Moonstone: a hard days knight is one obscure gem ( personally, I've never heard of it until a few months ago), but man, it does feel astonishingly good A pixel glory quest where you'll be send searching for the mythical moonstones, to prove your worth to the gods of old. Gameplay wise, one to four player can play in a map ( just like some sort of party game) where you'll face terrible opponents ( although, after playing a few times, you'll be able to learn their pattern rather quickly) in a 2d environment The main focus of the game is swordplay ( with a little of knife throwing add to the mix) and, I must admit, the combat may be a little clunky, but otherwise, damn, it holds up really well, even to this day. Indeed, the fighting mechanics are well implemented and easy to learn without reading anything from the manual ( although you want to do it anyway, since it explains how shops, leveling up and other things work) It's rather simple: you go, kill, collect the loot and the keys, get stronger, defend yourself from other knights, KILL THE DRAGON ( if you do it, basically you have already won), face the final boss and return to the circle of druids in the right time to win the game What truly have attracted my attention is the care and passion that this game transpires: anything, from lore to visual style, will remind you of an epic adventure To clarify, the only reason I'm not giving a full 5 stars is for the clunkyness of the combat system, some later encounter that could have been done better and a lack of a righteous soundtrack in most of the game ( although sound is present, you'll hear music just in a few places. besides, the lack of music is truly a personal preference, not truly an objective criticism towards the game) So, do I advice 'tis piece of golden glory? YES, but for the most ''modern'' players, those who lack patient, may be a little boring. For all the retrò and nostalgia gamers, it's the saint grai.. I mean, the moonstone they were searching for!
Beneath a steel sky is one obscure gem, almost unique in its display of retrofuturism art style and cyberpunk feeling. That being said, the gameplay & its story are alright: they fit the tone of the adventure, although interactable objects, sometime, tend to ''blend in'' with the environment, makin' it difficult to see them altogether. Plus, i felt like the story was too ''rushed'', jumping through plot-point to plot-point. Beyond that, considering the time of its release, it's a solid game that even comes with its own guide in the installation folder! ( used it only a few times, I swear it) P.S. c'mon, it's free guys, it's a nice experience that everyone can afford!
Majesty is a game that paved a new way to conceptualize the management genre (although, unfortunately, not many have followed). Yup, that's right. It's not really an RTS game: all you do is build and set bounties for the heroes of your realm to collect, and let me tell you that this game is one of the most fun and difficult experience I've have ever played. Set in a fantasy world, you'll be the king and it's your job to be the ''quest giver'' of other's heroic journey, and for that alone this game is.. well.. gold ( pun intended). Again, you'll lack direct control over your heroes, but you'll be handling the economy and the strategy of your kingdom: setting up shops and guilds, where your unit will go buying whatever they need to complete their adventure ( I was also mesmerized by the ability to check, in real time, what they heroes learned or brought in their inventory). On top of that, this majestic ( sorry) piece will keep you wanting for more: the mission can be clear within an hour, but some of them ( actually, most of them) are difficult, and yet you'll do them again and again, slowly ascending through its difficult curve to finally master it. Indeed, Majesty is one of those game, addicting and challenging, but at the same time never tiresome or boring ( just frustrating in some mission, I must admit). So, worth buying? YES. As an old PC glory and a masterpiece from the past, its graphics, tone and overall unique gameplay have withstood the test of time and still to this day it's truly a ...majestic experiece!
Basically, is a parody of the 70' spy story, which inside contains parodies of other media, so many of them that even I, which consider myself a huge nerd, didn't recognized all of them. Soundtrack and, most importantly, visuals are on point, although the camera sometimes gives me a sense of vertigo. Gameplay wise... welp, there are some minigames interesting, buuuut if you buy this game, it won't be for the gameplay. ( which almost demoted this game into a 2 star, and still it reaches the 3 stars just by few millimeters). Is it worth it? mmmmm yes but it's really not for everyone, which is strange, comedy usually is but not this kind.
Ok, before someone cries for ''heresy'', let me explain myself. ( Half of this review will be spent discussing this theory, then we move on judging the actual product). SW: Republic commando is a strategic ( although sometimes it fails a little bit in this department) FPS inspired by many strategic FPS came before it. At the start, I made the simple analogy with ''band of brothers but in space'' ( which is also true but only if you stop on a surface level) but after some though, I noticed that it shares a lot of similarities also with the Halo saga, most notably two things: 1 - it was design to work for both console and PC, but clearly though primarily for the console, judging by the HUD, simplified strategic commands and shooting mechanics, ( plus , like Halo, shares the ability to create theme levels ( horror, infiltration inspired, ecc) and has a certain pace that is remarkably similar with the master chief saga), 2 - The settings, or rather, its massive soundtrack, which you could reply: ok, so what? Well, the whole point of the Halo saga was to create something memorable, and this was done by the feelings transmitted through surroundings and well, the music , which many FPS tries but little manage to came close to that feeling of glory and warrior's spirit that both Halo and SW:RC manage to impart, primarily, again, thanks to its soundtrack ( c'mon, tell me that Ka'rta Tor isn't one of the most well crafted piece you'll ever hear). Anyway, Finally speaking of the game itself, it's actually above pretty ok, and there's not nostalgy here : I played just some year ago and decided to play it again. Is it, however, truly worth it of 5 stars? mmmm no, and it's just enough for the four stars: the game isn't bad or anything, it just starts with great ideas but doesn't fully employ them. After a while, you'll feel a little monotony, but the game tries, to some extent, to not overstay its welcome. So, after all this, it's ok to buy it? YES, absolutely worth it!
Nox is one of those game that, no matter what, it stand true against the test of time. Indeed, Its core gameplay is something out of a diablo two-clone ( with little bits of divine divinity 1?) but with its own incredible style and quirks, such as environmental puzzles and interesting spells ( to be clear, they are not unique, but really well done, and also these features are made to work amiably together). Furthermore, the game wants the player to feel fast but deliberate in its action, with a reasonable amount of spells that allow a good gameplay's personalization, and that's not taking into account that the game offers three different classes with different spells lists. On top of that, all of the gameplay's mechanics are in perfect harmony with the difficulty of this game: never a moment feels dull or a mindless grinding, a terrible defect that many games of the same genre share. Speaking of the game's story, it oscillates between serious ( in-game story) and comedy tone ( cinematics), and it does a matching soundtrack ( with some epic tunes). But really surprised me is the graphics: always colorful, fun and made in a way that this game never looks old, but just stylish and cool. So, it feels, by this review, that this game is good but not truly a 5 stars, but trust me: to get me hooked in what it's basically a isometric hack'n'slash with a classical fantasy setting that I personally hate, you know this game is really outstanding. P.S. I'll write this here, if you don't want to search too long for the screen flashy problem: just change the compatibility setting in the .EXE file in windows 98, and the problem is solved 80% of the time.
Downwell is a pixel platformer/shoot'em up with a simple and yet winning gameplay that allows a lot replayability without... come to think about it, without introducing anything new in the runs ( if you don't consider the random levels). Anyhow, speaking of the gameplay, more you go down ( the well) more you can unlock abilities and, eventually, find shops in which buy further upgrades and such. Furthermore, if you are a fan of old portable consoles' pixel games , you can change filters to experience the game in a more fashionable way ( it's actually pretty underwhelming said like that, but it is a nice touch). All in all, I gave it 4 stars for the precise reason that manages to keep you hook with the most simplistic concept such as... falling down a well
SW: galactic battlegrounds plays it safe with an established gameplay ( similar to C&C, come to think about it) already seen in most of RTS games out there, but the manner in which does that is rather solid and expands just a little bit to give some ''fresh'' experience. Furthermore, its missions are rather diversified to give more tactical challenges to the players. Besides that, It's star wars guys! and the game does a remarkable job in immersing the player with it's enjoyable setting, story and soundtracks. On top of that, there is the clone's war expansion, which gives a 15-ish more missions to play and enjoy, with 2 ''new'' armies ( basically a re-skin of the old confederacy units and a new-totally-not-favorite faction: the clones!... and again some new individual units for good measure). So, to keep it short, a solid choice if you are fan of star wars or RTS games ( and if you are both: lucky you). only downside? I wished they could have created a more ''unique'' experience, with some innovative gameplay's mechanics, but as it is, is still a good choice! P.S. Aaaaaand as always, may the force be with you.
Because I m giving this game a full 4 star, since it got me really, really hooked, so much so that I finish it and unlocked the true ending ( and the final boss fight which I truly hated/loved it)... buuuuut with a more objective view it should be a full/almost more 3 stars... but again, I received it for free, soooooo yay , 4 stars ( actually, I would give it anyway, bought or not) First things first, I've read a little the other review on this website and wanted to clarify one thing : simple isn't bad, simple is actually difficult to achieve most of the time. Maybe someone could define this product as ''Basic'' but when you realize the amount of things you can do and explore, that argument really fells off really fast. Gameplay wise, it shall not come to surprise that this is a Dark souls clone, with all that implies, so if you are not a fan of the genre, you can still buy it , but it's not really advised. However, for DS fans, it is true that most of it resembles dark soul, but it does have something unique on its own, such as weapons and some system mechanics that are, actually, quite interesting. Speaking of other things, setting, story and overall tone of the game is, again, surprisingly good and quite immersive ( which is one the reason I've actually finished it). At the end of the day, this game, although lacking that ''something'' and despite a few bugs, is programmed by an unexperienced group and they did a really good job at it. So, Just don't hope to spawn ( mmm this joke sounds really forced) on another gamer's playthrough, since this game's online is dead..... buuut the single player campaign it's alive ( unlike most things one the game... gosh that's even worse) and well, just give it a chance.
Wanna be frank : I wanted to rate this game with 3 stars with its weirdness of gameplay which is pretty unique buuut unfortunately I can't, actually at some point I thought giving just one star. Purple saturn day offers just 4 minigames ( read the description that GOG provides in the store page, 'cuz there 's no manual and most of them are difficult to figure it out alone) and that's really it, although pretty unique and something that I've rarely seen in a videogame. All in all, the graphics ( very surprisingly beautiful and very purple, at least theme appropriate) and the settings are, in a way, appealing, but you can't choose character and there's no coop, or two players, which for such kind of gameplay is again odd ( in a very wrong way) Still, weirdly, again, I'd say give it a chance ( like discounted, it's not remotely worth 4 euros), the ideas behind it are, if not good, at least something very out of the ordinary and almost worth check it out.
