Cheap Sin Gold (Mac) (Video Games) (Macintosh) Price

You play Colonel John Blade, head of the elite Hard Corps security force. In the course of stopping a bank heist, you stumble across a sinister plot that involves the vampish Elexis Sinclaire, her SinTEK Corporation, and the expected plans for global conquest. After defeating her militia and ghoulish mutant hordes, Wages of Sin rounds out the 40-plus single-player levels with even more story, mutations, and Mafiosos.

Don't let the game's age fool you; every polygon in the heavily modified Quake II engine is made to count. Developer Ritual--which later released the game Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.2 --has designed detailed levels that range from taking place in creaky abandoned buildings to macabre high-tech laboratories. Although Sin Gold isn't as slick as the new Quake III-based extravaganzas, there are some nice environmental puzzles and lots of opportunities for interactivity with your surroundings. Eerie sound effects and an operatic score solidify the game's creepy quotient and the voice acting, including Blade's hacker sidekick, is solid.

Your arsenal includes well-executed modern weaponry, such as pistols, shotguns, and a scoped sniper rifle, balanced with futuristic gear like plasma bows and handheld nukes. Enemies are smart enough to duck and regroup, and details like location-based damage and the ability to disarm opponents provide polish.

There are no computer-controlled bots available for multiplayer practice, but Sin Gold makes up for this with 40 multiplayer maps, multiple game types including capture the flag, and hoverbike combat. Add up the virtues, and you've got one sinfully good game. --Jack Gardiner

Pros:

• Fantastic level design
• Low system requirements for a 3-D shooter, low price for lots of game
• Multiplayer support through GameRanger

• In-game cut scenes feel stiff
• Only 3 character models available in multiplayer