The Dark Eye: Memoria (2013) is a sequel to The Dark Eye - Chains of Satinav (2012). Again your typical point and click adventure. The game takes place in a D&D type setting with all the associated sights and wonders. Although, this time, the focus is on fallen angles and demons. The spell count increased from 2 to 4 between the two main protagonists. That's right, this time Garon shares the screen with "Princess" Sadja based on Arabian typology. Garon's main aim is to attempt to rectify the bittersweet ending of the last game. A chain of events leads Garon to receive past visions that tell Sadja's tale. A tale shrouded in a mysterious riddle. I have to say that it was more enjoyable playing as Sadja. Her story was very well written, the premise intriguing, the setting stupendously fantastical and her puzzles were a lot more interesting. Again, the ending was bittersweet for both Garon and Sadja. I have to say that I enjoyed this one a bit more then the first game. Puzzles were generally fair. Illogical puzzles were kept to a bare minimum. There remains some glitches but none were game breaking. You can save anywhere. Since a potato can run the game, I downloaded the DRM free game from GOG and copied the game folder onto my laptop. I was able to play from the comfort of the couch. Game took ~5 hours to complete over the course of several days.
The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav (2012) is a typical "point and click" adventure. Game takes place in a D&D type setting with all the associated sights and wonders. What makes this game slightly different is that you also get to use 2 spells that either fix or break certain inanimate objects which add to puzzle elements. You are tasked to save the girl, your town and consequently the realm from a megalomaniac intent on securing his immortality by governing the dream world. The ending is bittersweet. Based on the completion rate on GOG, it seems that not many finished the game. Puzzles were generally fair, however some were illogical, unless perhaps you were able to channel the writer(s). One puzzle stumped me near the end pertaining to the wheel of the gods and a plaque with supposedly 4 numbers. As if by design, one number looked more like a letter which was obviously meant to throw you off. I had to look up the solution for that one. There remains some glitches but none were game breaking. You can save anywhere. Since a potato can run the game, I downloaded the DRM free game from GOG and copied the game folder onto my laptop. I was able to play from the comfort of the couch. Game took ~5 hours to complete over the course of several days.
The game is based on the best selling book of the same name (1989) depicting the trials and tribulations of masons Tom and Jack building a cathedral in a fictitious medieval town of Kingsbridge. You get a historical account of the feudal aristocracy mired in a war for the English throne and how political machinations affected the peasants, merchants and the church. I borrowed the book years ago and it was a great read. You get to learn much about feudal England, the cruelty inflicted by the nobles to achieve their own ends, the hypocrisy of the church and most intriguing of all - the architect of the time. You get to cheer the well meaning protagonists and jeer the well written villains. The game is a novella with light puzzle elements. Game offers hints if you're stuck. There is no right or wrong answer while in dialogue as the story carries on regardless of your decisions. The only negative here is the quick time action sequences which seem out of place for this sort of game. Quick action sequences involve a fast paced dot that you have to time to colored rectangles. Fail those and the game may end abruptly and you'll have to reload. Not a big deal since you can save anywhere. Originally, the game released in 3 seasons (3 books) and you had to pay per season. Now you can buy the complete collection from GOG for a few pence (on sale). Each book has several chapters you need to complete to advance the storyline. As the story progresses you will get to witness Kingsbridge go from a backwards village to a thriving city. It would be impossible to portray the depth of the book but the game does a good job of hitting the main highlights. Ken Follett was involved in the game, voicing one of the characters. I downloaded the game from GOG and as games are DRM free, I copies the game folder onto my laptop and played from the comfort of the couch. Game took me ~5 hours to complete over the course of several days. A potato can run the game. No bugs to note.
This is not your typical point and click adventure game!! While your average adventure game requires the player to collect/combine objects to solve puzzles, in Machinarium they represent 1/4 of puzzle elements as the bulk of the puzzles are logic/brain teaser/boardgame type puzzles. The overall story arc requires you to save a damsel in distress. The game setting takes place in a dystopian robotic metropolis where big robots rule over smaller ones and where an element tired of the tyrants try to blow up the city tower where the bullies reside. Same bullies holding your love captive. Visual design is original and very appealing. Game offers hints if you're stuck. I did not require any assistance until the last (out of place) puzzle. While I solved the first element of the puzzle, you're required to repeat 18 musical notes on a 6 key piano type instrument. Umm, unless you're a musician that can write musical tunes there is no way you will solve this puzzle. Not sure what the devs were thinking here?! I downloaded the game from GOG and as games are DRM free, I copies the game folder onto my laptop and played from the comfort of the couch while watching TV. Game can be played on a potato. No bugs to note, however gameplay was sluggish on my PC. Initially, game was also sluggish on my laptop, but after quitting the game and turning off the laptop a couple of times over the course of play, the game suddenly became fluid. Most likely because the game was capped at 60fps as opposed to 144fps on PC. Game took me ~5 days to finish. I loved the game, the visuals, save anywhere feature, the storyline where I had to save my love and payback the bullies. The mix of typical and brain teaser elements was awesome! Puzzles are tough but always fair until you reach the endgame. The final puzzle certainly spoils the mood as no matter how intelligent you might think you are if you're not a musician... A potential 5 star masterpiece tarnished by an odd choice for the finally.
XCOM 2 follows the same formula. Instead of raising satellites over nations to keep panic down, maintain loyalty from nation states and allow for a steady revenue stream to finance your scientific, manufacturing and exotic weaponry, you make contact with gorilla groups all over the world. Contact will open new territories that will allow raids of alien facilities. Destroying alien facilities will reduce progression towards world domination. Failing to do so will top up the alien progression bar towards dominance and risking losing the game. World map will be dotted with contacts, supplies and radio antennas that take between 3 to 7 days to scan. Scan to reap the rewards. A Black Market returns. Some missions are time sensitive, while others remain on the map indefinitely. Scans will be interrupted by missions. A skipped mission will have consequences allowing the aliens to advance the progression bar, attack your base of operation, sabotage recruitment, enable better equipment enemy troops, allow increased deployment of enemy troops etc... Again, you will manage your barracks, hire soldiers, upgrade armour, ordnance, gear, perks, psych abilities etc... Missions consist of killing aliens, saving VIPs and civilians, capturing tech and skulljacking soldiers for intel. Battles become more challenging as you advance in the game leading to an all out assault on an underwater alien base. Psych abilities are handled a bit differently in XCOM 2. In XCOM: Enemy Unknown, you could use your ranked soldiers to train their psychic abilities. However, in XCOM 2, once you build the psi chamber you will need to train rookies from scratch. It's worth doing so, as their psychic abilities are on steroids and will be very useful end game. Unlike the first game where you gain control of an enemy for 3 rounds, the psychics can now control a single enemy for the rest of the mission! Psychics have even greater control over area of effect. Game took just over 67 hours to complete.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2013) If you've ever played X-COM: UFO Defense (1993) and any of it's sequels, XCOM: Enemy Unknown will not disappoint. It follows the same formula. Go on the battlefield and destroy the alien invaders, build facilities, launch satellites to protect nations and secure more funding and conduct scientific research based on reverse engineered alien technology. Manage your barrack, hire soldiers, upgrade your armour, ordnance, gear, perks, psych abilities, aircraft and weapon systems etc... Missions consist of killing aliens, saving special agents and civilians, capturing live alien specimens and tech. Battles become more challenging as you advance in the game leading to an all out assault on the mother ship. After sending all my soldiers to get evaluated, only two in my A squad had psychic abilities. Best thing about being gifted is that they could control the enemy on the battlefield (3 turns). Game took just over 50 hours to complete. DLC XCOM: Enemy Within (2013) The DLC follows XCOM: Enemy Unknown's story beats. Instead of building upon the initial game, you start all over again from scratch which was a real letdown. You get a sense of deja-vu as the same cut-scenes play out from Enemy Unknown. There are a handful of new cut-scenes related to the new material in the DLC. Missions remain the same but this time around the killing includes picking up MELD canisters which you will need to pursue transhumanistic goals. The only real addition the DLC offers is genetic or mechanical manipulation. I sliced one of ny soldier's DNA (additional battle perks) and turned another into a Mech (fortified killing machine). Only one soldier from my A squad had psychic abilities. Missions took a little longer as you had to reach the MELD canisters before the counters ticked down. The game took just over 56 hours to complete. You could say that the new DLC additions equated to 6 more hours of gameplay.
Mafia III was good but the weaker of the trilogy. Felt more like a poor rendition of GTA then a Mafia game. Mafia III takes place in New Orleans in 1968. You play an ex-Vietnam vet determined to avenge his adoptive family's betrayal and murder at the hands of Don Sal Marcone. You accomplish this goal with the assistance of the CIA. Game starts out by having you rob the Federal Reserve, however similar creative quests are few and far between. You spend 90% of your time conquering territory to advance in the game. There are 9 territories you must take from the Don. You first collect information, and then go on a killing spree taking lieutenants, captains before you reach the underboss (capo) of each territory - rinse and repeat. You are also given busy work and while not essential to the game, the more opportunities you take to make money the better you can upgrade your equipment - weapons, ammo, gear, cars, health... Collectibles also make a return. After all these years, game still suffers from weird glitches, crashes but nothing quest breaking. For the most part, graphics feel like they have been smeared with Vaseline. This game also features PhysX and it is well utilized in the destructible elements of the game. Expect some fisticuffs, but it's nowhere near as difficult or prevalent in this game. Car handling and traffic AI is the best in the trilogy. Police remain aggressive while patrolling city streets and are deadlier when responding to calls. Game generally saves automatically before and after cut scenes. Additionally, automatic saves start at the beginning of a mission. Checkpoint saves are generous this time around during missions. Again, while the formula gets old fast it remains addictive. It took me just over 89 hours to finish the quests, side-quests, busy work and all 3 DLCs (aside from a racing event to earn a locked sports car). P.S. The devs gave an ode to Mafia II by featuring Vito Scaletta (main protagonist) as one of my underbosses.
Mafia II: Definitive Edition was just as good as the first one. This time around, you freelance between mobster lieutenants and have very little contact with the actual Dons. Your greed eventually gets the better of you and a drug deal goes bad. One of the persons you trusted turns out to be a federal agent who gets whacked by the Chinese mob. Even though the friend turns out to be a rat, you blindly kill a Chinese lieutenant responsible for the murder of the federal agent. Your killing spree sparks paranoia and an all out gang war. For some reason, even though the same studio worked on the definitive edition, the graphics quality is a bit poorer. This time, the game features PhysX and it is well utilized in the destructible elements of the game. Game opens up, a la GTA, and you are given more busy work to do (not essential to the game). Expect more fisticuffs, especially at the beginning of the game. To avoid losing, I figured out a way to cheese my way through brawls by holding the space bar to make sure the opponent missed every swing. Swings came in one to two bursts to which I responded in kind until the aggressor was knocked out. Note, Police are also more aggressive while patrolling the city streets. Game takes place in the 40's and early 50's. Game generally saves automatically before and after cut scenes. Additionally, automatic saves start at the beginning of a mission. Checkpoint saves are not as generous this time around during missions. Again, a very addictive game, albeit short. It also took me less than 15 hours to finish. P.S. The devs gave an ode to Mafia by linking up the two games with a mission in Mafia II.
Mafia: Definitive Edition is a GTA like game revolving around Don Salieri between 1930-1938. Salieri is one of two mobsters, the other being Morello, that worked under Don Papone (obvious reference to Capone). After the death of Papone, they become rival Dons in the city of New York during the prohibition era. You start off as a young recruit taking odd jobs like debt collection. As your reputation rises you go on to missions that include robbery, political assassination and an all out war against Don Morello. Story is very entertaining and includes building trust within the Don family, falling in love and betrayal. If you're waiting for GTA 6 and you've played other GTA games and want a little more of the same, this game is for you. Beware, mission structure is rigid. You don't have the freedom to roam the city as in GTA games. Game saves automatically before and after cut scenes. Additionally, automatic saves start at the beginning of a mission and checkpoint saves are generous throughout missions. A very addictive game, albeit short. Took me 4 days to finish with just under 15 hours played.
I've played dozens of RPGs including Baldur's Gate 1 & 2, Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura, Planescape: Torment, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, The Elder Scrolls III, IV & V, Tyranny, Tower of Time, Pillars of Eternity 1 & 2, Divinity Original Sin 1 & 2, Wasteland 3, Solasta: Crown of the Magister and many others and Baldur's Gate 3 is the Greatest yet!! Not only in scale, armour, weapon and magic abilities, but story, character and cinematics. I'm planning a consecutive playthrough, this time multi-classing. The only other RPG I've played more then once was Diablo 1.
