I thoroughly enjoyed playing this demo. Not only does it do a great job at setting up the game's story and teaching you how to play it but it feels like it goes beyond that, truly giving you a big bite of what this game has to offer. That's what a demo should be, in my book. This game is a fast-paced cyberpunk action-platformer and it feels like what might happen if Ubisoft decided to go bonkers and transport the Prince of Persia series into a cyberpunk world (no, Ubi, we don't actually want that from you, this game does it just fine). You'll be jumping, wall running, avoiding enemy attacks and using a combination of reflexes, skill and quick thinking to get through your missions. Fortunately, the gameplay is exceptionally refined, making it feel less like an indie game and far closer to something a major studio might release. Throw in gorgeous graphics and excellent sound design and you get a game that is just as atmospheric as it is fun. This game has the Blade Runner-esque dark-and-neon contrasting color palette that is so signature to this genre of fiction but it still manages to stand out. It's actually quite astonishing just how well the game's aesthetics and atmosphere are designed, especially given the breakneck pace you'll be running through the levels. If you like cyberpunk fiction and/or fast-paced action games that force you to push your quick thinking to the limits, check this demo out. I'm definitely going to get the full game at some point.
I've heard stories of System Shock from my earliest days as a gamer but never got around to trying it. I finally decided to give it a go, since I got it free from Twitch a while back. I'm glad I did because I enjoyed it enough that I decided to buy it here on GOG just to support Night Dive's work in restoring this gem and bringing it to a more modern audience. System Shock is often described as a cyberpunk game but I always thought it looked more like classic sci-fi. This is because unlike most cyberpunk fiction, this game takes place outside of earth. You're a hacker who got caught, was offered a deal and eventually ends up being abandoned on a space station after an AI goes rogue leading to a disaster. This sense of abandonment carries throughout the entire game: you're a heavily augmented hacker just trying to survive a nightmare scenario in a completely foreign environment while the environment is LITERALLY opposing you at every turn. Talk about being ahead of its time. This game's gameplay very clearly inspired some of my favorite games. Every object on the station feels like it has a purpose, even if that purpose isn't related to you. Every piece of dialogue feels like a real person has left behind their final words (that also help tell the story in subtle ways). Every room you enter feels like it has a story to tell, even if that story is full of terror. System Shock isn't a horror game but it truly succeeds at creating some truly horrifying moments. A huge part of this is due to the game's impeccable atmosphere. Its combination of glorious 90s early 3D, a vibrant color palette and stellar level design creates such a dense, immersive atmosphere to it that is equally creepy and intriguing. Altogether, I see now why everyone praises this game so much. It's a must-play for people who love sci-fi/cyberpunk and detailed, immersive worlds full of exploration and mystery. If you've ever enjoyed an immersive sim, you have to play this game!
This is a prime example of why I firmly believe that game demos are still very important. This demo convinced me to pop the full game on my wishlist and grab it at some point. It's a bit on the repetitive side but this game has some very promising gameplay, with simple but surprisingly intuitive stealth gameplay, a fantastic pixel art aesthetic and great writing that immediately immerses you into the "high tech, low life" demeanor of the cyberpunk genre. In all honesty, if this game gets some tweaks or a sequel, the formula is otherwise stellar. I enjoyed skulking around corporate offices, doing my best to use the tools at my disposal to get through without having to cause too much damage and, really, I always felt like I had the option to choose when and where I decided to break my cover and take people out. In my opinion, stealth games should encourage you to be stealthy but not overly punish you if you prefer to use stealth only as a means of paving a path of carnage. I will absolutely be purchasing the full game at some point.
... well, not quite, that would be the original version of this game which I played as a kid on my grandmother's old Compaq. Until now, I never had the chance to play the remake but the original was the very first game that gave me the ability to just go out and do whatever I want. If not for it, I wouldn't be the gamer I am today. Fortunately, the remake is just as good as the original! Sid Meier needs no introduction because every game that man creates gives players a toolbox, rather than a game board, and says, "Do what you want, this is your game." The game genre may differ but the freedom never disappears. Pirates! is no different. This game allows you to live a life in the Caribbean. That's literally all it does. It gives you a huge open world. It gives you tools. It then throws you out into that world and from there, it's up to you how you interact with that world and how you use those tools. Of course, one would expect that you could play as a pirate in a game literally called "Pirates!" but that's not even the half of it. You can also be a privateer, a merchant, a nobleman, you can pretty much craft any sort of destiny for yourself. You could do the traditional raids and plundering to pay for a lavish and free life but you can also get involved in court intrigue, romance the ladies and live like a king. As cliche as the saying has become, the possibilities in this game truly are endless. I do need to list a quick warning, though: while the game DOES run fine on modern systems, it can be a bit finnicky at times. If you're a person who has very low tolerance/patience toward tweaking games, there's a possibility you may have a bad experience but that's certainly not a guarantee. Altogether, if you've never played this or the original, definitely grab this sometime. Whether you're a fan of open world sandboxes or if you've never played a game like that before, this is a fantastic game with loads of depth that makes every playthrough something different!
This game is truly legendary and for good reason. Without it and its sequels, the action-adventure genre would look completely different. We wouldn't have gotten the many masterpieces we've received and the spiritual successor to this franchise -- Assassin's Creed -- would not have even existed (for better or for worse). In The Sands of Time, you play as the young, athletic titular Prince of Persia as he's thrust into a story centered around a relic that controls the flow of time. Right there, within the plot, is the root of what makes this game so unique. It's not the parkour (though that's a load of fun). It's not the combat. It's not even really the plot itself. No, it's all about the time travel mechanic. Ubisoft Montreal defied expectations by making this game completely different from its predecessors, opting for what boils down to a very stylish platformer with solid combat, enjoyable puzzles and a lot of ways to fail. Where this could have introduced immense frustration at best, or downright unfair difficulty at worst, the time travel mechanic balances it all out. No matter what happens -- you misjudge a jump, get wrecked by an enemy or just run into a bug -- you almost always have a second chance to retry that moment by rewinding time. This is what makes the game so fun, unique and memorable. When you fail, the game quite literally encourages you to rewind and figure out where you went wrong. This creates a level of strategy and critical thinking that never fully takes you out of the moment or the action. This, combined with extremely solid gameplay, an intriguing plot and extremely atmospheric, dream-like world building to create a game that's not only a blast to play, but one that also still holds up extremely well today. If you enjoy games of this sort, The Sands of Time is a must-play. It's worth a lot more than what you spend on it; plus, it's always affordable even at full price, just grab it now!
DISCLAIMER: I have the premium version of the map because I own the collector's edition game guide (which includes the code for what you're buying here), thus I'm lacking the "Verified Owner" badge. As my review title says, do not be misled by the hate: this purchase isn't anywhere near as bad as many reviews here would lead you to believe. This is a paid upgrade for an otherwise free companion app-styled map that you can view through your browser. The basic version is free and offers enough functionality but this package is meant for people who don't have a copy of the guide. This companion map is a nice feature to run alongside your sessions of Cyberpunk 2077 because of how it helps in your exploration of Night City. Just like the game guides, it's absolutely NOT a necessity, but it's still a fun add on to the game experience (somewhat similar to the digital art book that came with the game), just further helping to immerse you in an already remarkably immersive video game while encouraging deeper exploration. I understand the complaint that there isn't any offline version; that is frustrating, but there's not really any way to make it offline without significantly stripping out a LOT of its features. It's not like GOG (or Piggyback for that matter) are misleading anyone, so why the complaints? Not only do the complaints use a VERY loose (and inaccurate) definition of DRM but people are literally only review bombing this because they don't like the fact that it's online, nevermind the fact that it's 100% optional. It's frustrating, because the map is remarkably well-made, having a Google Maps-style vibe to it, albeit set in Night City, of course, and it's a lot of fun to use. Overall, if you like the game and love exploring, this is worth purchasing (though I recommend buying a physical game guide instead, if you can). Just ignore the complaining because it is 100% as-advertised and a nice enhancement to your adventures in the dark future.
