Far Cry is undoubtlessly one of those cases where the idea behind it was scrapped and repurposed. Basically, the saga kept the name as a commercial move: for attracting the players base who grew fond of the game. Question is: was it worth it to change completely the formula from the original? Short answer: maybe? The first entry of the usually open world franchise is exactly the opposite: its level design, while granting the player the opportunity to visit large maps, is clearly thought for the classical single mission campaign, which was the most common practice back in the day. Speaking of common, Far cry does sometimes something seen rarely, and other times it follow the mainstream ( of its time, mind you. never pull out a game from its temporal context). Gameplay wise, its a shooter from early 2000', and that really about it: common weapons, common enemies ( for its genre). Although, to be frank, the shooting is done with more of a strategical idea behind it, albeit the player suffers a quick death due to the excellent aim of the enemies or to the ambush zones ( almost 60 percent of the game). Another thing worth mentioning is that the game has a problem ( it's not a feature, I consider a serious problem) in dealing with its unfair difficult spikes ( which again I must remind you that are inherently a bad attributes, but it can be a detriment for the whole experience when does not follow a well made pace). For other things: the story is unworthy of mention ( sometimes its actually hilarious how the ''edginess'' of the protagonist was handle), and the soundtrack is nothing to write home about. Graphics wise, it's one aspect that must be put into context: for its time, magnificent, but for a more contemporary point of view: decent even now. So not so bad. So, was it worth deviate from the path of the original? yes and no . The game is perfectly enjoyable for nostalgia gamers and retro, for all the rest? a mild yes. still worth playing. But nothing major.
Dicey Dungeon, I got it more then two years ago, still playing it. That's should tell how much gorgeous this game is, from someone that usually hates playing the same thing more then a month. But, if you want to know why, the answer is simple yet complicated: DD is not only one of the most well design dice experiences, but also it's constantly changing the rule in which this kind of games are played. Gameplay wise, ''dice game'' , roguelike or even ''card game'' ( you'll know after a certain boss) can't really describe how well everything was thought. Every single aspect has been pushed and explored in order to achieve a 360 view on this genre (let's call it a ''meta'' experience) with more than 5 character, every single one with a distinct gameplay and various mission to fulfill. Such missions, or episodes, as the game calls them, change completely the gameplay, making the game always fresh and truly give a fun time while exploring all its features. Speaking of the other features, story is ingenious and hilarious, soundtrack (by chipzel) is amazing and extremely well connected to the game, while the design and graphics are full of colors and cute little drawings, again perfectly synced with the whole game. So, Worth it? YES. P.S. no, really. Sometimes I add in my reviews some final note.. but this time you just need to...ROLL WITH IT ( didn't expected it, right?)
Before anything, this review comes after my third playthrough at 100 percent completion and every single time I play, it never gets old (you get it if you go behind the first couple of levels) And now...something personal This is the game that made love indie games or games in general No, seriously Of all the amount of games I've played, THIS is THE utterly gorgeous astonishing magical magnificent spectacular murderous truly favourite game of all time (with guns!) Before I start explaining why, I gonna say a thing I rarely say when writing reviews: you can safely disregard every single other review on this site, if they are not giving the game at least a 4 star, they are not worth listening to So, I could spend hours talking about its ingenuity and all of its features, both in gameplay and in the idea behind it the story.. and linguistics? Yup, as a scholar of linguistics myself, I was taken away from its unique word generator, which changes not only some word in BunnyLord speeches while keeping all coherent(and some object as well) Also, NoH touches both proper British satire (usually it's all about America) and true political factors as, for example, the praising made by a politician of hyper violent method in treating criminals Gameplay wise, It looks like a simple 2d shoot em up, and that's actually what it is: simple yet profound gameplay And a remarkable number of character, masterful designed in both mechanics and personality ( Wells.. YES IT'S A REAL PLACE) Indeed, every single character fits in their role perfectly. And then, the star of the show: BunnyLord, whom may seem a simple nosense character, and there you'd be dead wrong To be frank, every single other aspect of the game is astonishing Soundtrack: dope as f**k Graphic: very single pixel hides a little detail ( only downside? background, sometimes, are a little repetitive) I'm running out of words SO... Buy it!(believe or not, not saying this as a fan boy) God, hope one day they will make the sequel
That could the entire plot of this game summarize from someone that did play this version of the game and didn't read the manual ( Which is still not that far from the truth!). Time Commando is one of those game that you play just to enjoy for its ingenuity and uniqueness experience that the game gives it to you. Its story is something that sounds rare and well thought and the combat system is, oh boy, really good.. but also a bit of a mess. Speaking of story, you are a trained anti espionage agent working for a megacorporation and gotta save a super computer, designed to simulate different human eras and, specifically, for combat, from a virus that could disable and let the rival get a hand on the market. And you can save it going through the PC's program and fight your way through the simulation, fighting from futuristic mutant aliens to ninjas or conquistadores, or caveman and bears from the prehistory. MIND BLOWN... Try finding something similar on the market. Gameplay Wise... it's complicated: a mixture of arcade action, adventure with beat'em up ( really well developed and unique) and shoot'em up scenes with a pinch of puzzles in between. So, this is, ironically, the last of the Adeline Software International's game that I've played but the first to be ever made from that particular company and, like the other games made from them, is an unquestionable masterpiece. However, Compared to the rest of the games made from Adeline S., it does suffer from certain problems that already its successor did suffer ( although not in this amount): Camera angles, the tank controls of the characters, ambiguous level designs ( Twinsonia be damned ;) the modern levels are something that only a maniac could come up with).... and they manage to put in the classical damsel in distress (Although, with Adeline S. is something to be expected). I could spend hours talking about this game but, since I can't write any longer, I'll tell what you need to know: BUY this flawed masterpiece
Although not still on par with the dark forces saga ( they tried though), SW: Jedi knight II is essentially a more redefined version of the first Jedi knight. Returning the focus on Kyle M****F****ng Katarn, while dumbing the character creator of the first chapter, elevates the story in a more enjoyable and coherent manner. Gameplay wise, this second entry doesn't truly detach that much from the first Jedi knight, but it does a better job at constructing levels and enemies that promote switching through the arsenal and not just rely solely on the Lightsaber ( although it still remains the central focus on this game). The true problems that I find in this game, putting aside the graphics that I personally find very boring and unappealing compared to the immersive ones of dark forces ( but this is a personal taste), is the confusing layout of the game. Which is not even that new of a problem, other entries of this saga have something similar, but here is turn up to eleven. Other than that, the shooting in this game (same for the first Jedi Knight) is not as satisfying as the dark forces saga, which is a real shame: half of the time you won't be hitting your target even if it stand in front of you. Plus, sometimes, although very enjoyable, the lightsaber combat is a little messy, without any true skill factor relevant for the outcome of a fight. On top of that, the game has a problem with its pace: the first levels are boring, and could convince someone that the game isn't worth playing. Besides that, it is still star wars: Story is good, so are the soundtracks. For its improvement and for the importance that this game held for the entire Star Wars franchise in the videogame industry ( and the fact that continues on story of one of the most famous badass SW characters), I'm gonna rate it a 4 stars... although I was very much convinced giving it a 3 star rate: it is was not for the franchise, it still would be a good game, but truly not a life changing one.
Better get ready to deal with this phrase, it's gonna burn into your brain. From the creators of stronghold ( which I have believed until now they made only games about medieval knights and raging old man with an helmet shaped like a wolf) comes Space colony (HD), which is a strategic managerial space sim simulator, with micro-management being its main focus point. So, speaking about the assigning a value of the game, I had tremendous doubts about giving it 4 or 3 stars: in the end I've settled for a 3.5 stars ( rounding it, 4 stars). The reason is that game has style, and doesn't matter how much you would hate it: it's undeniable. Every single aspect of this game is memorable: graphics, music and even settings ( clichè as they are). This does not mean the game is flawless: far from it, actually. Gameplay wise, the micromanagement, sometimes, reaches absurd levels, while the graphics ( although this should be an ''HD'' edition) make it difficult to click on things, especially when you are in a hurry. Also, i'll forgo going over some mission, which called them difficult is an euphemism. Besides that, the game can be really entertaining when it wants to: the character are stereotypes but mostly funny ones, gameplay sometimes is both enjoyable and challenging just at the right point... and the rest of the game is clearly full of funky style all around. So, worth? mmmm yes! Even if you don't like this kind of games, it's enough casual to hook you for a couple of days, and its style will keep you playing to, eventually, grown of this game... even if you are being attacked from an infinite numbers of spitting acid worms while your colonists are discussing why they hate each other <3
Escape goat 2 is basically bigger and better then the original ( although I somewhat miss the pixellated graphics of the first). Only in this masterpiece of an indie game you could find puzzle and platform mechanics perfectly refined to perfection, in which a goat, with its mouse friend, goes to save sheeps from certain doom in a magical tower... now if this is not dope, I dunno what it is. Also, something worth of notice are the soundtracks, which give almost a 90' videogame's vibe ( or perhaps it's something that I want to associate them with, I dunno). So, Yes! a big yes right there. both for this game and its predecessor. Kinda of short review, but, after all, so are the life expectations of the mouse you'll be employing (mmmmm not that great as a joke, but still gets the point!)
Personally, I've never heard of Shock troopers until now. Still, it did surprise me with some pretty neat feature that differentiate the game from the competition ( of its time, I suppose). Gameplay wise, more fluidity that I've ever seen, in contrast with the other product of the same genre ( I'm talking about the ability to roll and not just being in the right spot in the right time). All in all, a good arcade game: enjoyable and pretty straight forward, packed with action. P.S. I won't write anything about the port, if you check out the other reviews, you'll see they describe plentily about its problem. Buuuut the game itself is quite enjoyable.
Prince of Persia, remake of the sand trilogy, is probably the second worst entry ( yup, I'm considering PoP 3d too) of the entire series. Just scroll past this comment and you'll see them in more detail in other reviews ( Listing them here it's simply a waste of time... although all the flaws could be summarized in ''dull'' and ''boring as hell''). Still, it does not mean the game it's without any credit: I believe the fights were orchestrated to make look like a beautifully choreography, and for its time some visuals are pretty immersive ( not all of them, others are again pretty dull and common). Plus, the soundtrack is on point and gives that PoP vibe that one could expect from the game. Problem is, everytime the game tries to do something inspired and unique, it always comes out as dull, repetitive and something seen a BILLION times. To give just an example, the game literally opens with something just so.. terribly common that you could literally mistake it for any single 3d platform rout there and you'll be unable to tell any discerning difference, and, although the intro was built to be a right-in-the-action experience, it was done so at the expense of.. everything else. So, worth buying? mmmmmmmm if you are a fan of PoP or platform games, yes... but only if discounted. If not: stay away.
Hocus Pocus, a great masterpiece from the past, full of Apogee style, dripping of the 90's. As for gameplay, it's you tipical Apogee platformer: masterfully crafted level design, a meaningfull roster of enemies and, of course, its undying humor , that so characterizes all Apogee production. However, it does have little niche inside, little features, almost that surprised me incredibly, such as teleport ( nothing out of the ordinary, buuut it does it extremely well combined with the whole level design) or the ability to climb stairs without need of jumping ( I know, it's stupid... but I dare you find another game with a similar feature). Plus, Soundtrack is surprisingly good and graphics are colorfull as ever. So, for any retrò or platformer fans out there, it's a big yes!
