Chess Titans

Developed by Oberon Media, Chess Titans was the pack-in chess game included with Windows Vista and Windows 7 following the game’s release in 2006. Chess games have always been a little forgettable for the most part, and have to do a lot to stand out, akin to titles following the Pong and Breakout formulas.

Your Move

Chess Titans selling point was its visuals, designed to showcase the 3D capabilities of Windows Vista. Each piece was fully 3D, and the board could also be rotated to allow the player to see from different angles. You could also change the theme of the board and tiles, allowing for some variance, though the game did not allow you to import themes of your own - and there weren’t a large amount of themes built in.

Checkmate

Oberon Media were sure to involve local multiplayer in their chess title, in fact they chose to include two game modes, allowing the player to take on the computer as well. Computer difficulty has always been notorious in the chess genre, so the developers went as far as to include 10 separate difficulty levels, starting with a beginner tier all the way through to advanced and more expert levels of challenge.

No Rook-ie Mistakes

Chess Titans allows players to replay the last move made by their opponent, so that they can try to ascertain their thought process and plans for future turns. Also, selecting one of your pieces highlights all of the tiles the piece is able to move to, making for easier gameplay decisions and moves.

Alright for a Knight

All in all, Chess Titans does what it sets out to do - it’s a chess game that shows off the 3D capabilities of Windows Vista. It doesn’t really do anything too outside the box though, which makes it feel a little generic and forgettable in a genre that feels generic and forgettable as is.

Pros

• Impressive 3D graphics
• Different board and tile themes
• Wide range of difficulties

Cons

• Rather generic and forgettable
• Doesn’t do much outside of the box