Shipwreckers cruises along at an even pace but never quite takes sail IGN.COM Review IGN Score: 6.0 Reader Score: 6.4 October 29, 1997 - Psygnosis has covered most game genres, from racing to space shooters, but this is something quite new. Shipwreckers! is an odd pirate action game that combines 16-bit sensibilities with modern PlayStation effects, resulting in an even, yet oddly uninspiring, game. The evil pirate Blowfleet has the world's waterways all tied up, and it's up to the player to make the seven seas safe again. Basically, the player travels around 20 segmented water levels, avoiding traps and capturing ports of call. Each port is heavily guarded by both stationary turrets and other ships, which come at you aggressively. Once the port is captured, it's yours, and can then function as a save point. This is all well and good, but the actual execution of the game leaves a lot to be desired. To begin with, Psygnosis has decided to go with a more arcade feel than sim, with no regard for wind or water. The control is responsive and solid, which makes the game easy to pick up right away. However, there's no feeling that you're navigating a galleon. You may as well be driving a go-cart. Secondly, the graphics are fairly uninspiring. They're not bad, per se, but the heavy reliance on sprites over polygons gives the game a very dated look. The transparent water and cloud effects are stunning, however, and stand out from the rest of the graphics like a hooker in a prison work yard. If Psygnosis had put as much emphasis on the rest of the game as it did on the water, this review may have read very differently. Ultimately, though, it's the gameplay that keeps Shipwreckers! flat. Most of the game is spent avoiding traps, such as blasts of fire or rotating saws, or taking pot shots at enemy ships. This is interesting for a while, but the game soon begins to all look the same. Even with added enemies and power-ups, the basic gameplay doesn't change. The multi-player option is equally as uninspired. Shipwreckers! isn't a bad game. The control is solid and the graphics clean, if a bit dated. But with so many other great games out this holiday season (many of them from Psygnosis, actually) there's just no reason to blow $50 on this one. Adam Douglas