I'm a big fan of Duke3D and Shadow Warrior, and I thoroughly enjoyed Ion Fury and Aftershock. Since there are very few sources that list exactly what Shelly's latest adventure adds in one place, I want to list them here: 1) NEW LEVELS: 15 new levels, with great map designs like the base game. The levels go from urban environments, to rural areas and towns, and naturally, all sorts of high tech bases. 4 early levels involve the new hoverbike, which show some really amazing tricks with the Build engine. (5/5) 2) NEW WEAPONS: Aftershock adds only one truly new weapon, the Homewrecker rocket launcher which fires homing missiles. It's a powerful and useful weapon, but I personally think it makes Ion Fury a bit less unique since the base game is one of the few old school shooters WITHOUT a rocket launcher, forcing you to use different bombs and grenades and playing up Shelly's background as a "demolitions expert". I wish they could have added something as interesting as Duke Nukem's Shrinker, or maybe some kind of electric shock weapon. Aftershock also adds two more ammo types for the Disperser shotgun/grenade launcher, explosive shotgun shells which function like mini-grenades, and a gas grenade which can slowly damage enemies in an area. It also now separates them in the selection so "3" switches between shotgun shells and "7" switches between grenades. The new ammo types add a little variety. The new consumable items are a blast too. (4/5) 3) NEW ENEMIES: Aftershock does well in adding some new enemies, including an armored sentry robot that shoots lasers, and two all new "trooper" enemies, one which can evade your attacks and another armed with a minigun. There are also recolored variants of enemies, including a fire version of the centipede, a gas grenade version of the grenadier, and a kamikaze version of the skull spiders. The game has 2 new, challenging bosses. All in all I think this is one area where Aftershock surpasses most DLCs. (5/5)
Dragon's Dogma is the best action RPG for me, with an emphasis on ACTION. It has many features that modern games still haven't adopted: 1) Deep character customization for the Arisen (player character) and main Pawn (NPC follower) where things like height and weight actually affect stats and gameplay. 2) Engaging vocation (class) system where you can change between classes, and each class plays differently, and is potentially powerful once you get the right abilities and equipment. Fighters need to block and parry attacks with their shield, striders need to dodge and shoot arrows or get close to use knives, and mages need to strategically position themselves to cast slow but potentially devastating spells. And that's just the starting 3 vocations (there's a total of 9 for PCs and 6 for pawns). 3) Visceral combat with the ability to climb and attack large enemies, or pick up and throw small enemies. The controls are ergonomic and intuitive for both KB+M and controllers. 4) A diverse menagerie of mythical enemies including dragons, chimeras, golems, etc. Each enemy requires different strategies. Even regular human enemies can be threatening and use many of the same abilities the player can use. 5) Customize and train your main Pawn, and hire up to 2 additional pawns for your party. You can rent out your pawn or hire other players' pawns (unfortunately this doesn't seem to work without GOG Galaxy, but you can still hire the default pawns). 6) Dark and foreboding setting and story that, while a bit linear, still offers an open world and some interesting choices. While the game doesn't do a good job explaining some systems (the romance system is only vaguely explained, and the stat leveling system is essentially hidden), and traveling the open world can seem repetitive (though you later gain the ability to set your own fast travel points), the experiences of fighting massive beasts and narrowly surviving desperate battles is unmatched.
This game has been on my GOG wishlist for years. Thank you for adding it! This is a 2000s-era real time action RPG, similar to dragon age or baldur's gate. You control a party of up to 5 members from 5 classes (up to 3 of each class) and venture through Qin dynasty era China. The game makes the most of its unique setting with era-appropriate weapons, enemies, and most notably, the "five element" magic system, in which each of the five classical Chinese elements (water, metal, wood, earth, fire) is strong against another and can augment another. The five elements applies to almost everything in the game including your spells, items, crafting, etc. While clunky at times, the action is fast and fun, with many abilities involving jumping/teleporting and some spectacular looking spells and melee animations. You can pause the game to issue orders. It's best to use a guide when playing this game, as the map is big and directions are not always clear. The Diablo-like loot cycle can be a hassle at times, as your characters will often run out of inventory space, forcing you to drop items or run back to the nearest city. Prince of Qin is a good choice if you are interested in the setting or this genre of game.
