Word War 5 is a word puzzle compilation video game designed by Pierre Berloquin and developed by Créalude for Macintosh and Windows. The game was distributed in North America by Millennium Media Group and Merriam-Webster in 1995.
| Word War 5 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Créalude |
| Publisher(s) |
|
| Designer(s) | Pierre Berloquin |
| Platform(s) | Macintosh, Windows |
| Release | March 1, 1995[1] |
| Genre(s) | Puzzle |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Gameplay
editWord War 5 is an assortment of five word games involving the creation of five-letter words.[2][3][4] "Word Targets" has the player creating words from letters floating across the screen, earning ten points for every approved word. "Crossword" is a crossword puzzle in which three words must be uncovered by rearranging their letters. "Odd One Out" has the player pick out a word that deviates from four others in some way. "Spinning Letters" requires composing words from given definitions. Finally, "Snake" is a variation of the game of the same name where the player must try to avoid obstacles which cause letters to be lost.[5] Online hints and definitions are readily available during gameplay but deduct from one's score.[3] Each game has five difficulty levels and can be played in one of five languages: English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian.[4][6][7]
Development and release
editWord War 5 was designed by Pierre Berloquin, who had been creating puzzles for 30 years at the time and had authored several books on the subject.[3][2][4] The game was developed by French studio Créalude. It was initially released in France by CFI on Macintosh and Windows on March 1, 1995.[1] It was later distributed in North America by Millennium Media Group and Merriam-Webster of dictionary fame.[2][3][6][7]
Reception
edit| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Computer Game Review | 86/100[3] |
| Next Generation | [8] |
| Software Gids | 37/50[5] |
Computer Game Review gave the game an overall score of 86 out of 100, summarizing, "sure to provide many hours of educational entertainment for kids and adults of all ages."[3]
Next Generation rated it with two stars out of five, and stated that "Crealude's World War 5 is an obscure, weird, and severe edutainment misfire."[8]
PC Gamer called the game a "brainteaser for word lovers", praising the soundtrack and stylized graphics.[6]
Computer Games Strategy Plus found the games "simple to understand but nearly impossible to explain" and recommended it to puzzle fans.[2]
Sun Sentinel called it "a mixed bag of mind-benders", noting the option to play in five different languages.[7]
See also
edit- Diabolical Digits, another puzzle game from the same designer and developer
References
edit- ^ a b Electre Multimédia 1998 Multimedia Directory (in French). Electre. October 1997. p. 189. ISBN 2-7654-0674-X.
- ^ a b c d Bauman, Steve (December 1995). "Strategy Review: Word War 5 / Diabolical Digits". Computer Games Strategy Plus. No. 61. Strategy Plus, Inc. p. 94. ISSN 1546-5101.
- ^ a b c d e f Snyder, Frank; Chapman, Ted; Kaiafas, Tasos (September 1995). "Reviews: Mental Masochism – Word War 5". Computer Game Review. Vol. 5, no. 2. Sendai Publishing. p. 50. ISSN 1062-113X.
- ^ a b c Adams, Brooke; Edwards, Alan (December 11, 1995). "Games: Computer Fun". Deseret News. Archived from the original on February 8, 2025. Retrieved February 8, 2025.
- ^ a b Jocelyn (September–October 1994). "Word War 5". Software Gids (in Dutch). No. 27. Uitgeverij Herps. p. 24.
- ^ a b c Elko, Lance (December 1995). "Holiday Extravaganza: Word War 5". PC Gamer. No. 19. Imagine Publishing. p. 162. ISSN 1059-2180.
- ^ a b c "Quick Spins". Sun Sentinel. November 19, 1995. Archived from the original on February 8, 2025. Retrieved February 8, 2025.
- ^ a b Next Generation staff (May 1995). "Finals". Next Generation. No. 5. Imagine Media. p. 94. ISSN 1078-9693.