Previous Next

I can quite happily say that Final Assault is, without a shadow of a doubt, the greatest, graphically best, most exciting and most realistic mountain climbing game ever. Probably because it is, as far as I can remember, the only one ever.

Before you can begin your ascent to the top, you have to make some vital decisions including the route you wish to climb. The route you choose greatly reflects what kind of a chance you're going to have to get to the top. If you choose an easy course, you are allowed to lose your footing three times before you die. Choose a hard one, and you only get one chance.

Still, on with the decisions. The next thing you have to bend your brain over is whether to take champagne or not, or a bobble hat, or climbing spikes, or anything. Yes, it's "What shall we put in our rucksacks" time. The most important things you should bring, apart from the obvious stuff like crampons, soft shoes, rope and a copy of c&VG, are things to warm you up, like clothing or drink (Rum, wine, hot chip fat etc). Once you've got yourself kitted up, it's onto the icy slopes you go.

Before you get there, you've got to walk along the gentle slopes. This is done by, and don't laugh, moving left/right on the joystick, occasionally testing the ground by pressing down and jumping over cracks by pushing up. This is how the whole game is played. Rather than move the climber as a whole, you have to move individual parts of his body.

So, you've got to your first bit of vertical rock. What now? You can climb it by hammering in the old iron spikes and hauling yourself up. This is done by pushing up to hammer the spikes in, pulling down to move the climber's legs, and then pushing up to move the climber and get him to put in the next spike. It's wild, it's wacky, it's boring.

Finally you reach the real challenge, the vertical slope.

One of your climber's appendages flashes at a time, and you have to move the joystick up or down to cycle through the various ways he can position it. Once happy that he's got it in place, press fire to move the next bit until you've got both arms and legs in the perfect position.

Final Assault isn't rubbish. In fact, it's quite fun. It's nice to know that there is still some originality left in the market. The only problem is, it's far too easy. On my first go I played at intermediate level and finished it without any problems. With that problem in mind I have to give Final Assault the thumbs down.