chart, which is at the bottom of the screen, by the fourth quarter.

And yes, there's a little videophone sub-screen on which your trusted advisers call. But, the number that corresponds to how much ammo and movement could have been anything - the money doesn't matter. It is nothing new to have to reach a certain amount of points in video during a given amount of time.

You are also shown your office between the levels, but all you can do is click on the virtual reality helmet on your desk.

The character essentially moves around in a virtual landscape, shoots things and tries to find the right combinations of weapons and strategy to defeat your opponent.

The supply and demand arrows tell you how to deal with each enemy, and you have your own set that need to meet each other or you lose cash. Again, these are all arbitrary names.

I wasn't thinking about how variance between supply and demand made my cash flow and stock price decrease.

I was just worried that if the top and bottom arrows were not pointing at each other, then my points decrease and the line on the graph angles down when I need to angle it up. OK, the game is a little more complicated than that, but not by much.

Bryon Press Multimedia and Simon and Schuster Interactive probably thought that game players would be bored by a game that didn't involve explosions or shooting.

Crain's New York Business Magazine described "Forbes" as "'Doom' meets Wharton School of Business." This game has none of the suspense or excitement of "Doom," nor is the fighting as intense or fun.

The only surprise in this game is what your new office looks like after you complete the next level.

- Michael Galloway

01-27-98