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}} 'Fortune Winds: Ancient Trader'

Legendo Entertainment

Windows 7/Vista/XP

$10 download

ESRB rating: Everyone

Review rating: 2.5 stars

Pirates are almost as popular as zombies nowadays, and the turn-based title, "Fortune Winds: Ancient Trader," lets players sail the high seas during the 16th century in search of fame and fortune. In an attempt to appeal to both core and casual gamers, each adventure is packed with choices but is also very brief. Sadly, the result is a title that grows old within the first couple of hours.

Promising sea captains begin their nautical adventure by exploring the ocean to find sea ports that buy and sell various goods. Then they must build their wealth through pure capitalism: buy low, and sell high. After upgrading their ship and finding three artifacts hidden in various locations, players must find and destroy the insidious Kraken.

Trading is the main focus of this game, and there's even a mode that focuses solely on trading and eliminates the need to kill the Kraken. However, players will discover that certain trade routes are much more profitable than others. As a result, exploring takes a backseat to effective trading, which makes each game even shorter.

Action fans won't be thrilled by this title's turn-based combat because it relies on using cards in a similar fashion to the famous card game, "War." Both the player and the enemy choose cards from a deck, and whichever card has the highest attack score wins. Some variety is thrown into the mix by having three types of attacks, but the combat is still unimpressive.

Since each game can last as short as 30 minutes, the developers added a hot seat multiplayer mode for up to four players to compete against each other. Unfortunately, this mode isn't any more impressive than the single player adventure. With just a few tweaks and some additional content, "Fortune Winds: Ancient Trader" could be worth more than a bottle of rum!

In what's been a really interesting year for independent games, Ancient Trader was one of the best. An addictive turn-based strategy, set on weathered parchment maps with some stunning hand-drawn art, it can be downloaded from Xbox Live's indie games service for about the cost of a pint. Bargain.

Listed as the third best indie game of the year.

ANCIENT TRADER 360/PC THE latest must-have game from the indie section of the Xbox Live marketplace is this cracking seafaring adventure.

Taking place on a beautiful sepia-toned naval chart, the aim is to be the first to take on and defeat the game's boss - the Ancient Guardian.

But first you have to significantly upgrade your ship and to do this you need cash - lots of it.

Working out the most lucrative trade routes is vital and, as you're up against other players, it's a race for supremacy.

Players buy and trade exotic goods, sink oceandwelling monsters, collect cargo and upgrade their hulking galleons for battle on the high seas.

Three artefacts must be purchased before taking on the gargantuan beast of the deep. But online multiplayer throws in a few more objectives, such as accruing the most wealth.

Battle is a simple cardbased affair. What it lacks in depth is more than made up for by the game's beautiful presentation and easy-tonavigate menu.

This great title stands head and shoulders above similarly priced games.

Ancient Trader £2.04 (240 MS Points) - £7.95

Format Xbox Indie Games, PC

Publisher Layernet

If you yearn for a time when the world was unexplored and the words "here there be monsters" adorned hand-drawn maps, look no further. Presented on beautifully realised maps, Ancient Trader is a turn-based strategy game in which players can explore, trade and upgrade their ship, and then take on an "ancient guardian" - one of the game's legendary sea monsters. An absorbing game to test even the most ardent strategist. ****