Great games in my opinion! Avernum, Geneforge and now Avadon. Those games are great single-player expieriences that have an AMAZING ammount of content, are well written and offer an entertaining level-up process. I love the story, the characters, classes, loot system... And most of those games bring over 100h+ of gameplay! Plus, great and quite tactical turn based combat. I am glad that those games are here.
I have the original boxed version, I liked it a lot. The world didn't seem to be much alive and kind of silent, but that's about it, everything else was amazing. Most of all, the character generation screen and the level-up system. It gave SO MUCH content to play with, that just making chars before I started the game usually took me about an HOUR :) Nice conversation system plus very satisfying battles and awesome graphics (at the time, but still pretty today). Plus there are/were some great mods that improved upon the little things that could get boring with time, like faster enemy movements, so hardcore players with hungreds of hours played could just skip waiting for the animations to finish. Game offers a lot. Is about advancement, exploration, adventure and ROLE playing. So yeah. It's one of the LAST true RPGs ever made. Or is it the last?
One of those games I will alwys remember. And with each game of this caliber this site is more and more the home of the Good Old Games :) 5/5, not going to delve deep into what the game is or is not (as it can be read below) but I just can not hold myself and I have to say: GOG, REALLY!? REALLY it took THAT long to get us this? Well I can only say one thing to that: Thank you. Now don't sit around, let's better hope Albion will come soon too :)
One of my first games (after Earth 2140) that I actually bought. And only because they didn't have Tomb Rider :) Never regreted it, was - and is - very fun, most conditions are very uniqe and even simple ones that just reqire a drink can be reserached and are described in a funny way. There was a new game influenced by it that sucked, but I forgot the game, and also worth of noting is a free open source version of Theme Hospital by the name of CorsixTH (in beta phase, but check it out on youtube for example, I think it is downloadable too) http://code.google.com/p/corsix-th/
This game is, as others have said already - unique. I don't want to repeat opinions etc, so I will only write things that other missed. Game is - in a way- open and random, but you only get missions for certain level, this actually defines what you need (more or less) to buy in terms of equipment and software, while strictly limiting how much you can afford. That means the risk at all times will be high. Spamming bounce locations is effective way around (you can just add nodes and hit about 100 or 200 if patient enough) but still backtracking can later happen without you being online, this will happen sooner or later no matter how good you though you might have been, and you wont be sure what hit you (usually happens few hours after a mission, so usually during your gear change). Plus all the things that other copy paste from each other, so overall a very good game, if stuff above doesn't throw you off, but I gave 5/5 anyway (form a new player perspective, as returning one I would still give it at least a 4 or 4.5 ;) )
Some reviews are kind of strange when I read them :) Gorky 17 is and always will be one of my FAVORITE games. First of all, I never expirenced any bugs or problems with the game, so I think it's very polished. I like the combat system. You have guns but with most, you actually can only shoot in certain way, along lines, not anywhere you want, even if the enemy is close. And... and I suprisingly love this system :) This makes it much more different, tactical and fun for me. It is not really something you think about later, since It doesnt really make the game much harder. I remember I failed my whole first playthrough because I failed to ration ammo. This makes the game very intense, you actually learn to use melee weapons and early on! What is especially fun, is that you can make it easier by giving specific types of weapons only to certain members to conserve ammo. Less weapon switching is also rewarded with XP points, which are very nice addition too. All enemies are very unique and challanging. Riddles are actually not. But are still fun, as the surrounding, although very dark, looks nice and realistic. The whole point of riddles is not to think too much, just to force you to move, and every step taken makes you very tense, as you know that boss encounters happen A LOT :) But above everything else - good graphics, cool weapons, characters personalities and enemies design - STORY is the most interesting part. First playthrough I really really wanted to know what will happen. It was pr-stalker game, so really there was nothing like this before, but I think it will still be incredible If you never played Gorky 17 before :) And the price is a joke, I couldn't recommend the game more! Get it while you can, end of the world may be near! :)
Ok, I played this game on the day it was released in Poland. I also played the win XP version that came with Earth Universe pack. Love the series. Love 2140 the best. Windows XP fixed version is broken though. The AI is not worse or crippled, no. The AI has been cut out completely. AI doesn't make units and doesn't even use what it has too much or at all. You also have DOS version which is good and - as opposed to winxp ver - it is VERY difficult (but in a good way). Game is great. And no multiplayer? First of all - GOG lies, there IS a multiplayer BUT in the DOS version and it WORKS on new pcs since DosBox enables emulation of old internet protocols/modems/serial whatever. I tested it and played with a friend, through hamachi. Although it was a bit laggy, I am sure it was my friends fault. Most likely. But you will enjoy single player a lot I think :) Expansion packs are also nice, especially those that offer new units, which are REALLY fun to use. And also one of those few games where infantry can actually be usefull (hint: try infantry with rockets spam ;) )
