I really like this game. It's a rogue-like fps peppered with comedy and crafting mechanics. I played it quite a bit when it first came out and now, five years later I'm back for more... Starting from scratch, of course.
I originally bought this game to scratch my X-COM itch and indeed it does exactly that while putting its own spin on things. The soldiers aren't as easy to lose forever as in X-COM, but it's still entirely possible. The game may become repetitive for players that don't thrive on turn based strategy combat.
This game is incredible! It's a turn based strategy game where each play through consists of multiple levels. It's perfect for short breaks to tackle a single level as the game is saved automatically after every turn. It gets addicting once you get the hang of the game. I have over 200 hours of game time! You control giant mech robots and fight different giant bugs on 8x8 grids. The objective is to protect the buildings scattered on the grid and are under constant attack by the bugs. There's so much thinking that goes into every turn as the mechs are often limited in their abilities. Usually they don't deal enough damage to get rid of a bug in a single turn so different tactics have to be applied depending on each situation. Usually position manipulation comes into play here. Your mech may not be able to kill the bug that is threatening a building but, depending on your mech and its weapon, it could push it a single tile making the bug's attack whiff and maybe even hit another bug or block another bug from surfacing. There are over 20 unique mechs to play and even more weapons to equip them with. They form mulitple, preset squads of three, but one can also go with a squad built out of random unlocked mechs or build a custom squad by cherry picking. Grab it and have fun! But be warned that the game is very unforgiving!
Truly a must play game! I probably have spent over 500 hours playing it both online and singleplayer. I still remember how to duplicate gold and items with potions! Can you master the “Hell in Hell”? I played this on a Mac back in the day. Will buy this again when it’s available on Mac. (I’m tired of dual booting)
This game is simply put, brilliant! It's artwork and music create this eerie space atmosphere without breaking your concentration (you'll need all of it to strategise!). There is a strong luck element involved in the gameplay, but it's effect on your progress can be minimised by thinking ahead. It's also one of those rare strategy gems that you can fire up to play a quick game or two, as a single play through only takes about 30 minutes. And every attempt is different from the previous one, forcing you to adapt your tactics or face the consequences - on the bright side, bad mistakes can provide edibles for the remaining crew! ;) In the main story mode you must survive 10 weeks in space in a large tin can that loves nothing more than malfunctioning critically in your face every single turn. Aside from that, there are numerous smaller missions, or challenges to complete (like: survive five weeks with only one crew member) and a squadron of unlockable characters, each with their own unique abilities to aid you in your quest. Will you get the cannibal? This game will make you rage quit often, but if you're a sucker for a good strategy game like I am, you'll keep coming back for more!
As a person who likes sci-fi, rpg and strategy this game is right down my alley. It is all that plus this roguelike thing I've heard so much about but never tried before. - I find it really entertaining! This game is right up in my top 5 games ever made. The gameplay is brilliant and with the advanced edition adds even greater depth. The music is really awesome and suits the game well. It's mostly ambient-ish until you're in danger, then percussion is cross-faded into the background music. So when you hear those hi-hats, put your left hand on the numberic keys (weapon shortcuts!). I imagine this will be one of those games I will keep coming back to every few months for a hearty replay for the rest of my life - really worth the cash! Especially when you consider the fact that it can be expanded and changed. I recently downloaded an expansion that changes all the ships and missions into the Star Trek universe. Can't wait to try that one out! P.s. For those who like this game and are looking for others, I recommend Escape Velocity: NOVA or EV: Nova for short. It's an expandable, single-player space rpg that's been around for about fifteen years and still packs a punch.
I expected much more than I actually got. The graphics are weird, the animations are off putting and the whole thing appears rushed to me. I was expecting something like MYST: End of Ages, only 9 years newer and fancier - but I got something that looks like it was made in 2003. Well, to be fair some things look great while other's don't. The grass looks very nice - so does the water (although it's motion appears to be slowed down to a snail's pace), walls of buildings look awful and edges of objects like books are perfectly straight and unconvincing. The trees are pretty sad as well. There's also this weird scaling thing going on with MYST island. The "Tank", the structure at the highest point of the island - if you walk towards it as close as you can you'd estimate it's a small tank, about 2 meters (6.5ft) in diameter, sitting on top of a 5 meter (16ft) tall "mountain" but once you reach it via the library it is at least 7 meters (23ft) in diameter with walkways and ladders. Was it scaled down from the outside to save polygons? I think the original MYST offers much more immersion and credibility. I'm giving this game three stars because I like the ability to free roam and I like the weather/time of day transitions. The flashlight is something I like using as well - mostly to play around with shadow casting though. Hopefully the 30 year anniversary MYST will do the original some justice.
Played through single player. My usual RPG preference is High HP, High Melee DMG so I usually go with Paladin/Warrior/Berserker kind of classes. In this game I found that Paladin is not the way to go (for me) as I got to the Game Over screen on the fourth level while I completed the game with over 50 extra lives using the rogue on the same difficulty level. The game does get a bit mindless at times but the secret hunting keeps it fresh. Playing through as a rogue I wanted to see much more mini-bosses... But as a Paladin I believe I'd be happy if I got through the game without ever meeting a single one! This game has given me many many hours of fun and probably more to come as I attempt another go with a different character class.
