I originally owned a hard copy of this game which would not only fail to activate but would also BSOD my laptop. The GOG version however fixes all of these flaws and finally allows me to eperience the awesomeness that is 1701 AD (which was the original title that I knew it by). A strategy / city-builder without too much to keep track of such as Anno 1701 makes for a somewhat theraputic experience; the visuals are pretty incredible for their day and stand the test of time, and the gameplay somehow never becomes stale or boring. With the various modes of play, I could literally kill hours just sandboxing in this game and doing nothing with my life, and that's a quality that I truly seek out in most games. Replay value is increasingly important for me, and this game delivers.
Through the smudged lenses of nostalgia, this game was a flawless platformer that could do no wrong. As an adult revisiting a childhood classic however, I can't get over the clunky controls that almost feel like I'm having a browser-based flash experience. Gex feels so haphazardly smashed together that the platforming missteps never feel like something you can work through and learn from, but almost like something that went haywire on the design end and tricked you into leaping into. After all is said and done, there's little value here aside from pure nostalgia, or 90's TV references. There's nothing rewarding about leaping to your death 1,000 times and missing the rotating platform you could have sworn you were bound to secure. The password feature (over a proper save) also does Gex little justice.
Although I'm glad to have this game in my collection for personal / nostalgic reasons, trying to relive the experience is painstaking and serves as nothing more than a bad relic of the past. The auto-rotating camera views, tank controls, and poor aesthetic (doors pretty much look like walls, etc) makes for a pretty terrible experience all around. The gravity-defying jumping mechanic also seems a bit misplaced, as it's far too easy to overshoot or undershoot a leap of faith, which usually results in another death. Still, for nostalgic reasons I love to pull this out and wonder what the devs at the time were even thinking with some of the aforementioned design flaws considered. It almost seems as if they were purposely trying to make an impossibly terrible game, and no amount of control scheme shifting can rectify it.
OlliOlli almost plays like an indie platformer with the addition of THPS / skateboard mechanics. It's a highly original game in its own right, has a stunning pixelated aesthetic, and is already setup to work with a 360 controller without further configuration. There are loads of challenging levels, along with some 'spots' levels, which basically serve as trick-attack or high-score modes with even deeper challenges. This game definitely had a lot of thought going into it, and it shows. It's incredible.
Having never played a Lemmings-style game previously, I gave this a whirl without any preconcieved notions and I'm extremely glad I did. Being a fan of the pixelated aesthetic, I was captured immediately by the visuals and it begged me to keep playing. The puzzle and strategy mechanics form a type of synergy that I didn't know I had been looking for in an indie title for so long until I finally found it in ZNT, and having a level editor on your side makes for virtually endless replay value. This game kicks butt. It's so original and I don't see myself getting tired of it anytime soon.
I've been waiting for a modern / 2-D take based (roughly) on the idea of the Tony Hawk games, and I think I've finally found it. OlliOlli 2 basically mastered all of this on a 2-D playing field to a tee - manuals, reverts, awesome grinds, flip tricks, and even modifiers to throw in a curveball. The only difference between this and THPS's system is the obvious grab tricks, but I honestly don't care. It's all street skating and no vert with OlliOlli 2, but the challenges and 'spots' really make for a killer game. I can't wait to see if they'll make another with a couple of halfpipes, though!
These 6 games being in one collection is like a dream. As many reviewers have accurately stated, the amount of gameplay contained within these games for such a price would have been virtually unheard of at the time of the release of each title. I've logged at least 24 hours in World Of Xeen, and I'm still not even close to completion. These games (along with NWN) should never be forgotten under any circumstance. They're some of the best RPG's ever made, and even some of the newer games can't even compare to the amount of detail that went into them. It would be a shame for anyone to pass up such an amazing experience for the fact that they're DOSBox-based or not so graphically-inclined, because at the time they were basically cutting edge. I love this. I literally want to stay in this era of gaming forever thanks to GOG.
These 3 games were probably the best childhood gaming memories I have, and still serve as the best survival horror games in existence. Although mastering the controls are more than half the battle, some of the obscure puzzle pieces involved (especially in One Eyed Jack's Revenge) make for really interesting games to play, even today. Having these all in one set is a pretty big deal. I'm glad GOG made this possible, and although mapping buttons in DOSBox can be a bit of an uphill battle, it's still worth it all!
This game isn't really a whole lot different from the way I remember it on PSX - unbalanced, a bit blocky, and probably not the best SF game to date. With that being said, all of the nostalgic value is still in full swing, and I still find it to be fun. The PC port didn't ruin this, as far as I can remember. It's the same game, through and through - and I love it!
