Armed and Dangerous: a long, third person shooter that comes directly from the 2000's era of console game ( which I personally really not enjoy). Although it may have been enjoyable in its time, the game feels.. clunky, repetitive and its humour, despite being sometimes funny, can be truly enjoy only by teenagers or fans ( which is not a bad thing, all thing considered). All in all, it's not a terrible game... but, although simple, and therefore should easily withstand the test of time, the game mechanics are really outdated. Besides that, story and settings are nothing to write home about but not, again, bad... just meh. So, worth buying? mmmm yes but this game comes with a lot of things attached to it that may discourage the new players. So, don't expect a great game. Usually I make a pun on my reviews but this game is Dangerously un-armed ( ....I know) of any feature that could make worth your while.
Iris and the giant is definitely something that I would play in my spare time. As a deckbuilding game, it does its job, managing to mix in its story depression and greek mythology ( which is something a little odd, but strangely fitting). As for its gameplay, it's.. interesting: definitely not worth ''masterpiece'' title among the other titles ofg tis genre but its simple, quick but with some level of depth. Noteworthy is the minimalistic art, fitting to the story ( ''feeling blue'' so to speak) and sort of calming. Unfortunately, the game does not ''give'' enough for me to give it more than 3 stars.. but perhaps it's personal: the theme involved could be more attractive to someone else. So yes, a nice game that for a quick card match and even for some more ''challenging'' quests among the reimagined fiends of Greek mythology.
I must admit, this is the very first time that I've played a Sid Meiers game, but alpha centauri truly is a wonderful way to get to know this magnificent series! As a... damn, the best definition for this game should be ''Civ simulator.. but in space'' (which is... true, since it is a CIV game... but like... in space..) which is basically an entire genre that Sid Meiers created. Politics, managerial, strategical 4X, this game offers the entire experience of a managing a civilization but with a sci-fi twist. Gameplay wise, it's a blast: yes, it got a steep learning curve, but once you get it, the game opens up and becomes a thing of wonder and also you'll realized that actually the entire structure of the game is quite simple, really ( at least, that what I felt when I finally understood it). As for the rest, it follows the same pattern as for learning the gameplay, when you finally get it, you'll get how simple but deep the game truly is. Just realized that my review must look pretty... simplistic, but this is just for how I'm sincerely astonished by Sid Meiers Alpha Centuri: amazing design overall, at the same time incredible customization and a political story shaped by your decision. So, it's a big enormous yes! even if you don't like the genre, at least you should try it once in your life as a gamer, as I regret that I waited this long to try this out. A true masterpiece from the past.
I've ever played! As a God simulator, surely Afterlife resembles a lot a classic city builder, but it does have some unique features, which makes a LOT harder ( at least for my capabilities) than any other city builder I've played. Which means constructing cities, building zones, universities and other classical features of a city builder but with a more.. heavenly charm ( ...sorry). However, as stated above, it is really obscure in some way and ''difficult''. To be more specific, earning ''money'' here is quite a lot more difficult.. or at least, it does have a hellish ( pun intended) way for earning cash. Moreover, the micromanagement in this game is incredibly massive, and that's also one of the reason that this game doesn't get the five star. The other reason is time: the game has 4 time mode, but only 1 seems to bring fruition to your choices ( the faster one), while the others.. are simply to slow. Perhaps that's why this game didn't shine like the rest: it does have a lot of charm thanks to its two counsellors ( the literals ''angel and devil on your shoulder'') and excellent writing, a truly fantastic graphic engine with a lot of personality ( like almost every single game from the 90's) but the pace is simply... off putting, to say at the very least. So, if you have patience and a good sense of humour, give it a chance! It does a lot of positive factors.. but a devilish learning curve ... YUCK!
Supreme Commander gold edition is one of those RTS that truly bring a ton to the table. As the descendent of the still unmatched RTS Total Annihilation ( say what you will, that masterpiece cannot be beaten in its genre - see my review in this site), it is a worthy one, not on par, but a worthy one. joint to its spin off, Forged alliance, this package will give you hours ( or at least, for me and my ability in strategy games) of fun with its ENOURMOUS maps. Which is basically the main feature: the act of coordinating troops feels authentic and of colossal proportion. So, why not 5 stars? mmmmm the game, although set for an epic war, still couldn't reach the peak of the game from where it takes inspiration. but let's go step by step. Gameplay wise, you'll need to meticulous planning and micro-micromanage everything (although the game does give something to help you out), so have an eye on every single operation is key to victory. There are tons of units, terrains, and strategy to employ and for any hard-core strategy fans this game is heaven. However, the downside is the niche nature of this game and the level of attention required is not for any player which is not a truly strategy lover.. but if given time, SC can truly be rewarding. As for the rest of the features, story wise is actually very good, but still cannot match the tone set by its predecessor ( not that it a truly negative note this one), while graphics are ... well, good? point is, there is a feature that makes the whole graphics kind-a pointless, since most of the time the player needs to zoom out from the usual picture found in other strategy games.. so basically you'll see mostly icons than the actual units. Which is both a good and bad thing: good because you'll feel like a master planner coordinating with your army.. bad since you'll miss mostly of the epic battles fought by the units. Anyway, the game, even for those not accustomed to strategy games, should be a must-play.
FTL ( faster than light) is a cult classic among indie titles. As a strategic simulation of interstellar ships fights, FTL sits on top of its competitors, almost defining the genre for years to come. Gameplay, the difficulty curve is high and will keep you playing again and again while trying to master this game. Furthermore, the variety of ships, techs and aliens, while not enormous, manages to diversify and stimulates new strategy in order to achieve victory. The game greatly flexibility and planning ahead, which are pivotal for this game. Speaking of the other aspects, graphics and soundtracks are enjoyable while story, albeit simple, serves its purpose. So an all round yes buy it! for an indie gamer, this is a pillar of the genre that must be try it out at least once in you life.
A word of warning: I didn't play Zero Tolarance back in the day, so I do not have any ''nostalgia'' for it, but at the same time didn't play it in its ''prime'' time. ZT is actually a pretty cool console shooter straight from the 90's, and there's nothing wrong with it. Gameplay wise, it uses the same formula from the era: go floor to floor killing baddies in a space station. The game has few highlights, such as colourful pixel graphics ad a little list of selectable character to choose from. Yes, it's simple and a repetitive but I don't think it's truly a gamebreaker for this game. On y opinion, the only true problem lies in the version the GOG choose to present it: unchanged, and that means that the game suffers from the same problem as before ( low framerate, stiff controls and so on and so forth). With just a few upgrade the game could have jumped to a much more cohesive and appealing experience. Anyway, worth buying? if you are a retrò gamer without any prior feelings for this game, depends. Discounted? I would say give it a chance, it is a nice little time killer... but gosh the controls have truly... zero tolarance ( yup, worst pun I've made so far) for error.
..... should look like. I've discovered this forgotten masterpiece just some month ago and didn't know it, and I'm still shocked how I didn't heard about it until now. Albion is a forgotten ( at least it appears to be) ''hermetic'' masterpiece of a CRPG: from its pixel backgrounds to its story, art and music, everything has the mark of being a timeless classic, which is a title that too many players have the bad behaviour to assign to any game that passes as decent. No, when I say ''it's a masterpiece'' you better believe: as a (c)RPG, it reaches highs for its time ( and beyond) I have ever seen. Gameplay wise, it's an amalgamation of multiple system mechanics such as top down strategy game, first person view while exploring dungeon and an open world system that, again for its time, was very ambitious. Story is beautiful and a little deeper of '' bad guy, let's go kill it'' but I won't spoil it too much here. Speaking instead of graphic and soundtrack, they didn't age, they are still pristine and, simply put, magnificent. Now, I did say '' hermetic'' and I wanted to clarify: if you are looking for a super easy game to get into, skip it ( although It would be really a shame) since this game require you paying attention to detail, plus some system mechanics are a little too ''archaic''. Still, as someone without any previous affection for this game ( Although I must admit, I love the genre and the time of these kind of games) , this game is one of the greatest experience offered in this site.. you just need to take your time and take in ( nailed it) the beautiful alien world of Albion. Because, after all, this is truly what this game is about: acceptance of other cultures and protecting nature ( a little bit star trek, but Albion does it in its own way).
Pharaoh is one of those game that I wish I was good at playing it! It's one of those impression games that challenge you to build cities in ancient Egypt that still holds up today, both in gameplay and graphics. Gameplay wise, it's a city builder full of details that follows a single family in its many missions through out the entire span of the Egyptian empire. And it requires meticulous and master planning. As such, mistakes are really not an option and everything must be prepare ahead in order to balance everything while tending at random problems that seems to combust (play and you'll know why) at random. Besides that, the most powerful aspect is surely the graphics: beautiful and colorful as never seen ( even when it's just sheds), while soundtrack and story are pretty good. So, worth buying? yes! .... but prepare to fail many times before being successful. It's really hard. But in the end the things worth keeping are.
Arx Fatalis has always been a game that I wanted to play when I was younger, but never could due to lack of a decent PC. Now, after all these years... I liked it a lot ( almost loved it), buuuut what does it for me is its atrocious technical realization. No, seriously. It's a game that truly doesn't hold your hand, that have a nice and no-so simple story ( if you dig deeper than your primary mission) , that have one of the most complex magic system I have ever seen ( although is not perfect, but I guess that's the point).. all things that I love.. but it doesn't matter: it's still a mess, a beautiful one, mind you, but still a mess. Gameplay wise, it's an old first person RPG style of gameplay, which is something that I personally love, and combat is not what defines this game: exploration is. And also remembering everything useful. Basically, even the logbook, while useful, is completely a mess in keeping track of the quests.. and I guess that's the point. The game, again, doesn't try or want to hold your hand, every single thing you achieve comes from your own intellect ( or from internet ;)). But unfortunately other aspects are.. well combat is bare bones ( at least, for melee) while the magic system is something unique... but good luck casting a spell in combat ( yes, you can prepare three of them, but it is not enough in later levels). What truly have caught my attention was the story and settings: unique, quirky and serious. But it's like they ran out of time while developing it ( I mean, I hope that is the case.. the story is fantastic but too little? too much focus in few but good side.stories, and even then they don't receive the time needed for developing correctly.. plus the voice-acting is terrible). I mean, this game came out AFTER Morrowind.. and it looks like ages behind it. So, after all my ranting, Do I recommend it? incredibly, YES. It's a mess, but a beautiful one. Although this game is for a very tight niche kind of gamers.
