RTCW is a classic of the FPS genre, born right at the start of the 2000' era of videogaming, and helds to this day a good reputation of being the best Wolfenstein game of all time. And even taking off the nostalgia glasses, the game is still one of the best of the series thanks to its variety of location, variety of enemies and situations, gunplay, level design or simply the whole gameplay aspect. It does not, however, come without its negative sides as well : enemies are bullet sponges, poor writing (for example, BJ here seems a brick over a sea of clichè) and some aspects of the gameplay should have been more refined, such as the usage of some guns. But for being born after a long time since spear of destiny and bearing on its shoulder such legacy as the Wolfenstein series, it does wear it well. In conclusion, as a lover of this franchise or simply want to enjoy a old masterpiece, RTCW is a must-have for your library or to anyone who want to shoot some nazi!
Bio Menace is one of the genius platformers that apogee software did in its golden days, such as Duke Nukem and commander keen. Basically, its mechanics are old school as you can get : get the key, shoot monster and go to the end of the level. On top of that, Its graphics are still surprisingly good ( and oddly colorful, considering the subject of mutant extermination). So, worth buying? yes, Bio menace can truly be enjoyed, even by today's standards.
Truly a masterpiece of its own, Psychonauts is a third person platform/puzzle that challenges the player with a sublime gameplay and surprisingly deep story. On top of all that, the game focuses on mind powers and the deep exploration of the mind : the developers truly aced it with unique quests and deep characterization of each individual and depiction of how the human mind works, all this through brilliant comedy that manages to unify both tragic events and light jokes into a perfect mix. Gameplay wise, its both cunning and give the player enough freedom to resolve certain situations. As a timeless masterpiece , it can be played even today without suffering too much for its little dated graphics, that still are something pleasing to look at. So, prepare your bacons and and salt, it's time to go mental!
Before I start, I didn't know watch the film so I am describing it my experience with the game itself without any affection for the franchising. Tron 2.0 is a rare FPS where its quirkness comes mostly from the disk-oriented battles that are a major feature of the game itself. In fact, the gameplay revolves mostly around this, and although there are other weapons, you''ll primarily use the disk, as the programmers probably intended this way. There's also a rudimental but appreciated upgrade system that ''embellish'' the game a little. As for the story, it's simple but enjoyable in a way, although it did not caught my fancy. In the end, I think this game can be quite difficult to rate, for whoever didn't enjoy or knew about the franchise: however if you want an FPS with some features unique to the genre, for better of worse, this one will probably be one to consider buying.
After some deliberation, I decided to give ROTT a 5 star, even if some aspect of the game are still up for debate.. but let's talk about in order! First and foremost, ROTT is, well, simply iconic, a doom-like (or more Wolfenstein like, since it was supposed to be its direct successor), with a gameplay PACKED with action ( so much that to make it fair, they give a bullet-weapon with infinite ammo), its soundtrack is probably the most famous of all time ( won several awards, if I am not mistaken) and its multiplayer was the first to have 11 players. The gameplay can be summarized in : choose your character, jump with trampolines, find keys and avoid traps (a huge part in this game) in maps designed from incredible! developers (like Tom Hall), while killing a good variety of goons and cultists with unique and fun weapons to do it (there are 2 upgrades to your starting gun and one slot reserved for the ''special one''). All of this while accompanied with the most ICONIC music to ever grazed the earth, such as ''Hellero'' and ''Going down the fast way'' ( there way too many to mention all of them) : absolute masterpieces for the all the game industry to follow. So, why the insecurity? ROTT suffers mainly for two aspect : the technical part (at least in its time, since all its competitors had superior graphic engine) and repetition and frustration in a long play (although this may be subjective). In conclusion, Rise of the triad : dark war is something to definitely have in your library, both as a retrò gamer, nostalgic fan or someone that just adores good ol' FPS game. So, Let the HUNT begins!
Project Eden is something that I always wanted to play when I was a kid and finally they put it on GOG. After playing it, I can say: it's ok. The game offers puzzle mechanics through use of gadgets and team members which fulfill different functions with some ill designed shooting mechanics that manages to ''fill'' some sections in order to make the protagonist feel like a cop-action team. Although it has aged rather badly, still for puzzle game fan out there with a love for cyberpunk settings could be something to consider to have in library.
Beyond good & evil is a third person platform-adventure from the early 2000' that always intrigued me with its story and gameplay, and after finally finished it I can say : ''oh boy, it's good!''. Although its genre was typical for its time , the game stands out without effort and sits on the same level with the most iconic console games while giving the player something a little bit different. In fact, the whole gameplay is actually a mix of combat and stealth action, little bit of driving here and there and the ability to photograph alien flora and fauna that manages to keep the player experimenting different things while delivering a seldom kind of story (at least for tis time) with some nice thoughts behind it like preserving the environment. However, this port is not without flaw : if played with a higher framerate will break cutscenes and you need to install external software if you plan to play it with a controller. Beyond the good and evil ( YAY, managed to insert this joke) side of this game : it is still a masterpiece, both for its time and beyond ( ...Yuck) that must be tried at least once in your life.
Directly from the golden age of pc gaming, Total Annihilation has left a mark on the history of video gaming (and my infancy) as one the most influential and one of the greatest pioneer RTS that paved the way for 3d strategy games. It's grim setting and story ( if somewhat simple) with a conflict of biblical proportion are greatly entertaining and deeply engaging while accompanied by one of the most on-point soundtrack you ll ever hear (seriously, seems that at the time they had vision for this sort of things). Gameplay wise, its a truly innovator of the genre with its wide range of units and multiple resources system in a 3d environment. On top of that, the commander pack adds a TON of new maps and campaigns to enjoy (yes, even for today standards this game STOMPS ( Arm rule) simply every other strategy game). ...So, didn't already buying it?
.... I mean, I don't think a review of the actual Deus Ex is necessary (if you never heard of it... man, where the heck did you live?) since it is, simply put, one of the best videogames of all time AND the finest example of ''Immersive Sim'', although not being the very first (that honour goes to System Shock... or Ultima Underworld, which is more of a proto-immersive sim, really). (P.S. Immersive Sim has always been quite a difficult genre to pin down, but I think that Deus Ex represent its very definition.) So, I prefer to be focusing on the Revision Mod that comes with the game (which I admit, although I've played this game for, like, ten times?... I never tried, or heard, of the Revision Mod), so this review is for those who already played the OG game and wanted to try something different (which, again, should be everybody, people!... Yes, Immersive Sim are not for everybody, but c'mon! It's Deus Ex). And... it's still Deus Ex: beautifully and masterfully crafted, and now there's simply more of it! (there's only the new soundtrack problem, which I consider to put, for the most part, weaker than the OG... but you can deactivate it and restore the OG one in the menu). Now, time to put the ''conspiracy'' glasses and to... ''Page'' this game to your friends! (...I know, that was weak... man, what a Shame.... What a rotten way to pun!)
Welp, easy review: one of the very best classic doom-like of all time, can be bought by beginners of the genre and hardcore fans alike. Needless to say, I will not write more about its mechanics or all the good innovations it has brought to the genre itself ( which I don't think needs more words to be explained since it's freaking awesome and a true Cult-game). As said before, the game that started it all (speaking of the new Shadow warrior saga) has it all and explain it would just be a waste of time. However, If you are a newcomer, prepare yourself for one of the most beautiful, engaging, funny, and underestimated game of all time ( although most consider duke Nukem better, this one is actually my favorite). Lo Wang, even after all these years, remains one of the best characters you will ever see ( even in its clichè stereotypes remains cool and funny as hell). So, enough said, Who wants some Waaaang?!
