This game is really weird. I loved the original Zeno Clash and Zeno Clash 2 for it's bizarre visuals first and foremost and those have only improved. It's a fun fighting game but I am here mainly for the insane creatures and people and... beings? you spend the time fighting. You have not seen character designs like these, ever.
It's a little strange how ahead of its time Alpha Centauri was. This is a 4X game with climate change, rising sea levels, terrain deformation, and a unit designer where you create your own units based on the technology you have unlocked. Get used to the graphics and UI and there is a cutting edge game here that will satisfy long time 4X fans. Its mechanics are perfectly balanced; there is enough complexity for a lot of weird sandbox approaches to work, but it's not so complicated that you get overwhelmed. What really makes this game stand out though is the setting and narrative and how this is connected with the gameplay. The setting of Alpha Centauri is what makes this A LOT more than just Civilization in space. The asset (and problem) of Civilization is that it tells a story we're vaguely familiar with; history as constant progress and struggle, fire -> wheel -> nuclear bomb. It doesn't really have a story of it's own. How can there be any kind of depth to a story where Caesar is fighting Napoleon with nukes? But Alpha Centauri's story is free from our expectations. There are seven factions, each with their own ideologies and approaches, with seven leaders, each with their own character traits and agenda's. They are very well written and they all have nuance and depth. We truly don't know how the future will turn out. Flavour text for buildings and research sketch a deep, philosophical world. There is a real story here that is meshed incredibly well with gameplay. Like other classics such as Morrowind and Deus Ex, Alpha Centauri proves how vital setting and narrative is to making a classic. If you like strategy, 4X, or even just good science fiction, you will enjoy this game a lot.
Incredibly tight, tense, improvisational shooter. Movement, combat, and soundtrack are lightning fast. By improvisational I mean: there are no reloads. You're constantly picking up new weapons and switching up your approach sometimes within a second. Gun - shotgun - throwing knife - kick to the face in a matter of two seconds. There is also no down time. Levels are small sandboxes filled to the brim with enemies, weapons, hazards, and things to traverse. Find the perfect execution and get an S rank. This game defines flow. Gameplay is the main attraction but there's more. The story is simple and told through voice overs but very well-written and well-acted. Music is phenomenal. This is a short game but what's there is there firing at all cylinders. Get it.
Riven is a masterclass of puzzle, atmosphere, and writing. What makes Riven unique, even today, as a venerable classic that has inspired countless other games, is how organic its puzzling feels. It never breaks immersion. There's never a moment of "why would they build that". In fact, it seems almost incorrect to say that Riven has puzzles at all. Riven has an environment, where people have lived and worked and struggled against one another, and the locations and objects they have made in that process present obstacles that will require your utmost ingenuity to overcome and attain your goals. The puzzle is the world, the world is the puzzle. It's a fantastic, seamless coherence between setting and puzzle design. It is difficult to put into words how engrossing this is to play. It can get frustrating at times because sometimes you will be stuck not because you have yet to figure something out or because you need to explore further, but simply because you missed something. My tip for this overlooking problem if you play this game is NOT to use a guide. It sucks the joy right out of solving the problems, and without that joy, the game is nothing. In fact, the game teaches you what kind of approach most of its puzzles require, so looking up solutions is only hamstringing your ability to figure out the puzzles later. So here's what you should do: first, take notes. You will not succeed without taking notes. Second, get into the mindset of the game. Why did they build this like this? Where would I create a lever/passage/what have you if I designed this area? Second, go through it slowly. Pay attention. Look around. Take in the atmosphere. Again, Riven isn't a game of puzzles spread out over an empty world. The world is the puzzle. You will need everything you see, because you will need context. As the promotional text says, you need to let Riven become your world. Then if you're still stuck ask for a hint on a forum. No guides!
I could write forever about why Morrowind is so good. But I'll stick to what elevates it above later Elder Scrolls in my opinion. Morrowind is the best Elder Scrolls game primarily because of its setting. This is because the setting is not only very engaging, but also, more or less, the main character. Every single quest, from the Mage Guild new guy chores of collecting some flowers, to the epic intrigues of the main quest, revolve around the land, peoples, history, conflicts, and secrets of Morrowind. And the land, peoples, history, conflicts, and secrets of Morrowind are bloody interesting. There is a very real sense of place, and of culture. The appeal of Morrowind lies not merely in levelling up and crushing the many beasts and bandits of Morrowind; it lies for a huge part in playing the anthropologist, the historian, the religious scholar -- all roles you will have to play over the course of the main quest. Morrowind was when The Elder Scrolls was, in terms of setting and lore, at its most strange, creative, and fascinating - to the point that while dedicated modders remake Morrowind to Skyrim's engine, the largest mod project for Morrowind seeks to create... more of Morrowind. Morrowind is truly something special. In terms of game mechanics, how you explore and fight across this strange land, the game may show its age (depending on your taste); but in terms of that strange land itself, Morrowind is evergreen.
Arma 2 and it's expansion Operation Arrowhead are some of the most versatile and deep military games available. The single player campaign is good, the multiplayer is excellent given the right people. It reminds me of Deus Ex in the way it gives you the environment, the tools, and the objective and let you sort it out. Absolutely worth it. There are some cons though; it's graphically unpleasing yet enormously heavy to run, the voice acting will make brave men want to cry, and the story is almost non-existant. If you think these are a dealbreaker don't buy it. Otherwise it's well worth your money.
