One of the few flight sims from the early 90s that actually still feels playable in the modern age, Megafortress Collection is a pretty fun flight and systems management simulation. It succeeds by being more in the systems management than the flight simming. See, nothing from this era can hold a candle to the feel of DCS World or Falcon BMS. Falcon 3.0 or Fleet Defender are just not going to stack up to BMS or the HB F-14. But, Megafortress stands out because it's modeling a fictional B-52 variant and offers an experience better tailored to simpler inputs. You're not going to get satisfying flight controls, but the point is really to allow the player to manage the systems load of an entire aircraft that'd otherwise be spread out over a number of stations. As a result, it still feels very playable to this day. There's real cool factor to taking off and being a flying menace using EW and weapons to protect yourself whilst striking ground targets. Honestly, this game could prove fantastic on a mobile platform of some kind, be it laptop or some other similar device. Expect wobbly polygons and simplistic sounds and you won't be disappointed. Fun stuff.
Now that it has a few patches in, STALKER 2 is fantastic. This is what I always wanted in a STALKER sequel and then some. It's fantastic now that it's running so much better. The gunplay, the atmosphere, the world, it's all there. THIS is STALKER. Anyone who says otherwise is totally wrong. This is a must have game if you like immersive and atmosphere experiences. This is truly a STALKER title. GSC has had to deal with so much to get this out and they deserve to bask in its glory.
STALKER 2 has been a long time coming and it absolutely rules. If you loved the original STALKERs, you'll love this. If you're a nerd who only ever played STALKER anomaly, stick to crying about how it isn't a real STALKER game. Also, there's actual bribes for bad reviews for this game. Hilarious stuff coming from folks who are just a few months away from becoming cargo 200.
As to be expected, STALKER 2 is rough at launch. But, it's also a lot of fun. And as to be expected, sadly, bots are out in force across the internet leaving negative reviews for money. I didn't think governments of the world could be so petty, but here we are. Truthfully, if you want to wait until better optimization happens? Fair enough, good idea. But, it's no where near as bad as Shadow of Chernobyl was at launch. Yeah, I got that at release back in the day, I'm a STALKER OG. In all, this is what you want from a STALKER game. This is the logical improvement on those old games.
This is how a remake should be made. It should both be faithful to the original while discarding the vestigial traits that are no longer relevant. If you liked the original SysShock, this is awesome and you should get it. If you're new, it's awesome, but it WILL NOT HOLD YOUR HAND. This is an immersive sim. You need to read mails, listen to journals, and figure out where you need to go on your own. It's a proper dungeon crawl in space and I love it.
In 1917, French Dada artist Marcel Duchamp displayed his most recognizable work he titled "Fountain." It was a urinal he purchased and wrote "R. Mutt 1917" upon it. It's a lightning rod of discussion in art over a century later as it really brings up the question of "What is art? What can be art?" In reference to Scorn, I find Duchamp's presentation to some what relevant. That is to say, Scorn is unusual beyond its aesthetics and its merits as a game are questionable. I'd venture to even say it's a good game in so much that it was a memorable and enjoyable experience, but some will disagree and cite its simple gameplay and criminally short run. Scorn prompts you to ask "What makes a good game?" and I'm still left answering it. If it's something as simple as "it's fun to play" then I'm left to conclude that Scorn is, by definition, a good game. But, Scorn is short, it can be clunky, and it lacks much mechanical depth. These are all things that we admonish in game design. How can it be good? The truth is that Scorn presents an immersive horror experience that's less about jump scares, zombies, and chainsaw wielding maniacs and more about a creating a sense of foreboding and leaving the player feeling so very much alone in this bizarre and broken world. It leaves you asking yourself questions about the world, about what happened, and what your role in all of it was. You're confronted with a sense of isolation and hopelessness. Unlike Duchamp, Ebb Software's art department clearly expended a *LOT* of effort in crafting this game. This game looks incredible. Most will obviously point out the influence by H.R. Giger, but few will point out the even greater influence of Zdzisław Beksiński, a Polish artist who drew upon similar horrific themes. Together, the two influences complement this world perfectly which deals with the themes of sex, birth, death, decay, and existentialism. So, at the end of it all, I recommend Scorn. On sale. I'm not sure about full price.
Nah, this game owns. Get it. If you like immersive sims, if you like stealth, you need to get Thief.
Flashpoint started a sub-genre within the tactical shooter/sim space. Good music, EXCELLENT gameplay, and atmosphere in spades. It has everything; campaigns, single missions, an editor to make more, this game ruled back then and still rules now. Grab it. Grab it and never regret it.
The OG Rainbow Six sparked my love for tactical shooters and for good reason: It's a classic. But, it isn't a timeless classic. This is a pretty lazy version of the game. It would be nice to see this game be given a little more love to bring it up to date for modern systems. What we have here is a game made in '98 trying to run on systems and standards 20 years out of its league. Is it still fun? Very much so, but its limitations are very much apparent. We often forget Rainbow Six, so it's nice to see it on offer. But, the reason we forget? Rogue Spear was transcendent.
So, Arx Fatalis shows its age not so much in visuals but in its controls. They can seem quite strange for someone unaccustomed to them. While WASD movement and mouse look is friendly, item usage and inventory management are a bit of a change up. Also, the game can be a bit unstable, so the Arx Libertatis mod is a must. However, once that's overcome? You will find Arx Fatalis to be a superbly fun dungeon crawl. It crafts an atmosphere that you soak up like a sponge and you find yourself wholly immersed in its game world. The world, while fantastical, is relatable and its inhabitants feel alive. The star here is the magic system. Casting spells is very enjoyable and I'm usually a fighter in these type of games. I'm using a lot more magic here than I normally would and not like in Skyrim aka just leveling it to get increase my character's level. It's genuinely enjoyable and fun to use. Unloading magic missiles and fireballs on Rat-men never gets old. Ranged and melee combat are simplistic, so be prepared for that. However, they definitely work and they won't enrage you like Morrowind's dice rolling. Expect no handholding; you must read journals, pick up on clues, and explore. The game rewards those who explore, I'm told. In reality, I think the game only progresses for those who explore. It rewards those who think creatively, more accurately. For what's being asked for in price, you cannot go wrong with Arx Fatalis. This is a must for RPG fans, for dungeon crawling fans, and for fans of the immersive sim.
