The nations gold (I don't understand why the eng version must come without the number 2 on it) is a nice little german game from the past, sequel of an intriguing but fairly simple city builder with a lot of humour (which I m not entirely sure it will be approved in our current period). The game is, again, fairly simple: build, collect resources and go to war. You don't control your citizen, but you can influences them in a suitable fashion ( besides the mercs, which will be under your direct imput). The three societies don't have much differences albeit design and some product they require, and overall the game becomes a little repetitive by the end of it. Still, great game. Only one problem: GOG didn't adapt it well for more modern system so buy it with the knowledge that it requires some tweaking or it won't work, or work correctly.
...if that doesn't sound like a great idea, and need more convincing, know that this game is what a called ''one of the reason why indie videogames are fantastic''. As a full blown masterpiece, Enter the gungeon offers a s***ton of guns, addictive (that's the right word for describing it) 'gun'play, all mixed in a roguelite salsa, with a plethora of items, secrets, multiple characters and endings and an arcade experience that never gets stale or boring. To be perfectly clear, this is one of the master-pillar f the indie genre and truly a testament how a simple concept can produce amazing, wonderful and... gun'ish' results! (not much of a pun, but a perfect statement nonetheless, in this case).
Rollercoaster tycoon, being the first of the fortunate saga, is still fun and good playing still today. Sure, compared to its successor, in some part of it is a little rough around the edges, but ,still, it does provide a little of managerial challenges (not that much difficult, though).
Anvil of Dawn truly surprised me, a tale wavered in simple heroic deeds but told in a masterfully manner. Basically, the story, albeit being pretty simple (kill bad guy, good guys wins) is the thing that kept me going most of the game. That's where the problem is: if the story is quite, actually, more than good, the gameplay is simple.... a little too much simple. Not enough to keep you (me, in this case) playing until the end. The repetition of tasks and fighting (although there a nice variety of spells) starts to be excruciating boring right in the middle of the game, also because maps and number of repeating enemies are enormous (however, should you love grinding, this game is absolutely perfect!). Besides that, the game offers, and this is where it truly shines, astonishing graphics and magnificent soundtracks (The anvil of dawn/underground city <3), all to support what I found out to be a magical tale of desperate battles and difficult journeys (trust me, the game is amazing at that). So, YES! Sure, this game requires a little bit of dedication but this perpetual weaving of sacrifice and impeding doom are really worth it!
Catacombs pack offers the full 'Catacombs' experience... as the name might imply! Personally, of all of them, I played Catacombs abyss when I was little, so the 'nostalgia' value still applies for me, hence my 5-star review is mostly subjective. Meaning that the true grade for this game should be like 3 stars, maybe less if you are not a fan of retro games... but why would you buy it then?... well actually there is a reason. This game is, technically, the father of the grandfather of the FPS genre (basically it's a precursor of Wolfenstein 3D... actually, Catacombs, Wolfenstein and Duke Nukem(um) all share the same path, being all sequels of other kind of game, like platformers or archaic top-down shooter). Anyway, it's still good to play it in order to see for 'historical reason', but that doesn't stop the game to be actual fun! In the simplest way possible. Basically, you go around shooting stuff, but! meanwhile the very first instalment is a top down shooter and the second is the actually precursor of Wolfenstein ( it's clear if you compare design), the last expansion packs offer a different approach, which doesn't mean changing to much the gameplay, but in presentation, such as a more 'spooky' atmosphere (at least, it was spooky to me when I was 8ish) with no sounds and more 'complex' maps (let's call them that) with secret door needed to advance the level and not as an extra. So, worth it? Yes. They are fun, they are simple, and you won't getting bored (at least, if you play them with long breaks). Remember, it's all about showing who's a warrior and who's a novice (.... nope, terrible pun)
Megarace 1 (as already written down here a thousand times, the second is simply... bad and not worth discussing about it) starts with a really good idea, or better yet, a really 'cool' setting: dystopian television show about race and murder. In full FMV, the character Lance Boyle, as show runner of the murder races, is also a good vector all of those 'dystopian' vibes (which I'm rather fond of) and manages to be entertaining long enough... but not for the whole game(s). Gameplay wise, there is little to be said: it aged really bad and wasn't even that great to start with. Besides that, graphics are somewhat good (talking about n1, 'cuz 2 isn't worth it) and sounds are on point. So, unless you are fan or a retro gamer explorer of this little quirky games of the past, I'd rather not recommended... not even for a dollar. (But damn those 90's futuristic dystopian vibes are tasty).
Urban Chaos! Has been years since me and my pals play it in a forgotten pc during my middle school's hours and, thanks to GoG, I managed to enjoy it again... and with a more seasoned viewpoint, it's an ok game. Basically, it could be considered as a precursor of GTA (III, so the first 3d one) but divided in mission, so the dev. could use the same map but change it depending on the need. Speaking about gameplay, it does have those lovely 'tank' controls (which unironically, are a favourite of mine) and some section where you can drive around using cars, but as for the rest, is dead simple: run, fight, shoot, kill (or arrest, you are still technically a cop). Besides that, story starts slow paced (a little too much) and with some unexpected (but not necessarily unwanted) twist, while soundtrack is mostly on point and graphics did age badly but still hold some charm to them. So, is the game worth it? mmmm yes, but I admit that the game does overstay its welcome and it is not that well-polished. But it does also have that 90's vibe so you can give it a pass.
Army men RTS, the last instalment of the army men, directly taken from Toy Story's movies, is quite easily explained by the title I gave it is fun (both for gameplay and, it goes without saying, (Toy) story. Simply put (simple is the key), it does its job: a few units, a few bad guys, and a peculiar setting (a house garden). However, the problem is that the major point of strength of the game is also its major weakness: it becomes boring after a while, stale even. So, if you are true aficionado of the genre and want to play them all, go ahead. If you are looking for a masterpiece or something truly worth your while.... turn back. P.S. I'm sorry for the short review but there isn't much to talk here.
Steamworld dig is one of those game that, even if there are a complete masterpiece, still manages to lay foundation for those game that will come after. Not that the game itself is bad or anything: it does have a nice and quiet unique gameplay, where you have to 'dig' (quite straightforward with that title) deeper and deeper until you reach...well, the end. It's not complicated, and the game even managed to end before getting stale. Besides that, it's a nice little story with western themes and robots. However, although the ideas are really good and were implemented decently, the game does have some little issues, like being so simple that after a while, even considering that the game can be finished in one day, it gets stale (as said before). This is the main reason I decided to give this game three stars grade instead of 4. Still, a total yes! even if you are of that much of a fan of this kind of game, weirdly enough it is high entertaining.
Sin gold, a sort-of cult game for those who had the pleasure to experience it when it came out (the game already had its issues back there) and for those who play it now... actually still an enjoyable game, but definitely not a masterpiece. Gameplay wise, the devs had good ideas, but it didn't manage to implement them in a correct fashion. Basically, mostly good level design (mostly) and good shooting (again, mostly) but with some issues on some enemy type and their hitboxes (and sniper... brrrrr). There are also some interesting features (for the time), such as aiming different parts of the body and having different effects and damage's output... while others, like stealth sessions, are not that great (despite being few). On top of that, Gog did even release the expansion pack with some good maps (hear hear, mostly). Speaking of the rest, story is the classic 90's action movie (with all sexism and cheesy puns included...nothing terrible but still), with a good soundtrack to go by it. Plus, the wobbly graphics is actually pretty endearing (at least, this is my personal taste). So... worth it? actually, it's (.... MOSTLY!) a solid yes! the game, despite its flaws, does have a sort of vibe or whatever, which makes the game actually enjoyable!... most(ly) of the time!
