Name: Rich 4 (100.00% in 2 votes)
Type: FUN
Platform: WINDOWS
Company: Softstar Information
Release date: 1998
Reviewed by: Great Teacher
Do you remember the good old times when you were still a child playing goody monopoly? Can you still feel the excitement when you are big real estate owner and extract every single bit of money your opponents have? If you are still remembered the good old times, this game shall satisfy your appetite.
As the title has stated, this is the fourth edition of the monopoly like game, Rich. Ever since the first release of Rich, it has received a wide popularity by Chinese around the world. Now, this fourth edition of the game has overall improved on its predecessor with more characters, enhanced graphics, additional tools and cards, more customizing tools, and added voices. However, with all these improvement over the previous edition, it was disappointing that rich still lack a network multi-player.
Story
As far as the story in this game, you simply choose from two to four characters (computer AI or human player) and play through four scenarios. You main goal in this game is straightforward: to smash your opponents and make your opponents bankrupt. There basically is no story behind rich. However, each character is well developed with their own unique style of speech, customs, and behavior. A typical Taiwanese farmer in the game would act very colloquial and bumpkin-liked. An American boy would act very westernize, although the voice actor had a "Chinglish" accent. Such variation of their characteristics makes you laugh and enjoys the game for quite some time.
Graphics
The graphic in the game has vastly improved over the predecessors. The game is not only uses higher resolution of colors, but also switches to 3-D pre-rendered graphic. Unlike the previous Rich, there are more variety of houses and objects. While playing in different scenario, range from Taiwan to USA, different type of houses is displayed according to their culture. In China, for example, buildings and houses are mostly wooden houses; in Japan, buildings and houses are mostly temples; in USA, houses are mostly composed concrete and monotonous style. In addition to the improved graphics, movie clips and CG-animations were also incorporated into the game. After you chose the rules in your game, a short animation of your characters parachuting out of a plane will begin your game, which I found to be very unique.
Sound
The music in the game is very upbeat and energetic. Although the midi may not sound so impressive and perhaps repetitive, the style of the music seems to "fit" smoothly into the game. Such music, as it appears to me, provides a brisk and relaxed atmosphere into playing the game. Also, the addition of speeches enhances the quality of the game as well. One interesting aspect of its voice is that most character speaks in their "supposedly" native language. A Japanese landowner will speak in fluent Japanese, while a Taiwanese will speak his native language (In this case, Hakka Taiwanese, I think). The incorporation of voice is boost to the game itself, yet I was a little displeased with their Chinese accent when speaking English.
Gameplay/Fun Factor
There are a lot of options in the game. First, you will be able to buy stock like any predecessors; you will be able to buy "cards" that can buys land already being bought, "cards" that can alter the stock market status, "cards" that can hurts your opponents, and "cards" that protects you from your opponents. Then, there's the new addition of options, where you can get items like mine bombs, remote dice, road block, time bomb, cars and motorcycle, and many more. If you have been playing Rich, you should know that this is what makes the game fun and additive. However, some changes about how you use these equipment create a lost in the fun factor that the predecessors used to have. One of the biggest disappointments I have had is the fact that the game ends too fast and that you can cheat to win by just changing the computer operated characters to manual operated. In this way, the game loses several fun factors that kept rich fun and additive.
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