Publisher: Ubi Soft
Ages: seven and up.
Parental
Advisory:
animated violence
While most would not look to their PlayStations for chess, UbiSoft's Chessmaster is a first rate title that provides players with an entertaining chess experience and helps them improve their skills.
The comprehensive title offers various chess modes that let players compete against computer controlled opponents. The modes include Quick Game, competing against the game's chess engine; Rated Play, which applies the outcome of games to overall scores; Puzzle, which asks players to solve various board arrangements, for example, to achieve checkmate in a single move; tournament modes; and more.
Beyond playing against the computer, Chessmaster offers an excellent chess school that helps players improve their game. There are lots of lessons and players get to replay famous historical matches. The title also includes a fun 3D Battlefield mode where animated chess pieces attack each other at each move.
Chessmaster lets players compete against online opponents and provides a decent mode for matching players with similar skill levels. For experienced players, UbiSoft says that the game can play at a Grandmaster level. We couldn't verify this, but found the game challenging. The graphics are colorful and well done.
While most youngsters would probably prefer to shoot aliens and bad guys in their video games, Chessmaster offers a cerebral and challenging chess experience. It's a great game.
7/7/03 www.daytrum.com Editorial Staff
