If there is one board game that is one of the most well know classics available, it's Risk. As with many other people who have played the game, my friends and I would gather every once in a while to battle it out in a friendly game of global domination! The great thing is it’s easy to set up, and easy to play.

Back in 1995, the PC version of Risk was released, and it was not too shabby. No more board. No more little pieces that can get knocked around if your pet jumps on the board. And you don't even need to gather up a bunch of friends to play! Of course the computer version doesn't have the social atmosphere or the same character of the board game. But it does allow you to either connect with your friends via the Internet and duke it out, or battle the artificial intelligence to your hearts content.

The Basics
The PC version of Risk has two different game types, either Classic Risk or Ultimate Risk. Classic Risk keeps everything intact from the board game version, and even allows you to play using the original map or using one of the four other choices. It also allows you to connect with up to 7 other players via the Internet.

Ultimate Risk has some new features to spice the game up including generals, capitals, alliances, and rebel territories. Although I'm not much of a fan of the new version, it does add a whole new level of entertainment to the original version. The downside to Ultimate Risk is it's for one player only.

Quick Start Options
If you don't feel like going through all the options to create a game, you can use the quick start feature. The quick start feature will leave all options on default so all you have to do is select a flag color (or leave that as default) and your on your way to battle! There is a quick start option for both Classic and Ultimate game versions.

Game Options
There is a wide variety of game options to choose from with both PC Risk game types including:

Maps - Depending on what kind of mood you are in, you can choose to conquer one of 5 different map variations. The different map types are: Classic, World, Asia, Europe, and North America.

Objectives - You can choose between 3 different game objectives in PC Risk. 1) Take over a specified number of capitols to win, 2) total domination of all territories, or 3) take over a certain territory or area to win! These options give you some choice as to when the game should end, which can be good if you get bored of the classic total domination.

Some of the other game options allow for some simple customizing of the rules of the game. You can choose to play normal turn order or random turn order which can be neat, but watch out if someone gets to go first a few times in a row - it is a HUGE advantage! There is also 3 levels of artificial intelligence to choose from. However the higher you set the AI, the more difficult it is to defeat computer territories. It doesn't really make the computer much smarter, just makes it more powerful.

Playablity
The PC version of risk has some advantages over the board game version which gives it a bit more playability. The new range of options and the speed/ease of game setup allow you to customize your game, and hook up and battle your friends quickly!

One PC version downside is the aforementioned AI is not very difficult to defeat and doesn’t become much "smarter" as you increase the difficulty level. Another downside is it does take away the board-game atmosphere that you can't replace: a group of friends sitting around with a bottle of pop and a bag of chips and battling it out! But overall it is still a very entertaining PC game!

Graphics
The game is fairly old (1995), and for it's time the graphics are not too bad at all. They are not overly complex and allow for quick loading which is always a plus. It's Risk, how complicated do the graphics really need to be?

Problems
One problem I've ever encountered with the game is it does crash from time to time when playing a multi-player game via the Internet. We've had it happen to us a few times, and it can be very frustrating if your in the middle of a huge battle and you get punted. Another problem with the game is you can't play more than one player on a single PC. To play multi-player games, you have to connect via the internet to other players. I have never played the more recent release - Risk II, but I've heard both these problems have been resolved.

Final Comments
If you are a fan of Risk the board game, you would probably enjoy the conversion to PC Risk. Even though the game is almost ancient when compared to today’s game standards, it is still a very entertaining classic. And the on the plus side, since the game is so old, it is very easy to purchase for a fraction of the cost of a brand new game. So if you've never played PC Risk before, and enjoy classic games (especially the board game version), it's definitely worth picking up.

System Requirements: Minimal (486 & Windows 95 or better)

Recommended: Yes