For those of you who have never visited the real Caesars Palace, Interplay's Caesars Palace 2000 has arrived on the scene. However, like a frog climbing up a hill, it's one jump forward and two steps back for the latest in the Caesar series. We've witnessed Caesars Palace, Caesars Slots and Caesars Video Poker yet the series fails to improve or even match it's real-life counterpart. Perhaps that's why Caesars Palace 2000 arrived for the Dreamcast and PC with such little fanfare from its publisher, it's just that bland.

Like any good casino package should, Caesars Palace 2000 contains all the popular games you'd find in any gambling establishment. Whether it's a game of blackjack, poker, roulette, craps or slots that you seek, Caesars Palace 2000 contains each and every one of them including a wide assortment of variations for each game (Pai-Gow Poker, Red Dog, etc.). In terms of selection, Caesars Palace 2000 is right at the top of the list, but that's as good as it gets. Once you select the game and get into the action, it's all downhill from there.

Caesars Palace 2000 begins by assigning you a bankroll limit. The object of the game is to increase your bankroll, although if you run out of money you can always borrow from the house. Does this equate to a realistic gambling experience? Not in the least, it plays out similar to Disney's Who Wants To Be A Millionaire because if it's not your money on the line, are you really going to stop while you're ahead? Of course, when you're playing a casino game on your PC, you should be able to overlook that aspect, so I will. What I can't overlook is the clunky interface and the horrible pace to the games themselves.

Let's get the graphics out of the way. Visually, Caesars Palace 2000 is relatively nice and smooth. The game seems to settle for a very generic atmosphere in terms of its graphics though. There are no panoramic views of the casino floor, no animations outside of the casino games themselves, and really no life to the game whatsoever. It's all business, an approach that will appeal to some and won't to others. Besides the graphics, Caesars Palace 2000 features all the bells and whistles you'd expect from the casino. Nothing is spared, as you'll instantly recognize the sounds of the slots and roulette tables. So when all is said and done, the presentation results in a game that looks and sounds like a casino, so why then isn't Caesars Palace 2000 a winner?

For starters, the menu system is absolutely horrendous. There is no mouse support in Caesars Palace 2000 so you'll be manoeuvring strictly with your keyboard. While there are hot keys for certain functions, there's also a lack of hot keys for others, which is sure to cause a few temper tantrums during play. You'll find yourself reverting to the menu so often that it completely destroys the flow of the game. On top of that, the animations during play cannot be skipped nor changed in terms of speed. The result is a clunky flow to the games that will have you out of Caesars Palace 2000 and into the real Caesars Palace in no time. To rounds things off, Caesars Palace 2000's multiplayer options are confined to a single computer, otherwise known as the hot seat. Basically what this means is you and a couple of your friends can pool your money together (oh wait, there's no real money) and play against the dealer. Would somebody like to go out and start the car now?

When all is said and done, Caesars Palace 2000 fails to bring the unique Caesars Palace experience to the PC. There's no excitement and there's no flow to the games. It might look and sound like a regular casino, but after a few hands you'll be itching to get to the real deal. Caesars Palace 2000 is simply not a realistic or exciting gambling experience and therefore cannot be recommended to those looking for such an encounter.