Linux Mint with Nvidia GT 730 2GB card. Not bad, SUPERHOT Team, not bad at all. I wondered where Newblood (Dusk) got that time warping syringe idea from. In Superhot time only moves when you move (WASD), but can aim (mouse) at your leisure as enemies remain frozen. This allows you to set up shots, plan ahead, exploit environmental obstacles, and even throw weapons and objects at enemies and melee them. The aesthetic is another obvious 1980s new wave vibe common among indie games. Environments are limited to individual rooms, providing an 'arcade stages' sort of progression. Not bad for $20 and even better at $10.
DUSK isn't a Quake clone, but sits nicely right next to Quake. Slick movement, enemies that force you to consider priorities, vertical stages, weapons that influence strategy, hidden secrets, hidden bonus stages, atmospheric music...feels like 1996 is a very good way. While DUSK's graphics have a similarly blocky polygonal look, the use of color and lighting give the stages their own themes. The soundtrack? Andrew Hulshult cranked out some gems for DUSK. DUSK World adds multiplayer, but goes vacant most of the time. Linux and Mac users are also serviced here. If you're a Quake fan DUSK needs to be in your library. Linux Lite Nvidia GT 710 graphics
Of all the 3D Fallout games, Fallout New Vegas does it best. New Vegas captures what made the old 2D isometric Fallout games so memorable, and tosses in modern creature comforts. The southwestern setting sets New Vegas apart right from the opening. The various factions you can side with or against require different strategies, offer different advantages and disadvantages, and drastically alter the course of the main story. The morally ambiguous story and decisions feel more grounded in reality. The dialogue options reflect the aforementioned moral ambiguity and sometimes have dark humor. The variety of weapons and weapon mods are fun to tinker with and force you to consider your combat options. The missions and stories attached to companions are fun and flesh out the back story of New Vegas' setting. Obsidian has made the best 3D Fallout game to date.
Played on Windows 10 64bit with an Xbox One controller. First played on Xbox One in the ACA Neo Geo games series. The Last Blade 2 expands on what was good about the first game. 2D sprites hold up well, with video filter options to create the old arcade cabinets CRT monitors. Controls are tight and smooth. Characters' moves and special attacks are varied and fun. Opponent AI is challenging without being cheap. The medieval Japanese setting gives The Last Blade games a distinct identity. Many cool features for a $10 fighting game.
Quake 3 is the game that got me into first person shooters... Though I prefer the first Quake game over Quake 3, I played Quake 3 first. I first played Quake 3 Arena on the old Sega Dreamcast, then the CD-ROM on PC in Windows ME. The multiplayer of Quake 3, even against bots, still stands up long after its 1999 debut. The ioquake3 source port for Linux and Mac has seen to it every operating system can run Quake 3. The smorgasborg of user-created maps and skins have stretched out the life of Quake 3 exponentially. If you've got $15 to blow, or less when it's on sale, grab Quake 3.
The hours I've dumped into Quake... I had to grab Quake The Offering from gog.com just to support its DRM-free release. I've played Quake for years thru the Dark Places source port for Linux. The weapon mechanics, enemy AI, movement, level layouts, Lovecraftian atmosphere, NIN ambient music...all here in fine form. Then there are the expansion packs adding their own cool little extras to the mix. User-created servers for multiplayer are still all over the web long after its 1996 debut. I can't recommend Quake The Offering enough.
Divinity 2 is one of those games that proves indies can run with the big dogs. Larian Studios managed to crank out some AAA material (by 7th gen standards) with Divinity 2. Divinity 2 sits next to The Elder Scrolls Oblivion in its huge world and fully realized lore. The world in Divinity 2 is open, but must be opened through story progression. Fortunately, the story in Divinity 2 is interesting in its moral ambiguity - heroes and villains aren't so clear cut. The upgrading system for character stats and abilities robust and forced you to consider what abilities you plan on using. The combat is a little more fleshed out than Oblivion's. Soon into the story you'll acquire the ability to morph into a Dragon and use aerial combat, which is a blast! Part way into the main story you'll jack a Dragon Tower, which will become your headquarters and you can staff it with useful allies. While I still like Oblivion, Divinity 2 edges it out in some very cool ways.
Oh, how the 1990s arcade scene was glorious! Capcom, Konami, and SNK were slugging it out for out quarters. Capcom kept most of the name brand recognition. Konami held fort on consoles. SNK cranked out fighters and shooters in the arcades like gun fights in a John Woo flick! Among SNK's line up of shooters we got the Metal Slug series. The arcades in my local pool hall had a couple of those multi-game Neo Geo cabinets in them. Fatal Fury Special and Samurai Shodown ate up most folks' quarters, but Metal Slug was still a stand out. Gameplay akin to Konami's Contra, a gritty yet humorous graphics style, varying weapon pickups, Super Tank vehicles, and screen swallowing boss fights gave Metal Slug an identity all its own. Having Metal Slug on PC with Linux support is a must-buy!
Sublevel Zero Redux feels like a randomly generated Forsaken. The six degrees of movement of Forsaken and Descent are well executed. The neon lit graphics give Sublevel Zero its own identity in the genre. The weapon pickups build variety and encourage exploration. The enemies are varied and challenging without being cheap. The randomly generated stages' layouts are fun to navigate and encourage you to look around a bit for that next useful item. The controls, in both mouse and keyboard and XInput gamepad, are tight and smooth. Sublevel Zero Redux is pretty good at doing what it does. Linux Lite 2.8 Nvidia GT 710 Logitech F310 gamepad
