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A three dimensional PC chess game that satisfies both beginner and seasoned chess players

A three dimensional PC chess game that satisfies both beginner and seasoned chess players

Vote: (349 votes)

Program license: Free

Developer: ElDiabl0

Version: 1.0

Works under: Windows

Vote:

Program license

(349 votes)

Free

Developer

Version

ElDiabl0

1.0

Works under:

Windows

Pros

  • Tips and tricks for newcomers
  • Play from 10 different levels of difficulty
  • Teaches beginners about the game of chess
  • Keeps all the rules of a regular chess game

Cons

  • Not a good choice for Windows 10 users
  • A weak chess engine for the more seasoned chess players
  • Multiplayer mode did its best, but it doesn't compare to a real chessboard

Chess Titans is one of the most beloved chess games for Windows XP, Vista and 7 users. Up until recently, it couldn't be downloaded for Windows 8, and unfortunately, if you have Windows 10, you can't install Chess Titans. With the Windows 8 version, you have a game dedicated to the classic title, but it's not the exact title. You still have 3D chess, however, and the rules have stayed intact. For example, you can sacrifice the pawns to further your cause, and your knights still move in the "L" shape.

Best for Beginner Chess Players

In general, Chess Titans will be a title better played by the beginning chess players, because the game centers around helping new arrivals to understand the rules of play. Throughout any game, you will be informed about the possible moves with each piece, and you'll have a variety of difficulty levels ranging from level one to level 10 (10 being the hardest), but it's also the slowest to play.

Chess Titans has a strong grasp of all the chess rules like the "En Passant" chess move. A lot of seasoned Chess Titan players will tell you level provides you with a balance between fast moves and mistakes you can still exploit. Chess Titans was more intended for the beginner chess player, however, and if you want a game with greater challenge, Chessmaster 9000 might be the better choice. It has a comprehensive set of tutorials and lets you build your skills slowly.

Chess Titans: An Opening Book

When playing against the computer, the moves in the game have been pre-programmed because computer players are notorious for playing terrible opening moves. Because of this, the programmers of Chess Titans gave the computer a head start with an opening book, and Chess Titans will play all the modern and popular openings against you. You also have a "save game" feature to let you continue with your saved games for later. Before leaving Chess Titans, always save your games because, otherwise, your statistics will show you as losing those games, and the game sets your difficulty level accordingly.

Quick and Fun Game

While the king continues to be a pretty much useless player on the board, almost every other piece will have potential and limitation. Learning how to use all your pieces in harmony with the other units can tear into your enemy opponent fast. Like with regular chess, you have two options. Do you move for a daring all-out attack or do you spend more time on positioning everything for a coordinated assault? A lot of the game depends on your individual style. Some players focus on creating an impenetrable defense while others are willing to sacrifice their lesser pieces to take a stronger position. Your ultimate goal in Chess Titans will be to expose the enemy king's position and put him in checkmate. All else will be secondary.

Tailored to the Beginning Player

Developers tailored Chess Titans to more the newcomer than the advanced player. You have other games out there with a stronger chess engine if you can already play a good game of chess. In fact, the computer will be pathetically easy if you leave the game on default settings. It overlooks numerous strategic options and makes frequent tactical missteps that lead to captured pieces. While the game will be plenty challenging for the first-time player, the challenge will not be enough for a more seasoned veteran. In fact, you could annihilate your opponent with a single queen.

Chess Titans: Multiplayer Mode

Playing against a computer can be less enjoyable than against a real player. At level 10, the robot will start to take around seven seconds or more for each move, which can stimulate your patience, but if you want a real challenge, you can take on a friend. Chess becomes a more dynamic game when you face off against a living and breathing human. While the computer remains cold and calculating, human opponents will be more a battle of wits and cunning.

The problem with Chess Titans on multiplayer mode is how you will feel somewhat awkward sharing the same screen with your opponent. You will have to watch the board shift as it's your opponent's turn and peer at the board from each side. It can feel obsolete when you have a lot of social networking sites that let you play against others without this awkward shift. Nevertheless, you never see your actual opponent, which makes the match more devoid of a personality. If you want to play against your friend in real life, you might be better off breaking out the actual chessboard.

The Design

The game does its best to emulate a real chess experience with 3D chess pieces. The camera has also been angled to simulate a person's overview of the chessboard. Chess Titans has designed the pieces well, and they were also proportioned correctly. The problem is how the lines are not particularly crisp or sharp even if you use the best settings. You do have a variety of chessboard material options like frosted glass, porcelain, marble and wooden pieces. It's a nice gesture, but it does not do much outside changing the texture and color of the game. It would have been better had the developers let you change the chess pieces into different characters.

Despite the design, it matters little compared to the engaging and complex variations you can pull off in the game of chess. You do not need all the fancy designs to enjoy a chess game.

Pros

  • Tips and tricks for newcomers
  • Play from 10 different levels of difficulty
  • Teaches beginners about the game of chess
  • Keeps all the rules of a regular chess game

Cons

  • Not a good choice for Windows 10 users
  • A weak chess engine for the more seasoned chess players
  • Multiplayer mode did its best, but it doesn't compare to a real chessboard

This download is no longer available. This could be due to the program being discontinued, having a security issue or for some other reason.

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