This point and click adventure yet is another atempt to recapture the magic of Machinarium, a feet that seems to be impossible. The background art is top notch, some of the character designs are quite nice, but oh my are they wasted. You exist in one area at a time, and the only things you can interact with are the answer to any problem you may have in that area. And there are never more than two or three items, so you will be running, not walking through this game. Mini games are scattered throughout, all of wich are more tasks than challenges. Which is too bad because some of the areas are truly beautiful, begging for more interactions to keep you there longer. I could look past this, if there was a rich story with lively characters. They made a unique robot language for this game, which comes off much closer to annoying than enchanting. On top of that all the robots are malfunctioning a bit in this dystopian world, so the voices are further warped and glitching all the time. I see they were trying to add to the dystopian vibes... but it just doesn't. The dialogues fly by with no real lasting interactions, just on to the next one! There are also a number of bugs in this game, which is pretty rare for a professional point and click. So why 4 stars? Well, it is more of a 3.5. But I will say, if you are ok in beating this thing in a single afternoon for the price, and are hankering for a bit of point and click action.... go for it! If you just love supporting the genre, go for it! It does scratch the itch.. But.. if you are looking for some grand adventure, rich story, or deep challenges, this game will dissapoint.
I started playing this game when it game out as a teenager. I only play such games on the hardest settings with no hints, and last night I finally closed it out with tears streaming from my eyes! Hah, there were breaks over the decades of course. What an adventure. It comes down to taste when your picking greatest turn/squad based strategy games. This is mine. Though! I must say, there are some flaws. Read interviews from the developers\publishers as this game was coming out. They were closing down shop complety.. tragically. There are some epic ironies as they talk about other companies that were similarly doomed... like... Bethesda. This shows in the game. If this game was given more time and love, especially with the story and end game tactics, this would likely be the greatest game of all time. It has 1900's Russian novel vibes - it's hilarious, it's tragic', it's brutal, at times real, at times ridiculous. But! It does fizzle out.. there are no memorable end game interactions, and your characters accuracy seems to get a bit odd in the final stages. All and all, what can I say. This game is legendary, though I do wish the publishers understood they had a pot of gold in their hands. If they had stuck with it, the gaming world would be quite different today.
It wasn't until a year or two ago that I learned who crafted my childhood memories. Roberta Heuer, even if countless artists and creators aided her way. This oil painting depicting my profile most likely exists only because my Mother, an artist, and Roberta Heuer. Which is hilarious to say in a review. As soon as I delved into this game the same magic was there. I always prefer the pixel graphics of old, but somehow, for perhaps the first time, I see some magic in this 3d world. This is not a review. This is respect to a great creator who helped forge the digital world we know. All is eventually forgotten, but for as long as I can, I shall remember.
I like to write proper reviews, but not this time! Oh my. This aint a four star game. Yet S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is one of my favorite shooters, right up there with Doom 1+2. But oh my. It's hard to review this game without spoiling it, because so many of the faults are in the insanity of the late game, and the rather lazy prequel here. We revisit most of the old areas and characters.... but in a buggy crazy fever dream sort of way. The new areas are quite enjoyable.. in a buggy crazy sort of way..... and the end game... ohhhh the end game. Odd. I refuse to trash this game, which makes this review trash.. so yes. Play this game if you love S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Roadside Picnic, otherwise there is absolutely no point... its a mad house.. (play on hard sissys, get it!)
If the headline makes any sense to you, grab this game right now! If not, consider it an odd shooter out of the mid/late 90's, definitely not gonna give the young adrenaline junkie his fix, but very solid all around.
As someone who worshipped fps' back in the 90s, it is always nice to find one that I didn't get to here on GOG. This game is under six hours, and will pose no threat to any veterine of the genre even on Hard.. but what can you say - this thing was pretty fun! Staring blanky at the "plot" dialogue FMVs, fun.. shooting the arms off of monsters before they get a shot off... quite fun..... wondering what the hell the people who made this were thinking as you dance around a few odd locations... thats fun too. So yea, if you want a 90's fix, and support the dealers that slang those fixes to us... Give it a go, you'll have a nice little time. Honestly I just wish this thing has some multiplayer deathmatches, that too, would be quite fun.
This is an adorable little point and click adventure. If you are experienced in the genre, this is a one sitting adventure, should'nt take more than 3 hours. The puzzles are simple, put circle in circle hole\put square in square hole sort of offerings, nothing much. The elephant in the room, is this is leaning heavily on the Machinarium atmosphere, artistic style, and approach. It always drove me crazy Machinarium never made a sequal, so I'm not too mad at this void being filled. If you are hoping for that Machinarium difficulty and truly magical experience, you will be a bit dissapointed. But for a point and click fix, with some truly adorable characters, go for it! Also to anyone new to the genre, this is about as soft of a landing as your gonna find. Honestly I'd give this 3.5, as it could have developed some of the characters a bit more, and pushed even further past the Machinarium template, instead of living safely inside of it. But I am all for small groups of developers putting out charming little point and click games, and will happy put my dollars behind them in support.
Call me a fool, but I do believe that golden age of 90's PC gaming can easily spiral into dust, so things like this don't bother me in the slightest. Will buying this little pack change much? No. Are these two very quircky games that represent the adventurous storybook nature of 90's gaming? Absolutely.
The atmosphere alone makes this a ridiculous title. If it didn't slap the Master Of Orion name on it, this would be a decent intro to modern space 4x games for people just getting started. With that said, if you think back on the rich atmosphere of Moo2, the characters, the music.. then look at this?? Oh no. No thank you. There is so much more to say, but that alone.. 2 stars.
If you start yapping about how realistic or un-realistic a war game is you are out of your mind. There is no such thing as a realistic war game, as you're sitting on your ass whilst soaking up dopamine hits playing a game. This, along with NAM, may be the closest thing to war games. It's absolute chaos, nothing makes sense, but if for some odd reason you're still alive when it's over you'll take a deep breath and move on. If Doom 1 and Hexen are your jam, go for it. If you need some sort of expectation to be fulfilled, there are plenty of games for you out there.
