Regardless of how you feel about Skyrim's endless re-releases, or the game's objective quality, it is certainly a definitive part of the video-game canon. For that reason, I am happy to see it finally on sale in DRM free, easily archivable, form.
First let me say what this game isn't. It is not the next main line X-COM. What it is, however, is a lighter, both in intensity and stakes, take on X-COMs squad formula. And in that sense, it's fine for what it is. Pros - A lighter and more forgiving take on X-COM. Perfect for when you're not in the mood for a more weighty campaign. Cons - The combat definitely isn't as deep as X-COM 1 & 2, and especially in regards to combat prep/research etc. If X-COM2 was worth 59.99 as a new release, then Chimera Squad was certainly worth 19.99 when it came out. So overall I'm satisfied. As for people calling this 'woke'. It's got a vaporwave aesthetic, a fairly optimistic (if cliche) story, and the solution to your problems isn't 'kill all the ET's' . . . If that's all it takes to be woke than the term has lost all meaning.
Stories is one of those games, not brilliant, and not revolutionary, but bursting with a certain type of heart that makes you give it a chance to reach its natural conclusion. The game's premise of an unwitting hero, Reynaldo the fox, caught in a time loop, trying to navigate his way to a happy ending while avoiding the choices that lead him to a grim, tragic, or sometimes hilarious demise, is a fun one brought to life by a Douglas Adam's-like narrator. The game has many paths to its final outcome (over 20), but in truth, you'll tap out the gameplay and enemy variety around the time you should have figured out the correct decisions (about 5 or 6 loops) at which point the game will come to its natural conclusion. Played just to reach the end, the game is a fun little diversion lasting three to four hours, but other than some more of those warm fuzzy narrations, I doubt there's much for the true completionist to finish any extra paths.
Mutant : Year Zero is a tactical turn based game based upon a tactical pen and paper RPG. It possesses roughly the feature you've come to expect from games like the current incarnation of X-Com but significantly more streamlined and, for lack of a better word, deterministic. Every resources in Year Zero is finite. From the number of health packs to the total number of encounters and thus EXP to get stronger. I find this to be very nice anti-grind feature. And thought it limits re-playability, it allows the game to provide a tidy little curated adventure that never left me feeling 'stuck' for long. Likewise, damage is much more deterministic than in games like X-COM. The RNG is much more likley to reward than punish you and distance from an enemy plays a greater role in determining damage than it does on whether or not you're going to hit. And a good thing too as stealth takes are an essential part of winnowing down challenging numbers of enemies. The ability to move about in real time when out of combat or when sneaking is also a much appreciated anti frustration features which makes exploring the post apocalyptic zone for collectibles and cliche, but cute, party dialogue far more enjoyable. Overall, a fun little game that doesn't overstay its welcome.
First : I'd like to note that there were some significant scenario breaking bugs in the original release that rendered a certain campaign mission unwinnable. To my knowledge these have all been fixed! So, for people who don't know, Iron Harvest is based upon the art and Universe of the board game Scythe. In fact the heroes and factions are lifted directly from that game. That said, where Scythe is a strategic resource gathering game, Iron Harvest turns the dial way up on the action and is an RTS in the vein of Dawn of War/Company of Heroes. You command a small army of soldiers, heroes, and Diesel Punk inspired mecha as they build bases and lay claim to strategic points. Your order of battle consists of Infantry, cheap, plentiful, and flexible foot soldiers that can be outfitted on the fly with a variety of weapons and ordered to capture strategic resources or garrison buildings. Not powerful, but important combat enablers. The main attractions, however, are the Diesel Punk mecha that feature prominently. And they live up to their imposing promotional art! The largest mechs can simply wade through buildings while smaller more agile machines are still capable raiding units and flankers. And despite their power, anyone who has played Company of Heroes will appreciate how deft use of infantry, ambushes, and special abilities can allow even light forces to bring down one of these behemoths. However . . . The depth of gameplay leaves quite a bit to be desired. While there are an impressive variety of mechs, they all boil down to a 'ranged' type and a 'close combat' type in the light, medium, and heavy weight classes. Unless forced by scenario design, there is little reason to do more than rush to the largest mechs and deploy a mix of heavies supported by infantry. The game is still quite fun . . . But it is sad to see this minor lack of depth.
I've been an enormous Homeworld fan since I was a small child and the tattered first edition PC manual still graces my bookshelf. Which should tell you everything you need to know about how much I loved the original's back story. When Deserts first came out, the retcon to make its story fit at first frustrated me. An ascetic, resource starved people, suddenly driving around the dessert in giant tonka trucks to put Mad Max to shame was not how I imagined pre spaceflight Kharak . . . But once I got over my Nerd-pain the game beneath that premise is truly excellent and manages to use the sudden inclusion of 3D terrain in the Homeworld Formula to enrich its gameplay rather than detract from it. Truly a worth prequel to one of the most revolutionary RTS games of all time.
I finally got around to playing this after Christmas and, without the nostalgia for mid 2000s Star Wars, I wouldn't recommend it. The game is very forward thinking in some ways. The contextual squad commands, for instance, would have been pretty revolutionary back in 2004 and still holds up as one of the game's best design elements. But everything else, from the graphics, to the sound design, to the gameplay, is only saved by the fact that it's a Star Wars game released at the height of the prequel trilogy, that didn't star a Jedi. So if you played this before, and want to go back for the Nostalgia, or to experience a bit of gaming history, it's fine. Otherwise, there are better shooters from the same era.
First played this in the hazy days of the mid 2000s. I'd just finally played Halo and was hungry for more scifi shooters. Unreal II really can't hold a candle to the Xbox flag bearer, but it definitely scratched that itch. The GoG version is pretty much as good as I remember it and seems to have had its screen resolution options updated since it runs on my ultra wide monitor without any noteable distortions. Very nice! The graphics weren't the best in its own time, but they've aged reasonably gracefully. The game looks better than Halo CE but worse than Half Life 2, if that gives a reasonable range of expectations. Gameplay wise, it's definitely a game of its era. Arena shooter gameplay ported to a single playger campaign. Humanoid enemies maneuver and fight more or less like multi-player bots from contemporary games while the typical collection of creepy crawley critters will more or less charge you head on. Not always the most satisfying, but if you're just looking for some 3D run and gun, it's a reasonably polished piece for it's era and I really can't complain.
