JFK Reloaded
While I do find the game morally questionable, the designers deserve credits for shying away from focusing on pure "shock value" (which would be extremely easy to do, given the circumstances) - focusing instead on the physics behind the vent. The 'official goal' of JFK Reloaded according to Traffic is "...to debunk assassination conspiracy theories by buttressing the Warren Commission's conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone and fired only three bullets." Accordingly, the game places you in the exact spot that Oswald stood, and offers you the chance to re-create his three shots (the last of which was the one that caused "the fatal wound"). The perfect score of 1,000 is awarded if you can replicate the three bullets' trajectories perfectly. You can replay as many times as you want.
As a simulation, JFK Reloaded is quite good: no matter how I shoot, I see bullets behave in ways that one would expect: smashing glasses, bouncing off the limo, etc. The graphics, while not state-of-the-art, is more than adequate: all passengers of the fateful limo, from JFK to his wife, driver and everyone else, are recognizable. After the event, you get a ballistics reports that tell you how your bullets traveled, and how closely they match Oswald's shots.
As a game, JFK Reloaded falls short mostly because its objective and context are far too narrow: your only objective is to recreate that tragedy. And no matter how you try to cloak it, the game's moral dimension still looms large and has a real impact; I am not American, yet I still felt my heart skip a beat when looking through the rifle scope in the game, seeing JFK's face squarely in the crosshairs. For conspirary buffs, though, it is an interesting 'tool' that tries to prove the feasibility of the 'magic bullet' theory, and therefore they are probably the only ones who will have 'fun' with this game that we can all do without. The 'educational value' of the game, in my opinion, is questionable, but it does try to do more than simply shock and titillate. Preserved on this site for historical value as 'abandonware' - proceed at your own risk.
Average Rating: | 8.95 [218 votes] |
Genre: | Simulation |
Designer: | Kirk Ewing |
Developer: | Traffic Management |
Publisher: | Traffic Management |
Year: | 2004 |
Software Copyright: | Traffic Management |
Theme: | Historical, Shareware, Political |
Multiplayer: | |
Related Links: | Official site , JFKaos |
More Info: | Mobygames | The Web |
System Requirements: | Windows 95/98 |
If you like this game, try: | Shark! Hunting the Great White, Floor 13, Hidden Agenda |
Thanks to... | Gerald |
Technical Notes: |
Screenshots © The Good Old Days