When we recieved the following review of Quickbeam's new game Fire Force, we felt that it was sufficiently controversial that it was only right that Quickbeam should have a chance to reply to it on the spot.

Dave Hitchman of Quickbeam thought so too, and his response follows the review is printed underneath it. We will only add that to us the game looked good, sounded good and was tricky to play; how a games player copes with a game of this type depends on his or her attitude to gaming. We won't add anything further at this stage, because it would involve an essay on games playing which is out of place here, but we would like to hear the opinions of other readers who have loved or hated the game. Without further ado, Jason Orbaum's review... - Ed

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DAY ONE
I can hardly believe it, that just five days ago I was making my living as a humble accountant in Baker Street, and now I find myself in a warzone, against several hundred thousand troops, planning to steal a plane and fly it out. They've explained it all to me. Colonel 'Ball Breaker' Hitcheens has told me it's easy, "Stage one is the approach, stage two is the final approach, and stage three is simply flying the plane out." Still, I can't help but worry, something seems to be wrong.

DAY TWO
Something seems to be very wrong. My gun appears to have three blanks in every four bullets. I mean, I keep shooting at the men, but even when I hit them, they don't die. Colonel Hitcheens told me to "Stop being such a namby pamby girl Orbaum, just admire the great uniforms the others are wearing." But still I feel uneasy about my chances of success.

DAY THREE
Something is very wrong. I've just tried to run past a tree only to get stuck there, with no way to pass it or to go sideways, and no option to turn back. Oh my god, I can see Jerry coming now, I've radioed Colonel Hitcheens but he just said "Ha, ha, ha, caught another one" and dissolved into maniacal laughter. Well, it looks like I've had it. Tell Laura I love her, war is hell, (These were the last coherent words of Private Orbaum, From the next few blood stained pages of his diary, the following words were gleaned: Great graphics, great sound, completely bug ridden, too hard, too unfair.)

Jason Orbaum

Dear Editor,

Thank you for passing on your reviewer's comments about our game Fire Force to me.

I feel that the review is very inaccurate, and that, since you intend to publish it, I must insist that you print this letter alongside your review.

I will begin by bringing your attention to Mr. Orbaum's inaccuracies:

1. "My gun appears to have three blanks in every four bullets".
    
   This is not correct. Although it may appear that the bullets have hit the men, this may not be the case, as the men can move faster than the bullets, and thus avoid them. There is a knack to using this gun - as with all weapons - which Mr. Orbaum seems not to have acquired!
2. "I've just tried to run past a tree only to get stuck there with no way to pass it or to go sideays, and no option to turn back."
    
   It is possible to climb over virtually anything on the screen by moving thejoystick backwards and forwards. There is a safe route through the game which has to be found by trial and error.
3. Mr. Orbaum's parting comment of "completely bug-ridden".
    
   This is a seriously misleading statement, as anyone with a knowledge of programming will know that many hours of work go into producing a bug-free program, which this is. Mr. Orbaum is confusing his own lack of success with bugs in the program.

I do also obiect to the sarcastic manner in which Mr. Orbaum has used my name in his review.

I will be more than happy to demonstrate the program again to clear up any problems.

The game was designed to be a challenge to the serious games player, not to be completed within the first ten minutes of play. I have had other very favourable responses so the game, Mr Chris Parkinson of the NDUG agrees that the game is hard but states "I think that Fire Force is an excellent piece of programming and a good game." Surely this must say something.

Quickbeam Software always welcome constructive criticism, for it is by this criticism that we improve our future products.

David Hitchman, Quickbeam Software