If you go digging, you'll find a lot of hate out there for this game, but I liked it. The main complaints are the difficulty level, poor graphics, and the rigid combat system. Here's my take: Difficulty: The game doesn't hold your hand, period. There is never a giant arrow pointing where you should go next; rather, you'll need to talk with people. Lots of people. Most of what they say will be worthless, and some may even be repetitive.I like this, actually. It helps with immersion (which is a big thing with me) and the fact that it was translated from Czech adds flavor to the dialogue (the game's setting takes place in Old World, which is like 14th century Europe).The game is estimated to run about 100 hours, and massive walls of text are a big reason why (there's even a 76 page novella included in the extras!). If this is not your thing, you should avoid Inquisitor. Graphics: Again, I think they add to the feel of the game. The palette is full of dark, muted colors, and everything looks as if it has just rained in autumn: dreary. Works for me! Combat system: It is what it is. There's not a whole lot of flexibility, and you really do start off feeling weak. You'll probably suck down more pots in Inquisitor than in any other rpg. It's not a game breaker for me. I like that every character build can use magic, but you *want* to get Levitation. I think it's worth getting. The setting is original, and it's obvious the devs were trying for something special.
The last game released by Apogee was a good way to go out. This is a side-scrolling shmup that is still fast and fun. It's definitely influenced by the Gradius series, even including a vocal prompt with each new power up. Enemies have varied attack patterns, and will even speed up and slow down as they approach your ship. And speaking of your ship, power ups are plentiful, and there is a fair amount of upgrades available for purchase within the game. The only reason I'm docking a star is for aesthetics: the game features a bright, primary color palette and oversized enemies, while I prefer smaller targets and a darker, grittier feel. The bottom line is this: Just because it's free, doesn't mean it's not worth playing. I'd pay for this. If you're a shmup fan, get it and enjoy!
Tour around the world in this sci-fi racer / shooter that offers six degrees of freedom (think: Descent).While it was arguably the best in its class back in the day, now it just feels lacking. There isn't much variety in weapons choice, and it just doesn't feel as fast as it used to. That said, the courses are laid out nicely, and the smack talk coming from other pilots is well done.
You have one ship, which can outfit a variety of ways. Once you launch, you're faced with an amazing array of enemies, scenery, and different tactical patterns for such a small game (17 MBs!). It feels like a vertical version of the Gradius series (one of my favorite shmups of all time). The only downsides are relatively short game play, and a bug affecting the game's menus that occurs if a controller is plugged in when you launch the executable (however, the game is absolutely playable with a mouse). I would have paid for it; it's that good.
The game would be 2 stars, but this version is NOT the CD version. Poor graphics, unmappable controls, no intro movie, and the manual is incorrect. Function keys don't work, nor do the action keys. GOG rarely drops the ball, but when they do, they REALLY drop the ball. Should not have been sold in this state.
