A more detailed video review can be found here: https://youtu.be/ZY6S_R7YC6E It's not perfect, but then again, what slavjank is? But don't let this dissuade you, because it does the most important things well. Gunplay in particular is amazing, firefights are loud, tons of smoke and dust flying all over the place, top shelf stuff if you're into that. At the same time, one of the game's protagonists is a joy to listen. Marc Alaimo [that is more known for playing Gal Dukat in Star Trek] gives an amazing performance as Ray McCall, and carries what is otherwise a basic Western story on its back effortlessly. But you are warned, the game juxtaposes levels containing awesome gunfights and awkward stealth and platforming segments. In fact the first level's really bad and a major turn-off for many. Don't let that stop you, the rest of the game is well worth it. As a last mention, this was the first game supporting DirectX 10 effects. Frankly, many parts of it are still looking good, almost 18 after its release. Wait, has it been 18 years already? Oh god!
A more detailed review is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76D9GOjYZmg This game carries on the story of Jack Boyd. Now he's on the run from the law since his corruption drew the attention of the Feds. If you enjoyed the story of the first, you'll enjoy this one as well. The only minus I can argue is that Jack's character development is not as detailed, but he's still interesting as ever. But the gameplay has seen vast improvements. The dispatcher work is both more engaging and more reliant on your decisions since cops now have attributes that help them perform their tasks on the field. The investigations are more fleshed out, with multiple suspects to look out for. The Xcom-ish gameplay you've seen in the trailer is decent, but mostly has the benefit of making the development of your cops more relevant than just "big bars = stonks". I admit that sometime they outstay their welcome due to the length of some, and the instant-fail-state stealth missions can kiss my ass for all I care. In short, it's a more enjoyable experience than the first, from my perspective.
A more detailed video review can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76D9GOjYZmg This is the Police is a very story-centric title, despite the appearances. The police dispatcher component is window dressing, since unless you are abysmally bad at it, it won't change the outcome of the story. Which is kinda bad considering the pacing's all over the place, with plenty of stretches where you just pass from one day to the next with nothing interesting in between. But the story's where the game shines. You're playing as the police chief Jack Boyd, voiced by John St. John of Duke Nukem fame. There's a lot on the plate, and plenty of interesting stories to see. Most importantly, the writing and voice acting makes the whole game work. The boring stretches of the gameplay are worth going through because the cutscenes make up for all that. If you enjoy a good story with good characters, this is the game for you. But if you fall for the "police management simulator 2022" vibes, then I'm sorry for your disappointment.
A more detailed video review can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmErrvi50PY It's commendable that despite having the very touchy subject of the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, it manages to have a very neutral approach to this subject. It works really well since the game doesn't railroad you to reproduce Hernan Cortes' real life exploits, but gives you choices and alternatives as you take the shoes of his alternative history stand-in. The Role-Playing part is well made, I feel. Even minor quests have multiple ways to approach, and you won't be stopped from fulfilling your RP fantasy. Want to be the kindest conquistador there was? Or maybe you want to be even more blood thirsty than anyone else in history? Fine, knock yourself out! The map exploration is basically a Heroes of Might and Magic with a little more involved resource management system. At each end of day you get to designate tasks and you can use/gather resources in various ways. Decent feature. The combat is... meh. Basically Firaxis Xcom but with less interesting abilities and not very informative UI. It also suffers from a leveling up system that isn't interesting and doesn't encourage you to specialize your soldiers, But by far its biggest sin is its pacing. Before reaching Mexico, you spend an entire chapter on Hispaniola to defeat a rebellion. It's meant as a tutorial section, but it just manages to waste your time with something unrelated to the initial premise of exploring the New World. And to make it worse, the huge paradox is that this section also has by far the best story and characters. Overall, it's a decent RPG, but it's not perfect by any means. Play it if you want an RPG set in a historical setting that gives you loads of freedom.
For a more detailed video review, check here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1DzUBfqXts Back in the day, this was a very solid game. It had way better level design than the first, it was way more grounded in reality, it had an ok story, satisfying gunplay, and exciting multiplayer if you had internet [which I didn't]. But nowadays it has its fair share of flaws it's harder to get over with. The story's execution is laughable at times, the fact that it takes itself so seriously only accentuates its issues. The gunplay is rather solid, but suffers from an acute case of "realistic gunplay means that recoil has to be impossible to control" philosophy, with random spray patterns added to the mix. The end result is frustrating, almost as if the developers wanted you to have fun but not TOO much. One very cool feature for 2002 was its random mission generator. It's extremely lackluster for today's standards, but I have fond memories of it since this was how I spent most of my time with the game due to no access to the internet and thus no multiplayer. It's an ok game. Not sure about its cost in this sense, but it's clearly the best in the series. Can be fun to play in the campaign, but beware the frustration of facing hitscan enemies who vary between "can't hit the broadside of the barn" and "aimbot engaged" for no discernible reason.
In-depth video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0RCgTt0uRc A linear experience peppered with 90s clichés, Soldier of Fortune is an honest-to-god old-school shooter. Enjoyable to play, even if it's a bit of pain in the ass sometimes with the diabolical enemy placement. The gunplay is really good, and the movement is what you'd expect from an era where Arena shooters still reigned supreme. It also includes a very in-depth body damage system which can be a bit gruesome even for today's standards.
In-depth video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QunuxavBaUI Chaser does some things right. It attempts to have a sort of a story, even if it's more or less a carbon copy of Total Recall. It uses quite elaborate cutscenes to convey that story. Shame that the actors couldn't deliver their lines well to save their own lives. The guns are kinda cool, but the shooting is at most decent and the sound assets vary between crisp AKs and annoying pea-shooters. It even looks fairly well on a technical level. Hell, the soundtrack sometimes has bangers! But man, oh, man, the level design doesn't just drag the whole game down. It's essentially a 2 Ton boulder tied with a rope that's attached to the game's neck, and thrown into the Marianna's Trench. Chaser's an honest-to-god corridor shooter in its most literal interpretation. To make matters worse, it's even got labyrinthian tendencies, alongside doors which you can't tell apart regardless if they're the way to go or not. Enemies spawning or re-spawning from thin air. In the later parts of the game it's made obvious that there was no more time left for development, and the result is sections that you're supposed to go through but look like they're broken/inaccessible. I only give it two stars because it does a few things ok and it actually works. Otherwise, this is a game you should avoid like the plague.
In-depth video review that also covers its sequel Catalyst: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AngParJbxz4 This came out of nowhere when it did. It provided a short, focused story [albeit minimalistic], well fleshed-out parkour mechanics that still serve as the basis for most of first-persons that implement it to this day, and striking visual design. The parkour itself is good, but it feels clunky when you compare it with modern games. I don't blame the game for this, this was after all the foundation for future titles and it makes sense it may feel a bit primitive in some moments. The only part where I blame the game is that sometimes your character doesn't grab ledges where it looks like she should, and it's kinda frustrating when this happens. The only other major downside is its length. It takes just 4 hours from start to finish. You can do time attack trials afterwards, it's not something I enjoy doing but maybe some of you reading this will be enticed by it.
In-depth video review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vxau31IPHgo There's no doubt that KC:D is extremely dedicated to historical accuracy. But it should be noted that it's never to the detriment of the gameplay, on the contrary. The many opportunities it takes to give you a guided interactive history tour, it never feels out of place or not engaging. If you like history, play it. If you like medieval history, why haven't you played it already? The combat is also rather special, and it has a high skill ceiling. One of the few games where I felt like it's not just my character's stats that matter, but also my own proficiency with its mechanics. It's got a few janky moments in large battles, but it's visceral, it's meaty, and very enjoyable. It also includes a lot of game mechanics, some are better implemented than others. A few dark spots to mention: terrible performance, very very bad AI, kinda buggy at times. Some words about the DLCs: From the Ashes - A quest to rebuild a settlement. Could've been more in-depth for those interested in a historical perspective of settlement building. A big in-game money-sink with little worthwhile reward since when you can realistically complete it you've got better gear except for the horses. The Amorous Adventures - kinda amusing at times, but a bit short. Worth for the amusing parts, but don't expect something revolutionary. Band of Bastards - combat heavy quest. Sort of interesting characters, but the bad AI really ruins the experience unfortunately. A Woman's Lot - Gives you a dog [kinda buggy, but useful], a quest where you play as a woman [ok written, but not enjoyable to play due to long distances on foot], and an excellent quest-line where you help a woman make sense of her mysterious visions. The last part is hands down the best written quest in the entire game, and makes this DLC 100% worth it.
For a more in-depth video review, check here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz8rQRGbvSU This game was one of the must-haves of the late 90s and early 2000s, it was that good. It boasts a surprisingly slim game design for its era, but it's so, so damn good. Add to that a gorgeous art design and one of the most memorable soundtracks ever conceived, and you've got yourself a title that quite literally puts you under a spell. Can't recommend this highly enough. Word of advice: in order to get a good experience with modern machines, don't hesitate to check out Populous: Reincarnated and the Multiverse Launcher. That way you can play this at modern resolutions and even be able to run its Direct3D mode for some prettier visuals.
